Sample text: Livestock protection instead of wolf culling
The management of wolves in the canton (………) should be consistently focused on livestock protection, prevention, and factual information. Wolf culling should be limited to clearly defined exceptional cases as a last resort.
1. Motion
The Government Council is instructed to submit to the Grand Council a proposal to amend the Law on Hunting and Wildlife Protection (…) and the cantonal implementing regulations for federal law on the protection of predators (in particular wolves). The aim is a cantonal wolf management system that clearly prioritizes livestock protection and non-lethal measures and restricts the culling of wolves to very limited exceptional cases.
The revision of laws and regulations must ensure, in particular, that:
- that the canton adopts a binding wolf management plan, which is updated periodically and which:
- based on recognized wildlife biology and ethology principles
- It establishes livestock protection and prevention as the top priority.
- Clear responsibilities and procedures are defined in case of conflict.
- that the canton systematically promotes livestock protection measures in wolf territories and potential wolf territories, in particular through:
- financial contributions towards animal-friendly, wolf-proof fences and guard dogs
- Free or discounted consultation and planning of livestock protection concepts
- Training and further education for animal owners and enforcement authorities.
- that the canton takes effective herd protection into account when calculating compensation for livestock losses, in particular:
- transparent criteria for when damage is considered eligible for compensation
- Incentives for the establishment and consistent application of livestock protection measures
- No preferential treatment for farms that fail to implement adequate herd protection despite reasonable possibilities.
- that the shooting of wolves is only considered under the following cumulative conditions:
- The legal requirements of federal law are met.
- The farm has a state-of-the-art herd protection system.
- Non-lethal measures were seriously considered and implemented.
- an independent expert assessment that verifiably confirms the necessity and proportionality of a cull.
- that permits for shooting wolves:
- are limited to the absolutely necessary number and to a strictly limited period of time
- The reasons must be transparent and the information published in a suitable form.
- As far as possible, interventions should be limited to identified individuals or packs in order to avoid indiscriminate interference with the population.
- that the canton conducts systematic data collection and reporting on wolf occurrences, livestock kills, herd protection measures and approved interventions, and publishes this information annually.
- that the canton actively pursues an objective information policy towards the population, in particular through:
- Information about the biology and behavior of the wolf
- realistic portrayal of risks and conflicts
- Avoidance and rejection of fear-mongering and enemy-image propaganda.
- that the Government Council states in its message:
- what legal leeway the canton has in the enforcement of federal law on wolves
- how the proposed regulations specifically contribute to minimizing conflict
- what organizational and financial implications the canton can expect.
The government council ensures that the cantonal regulations are compatible with federal law, but do not undermine the federal minimum protection of the wolf, instead specifying it in the direction of a modern, prevention-oriented large predator management.
2. Brief explanation
The wolf is returning to the Swiss landscape as a native species. Its reintroduction is a consequence of changing legal frameworks and societal developments. However, it is being opposed by parts of the hunting and agricultural lobbies through massive fear-mongering and political campaigns. The wolf is being deliberately instrumentalized as a scapegoat for structural problems in livestock farming and agriculture.
Indeed, experience from numerous regions of Europe shows that conflicts with wolves primarily escalate where livestock protection is neglected and political signals favor culling rather than prevention. Inadequately protected grazing animals in wolf territories are a predictable problem, not an inexplicable natural phenomenon.
Instead of constantly demanding new quotas for culling and effectively weakening protected status, what's needed is a clear, legally binding priority for livestock protection and non-lethal measures. Only in this way can conflicts be sustainably defused without pushing a strictly protected species back to the brink of extinction.
A cantonal wolf management plan, based on binding legal foundations, creates transparency and reliability for all parties involved:
- Livestock farmers know under what conditions they will receive support and compensation.
- Law enforcement authorities will receive clear guidelines for their decisions.
- The population understands how the wolf is being dealt with.
- The wolf will no longer be a pawn in short-term political campaigns.
Within the framework of implementing federal law, the canton (………) has discretion to shape its own approach to managing wolves, as long as the minimum protection requirements under federal law are met. In particular, it can do significantly more than simply implement the minimum federal regulations, especially regarding livestock protection, transparency, data availability, and information policy.
This motion does not call for the uncontrolled reproduction of wolves, but rather for a responsible and forward-looking approach to managing a protected species. Culling remains possible in exceptional cases, but is considered a last resort and subject to strict conditions. The focus is on prevention, livestock protection, factual information, and a move away from emotionally charged propaganda promoting hunting and wolf-bashing.
Those who leave grazing animals unprotected in wolf territories don't have a wolf problem, but a livestock protection problem. Politicians and administrators must finally acknowledge this honestly and act accordingly.