BRUSSELS — The European Commission introduced on Monday that it’s weighing whether or not to regulate laws to limit protections for wolves as a resurgence within the dog numbers has precipitated rising tensions with farmers involved in regards to the protection of their livestock.
The announcement got here nearly precisely a yr to the day after a wolf killed a pony belonging to the president of the European Union’s govt department, Ursula von der Leyen, early remaining September at her circle of relatives farm in Hannover, northern Germany.
“The concentration of wolf packs in some European regions has become a real danger for livestock and potentially also for humans,” von der Leyen stated in a remark. “I urge local and national authorities to take action where necessary.”
Experts and environmental teams estimate that up to 19,000 wolves could also be provide within the 27 EU member international locations, with populations of greater than 1,000 of them idea to roam in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania and Spain.
Their numbers are estimated to have grown by way of 25% over the past decade. They stay a safe species in maximum of Europe, however other people have misplaced the dependancy of dwelling close to them and conventional tactics to arrange and give protection to livestock from wolves had been deserted.
The fee stated that it wants to “regulate, the place suitable, the standing of coverage” of wolves and that it wants to update the rules “to introduce, where necessary, further flexibility,” depending on how their numbers have evolved.
To do this, the commission is calling on local communities, scientists and other interested parties to provide fresh data about wolf populations and their impact by Sept. 22 — in just over 2 weeks. A similar call in April for information did not “provide a full picture sufficient” to take action, it said.
The commission would not confirm whether it is seeking a cull of wolves. Asked about it, spokesman Adalbert Jahnz said only that “we are hoping to get a full and accurate, up-to-date, picture of the situation in order to be able to take any further measures that are necessary.”
But in an interview on Monday, German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said that she plans to deliver concrete proposals by the end of the month for making it easier to shoot wolves to protect grazing animals like sheep in her country.
“The shooting of wolves after wolf attacks must be possible more quickly and with less bureaucracy,” Lemke told the daily Die Welt. “If dozens of sheep are attacked and lie dead on the pasture, then it is a tragedy for every animal farmer and a very big burden for those affected.”
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Associated Press author Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this document.
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