Wolves in Carinthia: Victory of common sense or impending danger?

Wolves in Carinthia: Victory of common sense or impending danger?

The EU's latest decision to lower the protection status of wolves is causing bitter discussions and an outcry among farmers in Carinthia. As the Carinthian Chamber of Agriculture reports, this decision was celebrated as a “victory of common sense”. President Siegfried Huber sees the uncontrolled spread of wolves as no longer acceptable. He and other agricultural representatives are now calling for immediate changes to the legal framework, in particular the Bern Convention and the Habitats Directive, in order to relieve the burden on pasture farming. In Europe, the wolf population has grown to around 20,300 animals, which leads to around 65,000 livestock animals being killed every year, Huber continued.

Agricultural reactions

The reactions to the decision have been consistently positive from an agricultural perspective. Agricultural officer Martin Gruber described the development as an “important first step” for EU-wide wolf management. The news was also celebrated at the political level: Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig sees this as a milestone for easier regulation of the large carnivore. Totschnig warned that the problem goes far beyond animal losses, as wolves are increasingly losing their fear of humans. In this context, he emphasized the need to prevent wolf attacks in order to guarantee the safety of the population.

However, the situation is made worse by the question of how long it could take until the legal framework is actually adjusted. According to LK President Huber, a veto challenge to the decision could still have an effect within three months, but is considered unlikely. It therefore remains to be seen how quickly the EU and its member states will act. While advocates are pushing for a relaxation of protection status, environmental groups such as the WWF are warning about the possible negative consequences of this decision and are calling for increased herd protection instead. WWF expert Christian Pichler described the decision as a “false signal” and called for more scientifically based measures to protect the herds.

The development shows an imbalance between the interests of agriculture and species protection, and pressure is growing on the EU to finally find a solution that does justice to both sides. The coming weeks will be crucial to see whether the changes to the guidelines are actually implemented and what further steps the European institutions take.