Transparency demanded

Billionaire hunt in the Kaisertal: explosive details

The Kaisertal is one of the most idyllic spots in Tyrol. But there are problems with game and forest.

(Bild: Peter Freiberger)

For 70 years, the German billionaire family Henkel has been hunting tenants in the Kaisertal valley near Kufstein. If the Green-led Tyrolean Environment Committee has its way, this will now come to an end. The ÖVP and NEOS do not agree with this approach and are increasing the pressure.

The extension - or in this case non-extension - of the hunting lease to billionaire Henkel will not come into effect until next year, but the issue is already becoming increasingly explosive. After all, there is a lot of money at stake for the city treasury, prominent names and one of the most idyllic spots in Tyrol - the Kaisertal, voted the most beautiful place in Austria in 2016 in the ORF program "Nine Places, Nine Treasures".

Critical examination of the allegations
Until now, the issue of hunting leases has been dealt with by the green-led environmental committee, the authorities and the town council. This is where the decision was made not to extend the lease that had been in place for 70 years. The prominent hunting leaseholder was accused of all sorts of things, from failing to meet the shooting quota to the poor condition of the forest and endangering the drinking water supply. It remains to be seen whether all of this will stand up to critical scrutiny.

If Mayor Krumschnabel and environmental officer Fiesel no longer want to lease the hunt, they should say so honestly without destroying a hunting tenant, who according to Fiesel has done everything right, in the media worldwide (!).

Birgit Obermüller, NEOS-Gemeinderätin und Landtagsabgeordnete

Invitation only afterwards
Environment officer Thimo Fiesel invites the local council to an information event next Tuesday. Fiesel is no stranger to Tyrol, he was the regional managing director and general secretary of the Green Party. NEOS member of the provincial parliament Birgit Obermüller and VP city councillor Richard Salzburger criticize his approach: "Offering the meeting only after the city council's decision is actually too late," they say.

More transparency: ÖVP and NEOS increase pressure
Fiesel was only prepared to invite external experts after pressure from the opposition. "The list of invitees includes many forestry experts, but only one hunting expert," says Obermüller, criticizing another shortcoming. "We are calling for this short-sighted decision, which may also be based on personal sensitivities, to be reconsidered and referred to the local council. The entire hunting community of Kufstein and large sections of the population are outraged by the proposal to burden the town budget in future," said the ÖVP and NEOS in unison.

The district master hunter confirmed to us that the shooting quotas are more than met, as there is also a lot of fallen game there. There is even a recommendation to be more cautious in the coming years.

Gemeinderat Richard Salzburger, Kufsteiner Volkspartei

Mayor: Kaisertal is always interesting
Self-management in the form of a private hunt not only deprives the town of rental income of 40,000 euros per year, but also incurs considerable costs. Mayor Martin Krumschnabel says that these could be recouped through the sale of hunting permits: "The Kaisertal is always interesting!" The fact that the local council is involved is "not a problem" for him. He is concerned about the forest and the water: "You can't put a price on that!"