New state hunting law: hunters in Rhineland-Palatinate sound the alarm!

New state hunting law: hunters in Rhineland-Palatinate sound the alarm!

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the new state hunting law is causing a lot of excitement among hunters. The new regulations, which provide for binding shooting quotas, are already being criticized as “state intervention”. Hunters could lose their hunting privileges if the quotas are not met, which alarms many in the scene. Wolfgang Petersen, chairman of the Rhine-Hunsrück district group in the state hunting association, expresses clear concerns. He emphasizes that hunters are not only shooters, but also conservationists who want to actively preserve the animals' habitat. In addition, it is highly doubtful that the forestry authorities - possibly out of economic interest - can set the quota with the necessary foresight. View current reports that the expansion of liability for damage caused by game and restrictions on hunting methods are also causing additional unrest.

In the debate about wolves, there is also criticism that hunters are not sufficiently involved in important decisions, even though they have responsibility for the game population. “We don’t want to be ignored from the outside,” Petersen continued. Stephan Wefelscheid, member of the state parliament for the Free Voters, also makes it clear that the tasks of hunters - for example in game recovery or disease protection - are far too important to be underestimated. Wefelscheid calls on Environment Minister Eder to reconsider this bill and open it to a broader discussion.

Legal basis and requirements

The new law, which affects the existing state hunting law of 1979, is supplemented by several service-specific regulations, particularly in the Rhineland-Palatinate State Hunting Association are listed. It is found that unfulfilled quotas can have far-reaching consequences. Responsibility for hunting and the associated laws are clearly regulated. The Federal Hunting Act, which has been in force since 1976, forms the basis for the regulations in Rhineland-Palatinate, supplemented by other relevant regulations and state laws that have a compounding effect on the current situation.

According to experts, these new requirements could turn existing hunting structures upside down. For example, the existing red deer conservancies are losing their decision-making authority, which for many hunters means a deep change in the way they work. The concern about more bureaucracy and less scope for action is more than understandable here.

Hunters and their role in nature

Ultimately, the hunters in Rhineland-Palatinate are important stakeholders not only responsible for population control, but also as mediators between nature and people. The growing concerns about wildlife damage that may result from the new legal regulations are just the tip of the iceberg. It is important not only to respect the existing knowledge and experience of the hunters, but also to integrate them. Rhineland-Palatinate forest illustrates how important it is to take the hunter's perspective into account for the sustainable management of game.

The new proposed law not only has financial implications, but also a deep contradiction among hunters. A dialogue is urgently required in order to adequately take the interests of all those involved into account and to find a sustainable solution for hunters and nature conservation.