Nutria cause flood risk - hunters raise the alarm!

Nutria cause flood risk - hunters raise the alarm!

In Lower Saxony there is an alarming problem with the invasive type of Nutria, also called beaver rat. These rodents that originally come from South America cause massive damage to the dikes of the North Sea. Jäger reports of a rapid increase in their stocks, with 44,961 nutrias in the hunting year 2023/2024. Nevertheless, the hunters, like Manuel Janssen, who hunt these animals every day, face a challenging situation. The animals are extremely dangerous, especially for dogs, since their sharp teeth can cause serious injuries. Janssen himself recently moved three copies of the "crooked deep" in Ihlow when using the "crooked deep", where the damage caused by the rodents are becoming more and more obvious, such as Bild.de reported.

The concern of the Nutria population is favored by climate change and mild winter, which leads to an explosive increase in its reproductive rate. These circumstances have led to a vehemently contradiction to hunters of the claim to take Nutria out of hunting law. Lower Saxony's Minister of Agriculture Miriam Staudte plans to enforce this, which meets with resistance in both the hunters and the associations for dike protection. Dr. Hansjörg Heeren from the Frisian Association for Nature Conservation warns that Nutria is the only increasing threat to the dikes because they can destabilize their structure by digging caves. In the event of a disaster, this could lead to a rapid fracture of dike, which would have serious effects. According to Jägers Magazin , the numbers of the metered nutrias have been more than treated in the past six years, which is already a serious sign of the need for measures.

The hunting strategies on Nutrias extend from fishing methods to targeted hunt, with fruit and vegetables being used for attracting. Nevertheless, the recycling of the meat remains a controversial topic. While Nutria is traditionally considered a delicacy in her home country, their meat plays a subordinate role in Germany. Experts emphasize the need to not only make these animals, but also usefully use them. In the round of the hunters, it is discussed how to successfully reduce the Nutria stock without sustainably endangering the ecological equilibria.