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Template text: Livestock protection instead of wolf culls
The handling of wolves in the canton (………) shall be consistently oriented towards livestock protection, prevention and factual information. Wolf culls are to be restricted to clearly defined exceptional cases as ultima ratio.
1. Motion
The government council is mandated to submit to the Grand Council a draft amendment to the Law on Hunting and Wildlife Protection (………) as well as the cantonal implementing regulations for federal law on the protection of predators (particularly wolves). The goal is a cantonal wolf management that clearly prioritizes livestock protection and non-lethal measures and restricts the killing of wolves to narrowly limited exceptional cases.
The revision of laws and regulations must ensure in particular that:
that the canton enacts a binding, periodically updated wolf management plan that:
is based on recognized wildlife biological and ethological foundations
establishes livestock protection and prevention as the highest priority
defines clear responsibilities and procedures in case of conflict.
that the canton systematically promotes livestock protection measures in wolf territories and potential wolf territories, particularly through:
financial contributions for animal-welfare appropriate, wolf-proof fences and guard dogs
free or subsidized consultation and planning of livestock protection concepts
training and continuing education for livestock keepers as well as enforcement authorities.
that the canton considers effective livestock protection in compensation for livestock kills, namely:
transparent criteria defining when damage qualifies for compensation
incentives for establishing and consistently applying livestock protection
no preferential treatment for operations that fail to implement adequate livestock protection despite reasonable possibilities.
that the shooting of wolves only comes into consideration under the following cumulative conditions:
the legal requirements of federal law are met
The operation has livestock protection corresponding to the state of technology
non-lethal measures were seriously examined and implemented
an independent professional assessment comprehensibly confirms the necessity and proportionality of a shooting.
that permits for shooting wolves:
are limited to the absolutely necessary number and to a narrowly restricted time period
are transparently justified and published in appropriate form
are restricted as far as possible to identified individuals or packs to avoid arbitrary interventions in the population.
that the canton maintains systematic data collection and reporting on wolf occurrence, livestock kills, livestock protection measures and authorized interventions and makes this public annually.
that the canton actively pursues factual information policy toward the population, particularly through:
education about wolf biology and behavior
realistic presentation of risks and conflicts
avoidance and rejection of fear and enemy propaganda.
that the Government Council explains in its message:
what legal scope the canton has in enforcing federal law regarding wolves
how the proposed regulations concretely contribute to conflict minimization
what organizational and financial impacts can be expected for the canton.
The Government Council ensures that cantonal provisions are compatible with federal law, but do not undermine the federal minimum protection of wolves, rather concretize them toward modern, prevention-oriented large carnivore management.
2. Brief Justification
The wolf is returning as a native species to the Swiss landscape. Its reestablishment is a consequence of changed legal frameworks and societal developments. However, it is being fought by parts of the hunting and agricultural lobby with massive fear communication and political campaigns. The wolf is deliberately instrumentalized as a scapegoat for structural problems of livestock farming and agriculture.
In fact, experiences from numerous European regions show that conflicts with wolves primarily escalate where livestock protection is neglected and political signals focus on shooting rather than prevention. Inadequately protected grazing animals in wolf areas are a predictable problem, not an inexplicable natural event.
Instead of ever new demands for shooting quotas and de facto weakening of protection status, what's needed is a clear, legally binding priority for livestock protection and non-lethal measures. Only this way can conflicts be sustainably defused without pushing a strictly protected species again to the brink of extinction.
A cantonal wolf management plan, based on binding legal foundations, creates transparency and reliability for all stakeholders:
Livestock keepers know under what conditions they will be supported and compensated
Enforcement authorities receive clear guidelines for decisions
The population can understand how wolves are dealt with
The wolf no longer becomes a pawn of short-term political campaigns.
The canton (………) has scope within the framework of enforcing federal law to independently design the handling of wolves, as long as federal minimum protection is maintained. It can do significantly more than just minimally implement federal requirements, particularly in the areas of livestock protection, transparency, data basis and information policy.
The present motion does not demand uncontrolled proliferation of wolves, but responsible, forward-looking handling of a protected species. Shootings remain possible in exceptional cases, but are tied to strict conditions as ultima ratio. The focus is on prevention, livestock protection, factual information and a departure from emotionalized hunting and wolf enemy propaganda.
Those who leave grazing animals unprotected in wolf areas don't have a wolf problem, but a livestock protection problem. Politics and administration must finally honestly acknowledge this and act accordingly.
