The wolf should be allowed to be hunted again
The National Council's Environment Committee (UREK) wants to remove the wolf's status as a protected species, thereby permitting its hunting by recreational hunters.
This measure would go significantly further than the moderate population regulation that parliament decided upon in 2015.
The committee, by 11 votes to 10 with 2 abstentions, proposes to follow the Valais cantonal initiative 14’320 «Wolf. Enough is enough!» This demands that wolf hunting be permitted and that the Bern Convention be renegotiated in order to introduce a reservation that would exclude Switzerland from the obligation to protect the wolf.
The committee notes that the preventive measures for herd protection as well as the individual culling of wolves that have caused damage are proving problematic, as they are too costly and do not completely prevent wolf attacks. There is also the risk that these measures could have a negative impact on tourism, as attacks by livestock guardian dogs on hikers are not uncommon. Furthermore, herd protection is difficult to implement in certain alpine areas for topographical reasons. Finally, the committee takes the view that coexistence with the wolf is in any case extremely difficult given Switzerland's dense population.
Young wolves from a pack could be shot under certain conditions — in particular when the animals regularly appear near settlements.
The Federal Council intends to present a revision of the Hunting Act in the summer. As early as 2012, the Federal Council had already created the possibility of shooting individual wolves when large numbers of livestock are killed despite herd protection measures. A further revision of the Hunting Ordinance in 2013 established the legal basis for the financial compensation of herd protection measures.
The minority proposes rejecting the initiative. It recalls the Engler motion, referred to the Federal Council in 2015, 14.3151, with which the chambers would have found a balanced solution that takes into account both the concerns of the mountain population and the protection of the wolf. The protection of the wolf in Switzerland is guaranteed by the Constitution and the Berne Convention, and for that reason alone, recreational hunting of wolves should not be on the table. Furthermore, the minority fears that the adoption of the initiative would delay the necessary optimization of population management.
The cantonal initiative will likely be debated in the National Council during the September session. If it finds a majority there, the upper chamber must decide once again.
The hunting of wolves had already been a topic in the Council of States at the beginning of March. The Imoberdorf / Rieder motion, which also called for year-round hunting of wolves, was rejected by 17 votes to 26 with no abstentions. At the same time, the cantonal initiative submitted by the canton of Valais was also rejected, as it was identical in content.
UR: Wolf Released for Shooting
The wolf that has presumably killed over 30 sheep in the canton of Uri in recent days is being released for shooting.
Over the past two weeks, the wolf has killed a total of 32 sheep in the area of the municipality of Isenthal, on two alpine pastures (30 animals) and two home farms (2 animals). This was reported by the Uri Directorate of Security in a press release issued last Tuesday. Around a dozen sheep are still missing. The hunting legislation mandates that the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) develop a concept for dealing with protected species such as the wolf. The currently applicable document is the Wolf Concept of 2008. This Wolf Concept stipulates that a shooting permit pursuant to Art. 12, Para. 2 of the Hunting Act may be issued for individual wolves that cause significant damage to livestock. The damage threshold is set at 25 livestock killed within one month or 35 livestock within four months. Because the wolf is appearing in the relevant area for the first time, all kills are counted. In subsequent years, kills are only counted if all technically feasible, practicable, and financially viable protective measures have been taken. The damage threshold has therefore been clearly exceeded. The canton of Uri has consequently submitted a request to cull the wolf causing the damage, the statement continues.
According to the Wolf Switzerland concept, the inter-cantonal commission must be consulted before a culling decision is made. Due to the exceedance of the damage threshold and the technical approval of the commission, Security Director Beat Arnold ordered the culling. Alongside this culling decision, herd protection measures are required. Herd protection must be established in order to optimally protect herds against wolf attacks in the future. Going forward, only kills from herds where all technically feasible, practical, and financially viable protective measures have been implemented will be counted for culling decisions in this area. The culling permit is limited to 60 days.
Federal compensation for beaver damage
The National Council's Environment Committee (UREK) also addressed the issue of beaver damage to infrastructure, such as footpaths, field and forest tracks, or flood protection structures. It found that the beaver and its constructions and dams are protected under the Federal Hunting Act, but that the damage it causes is not compensated. Unlike the Council of States, the committee is convinced that designating riparian zones alone cannot prevent all conflicts by creating a buffer zone. It therefore proposes, by 8 votes to 5 with 1 abstention, to follow the cantonal initiative 15’300 of the canton of Thurgau, which would mean that the federal government must compensate owners.
The Council of States narrowly rejected the initiative in March. It instead wants to strengthen prevention. Currently, damage caused by beavers to crops and trees is compensated by the federal government and cantons, but damage to infrastructure is not. According to an estimate by the federal administration, the costs amount to around one million francs nationwide.
Today, approximately 2,800beavers live in Switzerland, 500 of them in Thurgau. Two hundred years ago, the animal had been almost completely eradicated in Switzerland. From the 1950s onwards, the beaver was reintroduced to the waterways of various regions of Switzerland.
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