Ahrweiler district council: Morassi fights against CDU hunting law resolution!

Ahrweiler district council: Morassi fights against CDU hunting law resolution!

A hot topic is being discussed in the Ahrweiler district council: On June 25, 2025, the committee passed a resolution against the planned amendment to the Rhineland-Palatinate state hunting law. Marion Morassi, district council member for Die Linke in parliamentary group with the SPD, opposed this resolution, which was introduced and passed by the CDU with a narrow majority. She criticizes the fact that the resolution does not adequately acknowledge the complexity of the challenges in the forest and game sector and that it serves one-sidedly the interests of the hunter community. With regard to the increasing game browsing problems in forests, she emphasizes the need to bring forests and game into harmony and calls for a broader discussion about nature conservation and animal protection.

The background story is no less exciting. According to a report by Blick aktuell, 7,500 hunters demonstrated in Mainz against the proposed amendment on the same day. With Horst Gies, a prominent CDU member of the state parliament and deputy of the Ahrweiler district hunters' association, as the main speaker, the hunters' concerns were pointed out. Specific criticism is directed at the feared additional bureaucratic burdens on the lower hunting authority, which could result in more costs for the district.

Criticism and demands

Marion Morassi called for an open dialogue with all those affected in order to develop a balanced draft law. Her party colleague from the SPD also warned of the damage that game browsing can cause in the community forest. The CDU parliamentary group, on the other hand, sees the amendment as a risk for coexistence in the Ahrweiler district, which no less worries the district council president. The FDP agreed to the resolution, while the Free Voters' Community expressed concerns and the Greens demanded concrete evidence of the additional costs of the administration.

The draft law also has national significance, as the planned amendment by Environment Minister Karin Eder is intended to strengthen the balance between forest and wildlife and has already been passed in the state parliament with 52 yes and 46 no votes. The state parliament plans to put the law into force by April 2027. The goals include better protecting the forest against the effects of climate change and adapting hunting methods to the needs of the ecosystem.

Invitation to discussion

The challenge in this passionate debate is to fairly take into account the protection of nature and the interests of hunters. Morassi advocates taking bureaucratic concerns seriously without completely rejecting progress in hunting law. “We have to look at the issue of forests and wildlife holistically, not just from a specific interest perspective,” she explains.

The Ahrweiler district council is called upon to include not only the voices of hunters, but also those of forest owners and environmentalists in its considerations. Only through such a dialogue can a workable compromise be found that actually contributes to the well-being of forests and wildlife.

The discussion continues and the next steps are eagerly awaited. The future of Rhineland-Palatinate hunting law is in jeopardy – and it remains to be seen how the various actors will adapt their positions.

For further details on the resolution and the background, we recommend taking a look at the reporting from Actiplan, which offers comprehensive insights into the conflicts surrounding the hunting law, as well as View current for the perspective of the hunters. That too SWR offers interesting details about the amendment to the law and the planned changes. Registration for the discussion is welcome!