Stop Animal Suffering: Fences as Death Traps for Wildlife
Fences are becoming deadly traps for wildlife. The campaign calls for wildlife-friendly fences and the removal of unnecessary barriers from the landscape.
The signature collection for the initiative «Stop Animal Suffering – Against Fences as Death Traps for Wildlife» can now begin. The St. Gallen cantonal government has reviewed the text and declared the initiative admissible. The collection period ends on 5 July 2019.
Improper fences cause the death and suffering of wildlife hundreds of times each year in the canton of St. Gallen alone, the initiative committee stated on Tuesday at the launch of the signature collection. The popular initiative was jointly launched by Pro Natura St. Gallen-Appenzell, WWF St. Gallen, and the St. Gallen hunters.
Neither the municipalities nor the canton were addressing the root causes of this problem. Neighbouring cantons, by contrast, have more effective regulations in this regard.
The legislative initiative «Stop Animal Suffering – Against Fences as Death Traps for Wildlife» aims to introduce a clear and consistent set of rules in the canton of St. Gallen as well.
Banning Barbed Wire
Barbed wire is to be banned in principle, as is already the case in the canton of Graubünden. Existing barbed wire is to be removed within four years.
Fences in forests are also to be prohibited in principle. The only exceptions are forestry and ecological protection installations. These must be properly maintained and regularly inspected.
According to the committee, grazing nets (mobile fences) and electric fences may only be erected and operated when animals are actually grazing in the meadows.
The initiators have five months to collect the required 6,000 signatures.
