Up to 20,000 euros

Feeding swans will be expensive

Feeding swans was banned in individual municipalities and areas around Lake Attersee, but now it applies across the board.

(Bild: Dostal Harald)

The new Upper Austrian Hunting Act now regulates the feeding of wild animals - it is now forbidden to feed animals such as swans, pigeons or deer across the board. Anyone who does not comply with this law faces a fine of up to 20,000 euros. Lake Attersee has been struggling with an overpopulation of waterfowl for years.

"Too many mute swans on Lake Attersee": A recent letter from the Vöcklabruck district authority refers to the long-standing problem with the overpopulation of waterfowl and the resulting damage to the meadows in the lake area in the Salzkammergut.

"Population kept too high"
"If the mute swan is fed in addition to the food available in the meadows and fields, it will stay more often where it gets this additional food. Additional feeding keeps the population of mute swans unnaturally high. Intervention to reduce the population would be necessary," says Johannes Beer, District Governor of Vöcklabruck, describing the major problem around Lake Attersee.

There are too many swans on Lake Attersee.

(Bild: Scharinger Daniel)

In the past, some municipalities had therefore already banned the feeding of swans in certain areas. These bans are now no longer necessary because the feeding of wild animals has been regulated for the entire province in the new Upper Austrian Hunting Act, which came into force on April 1st. It states that the feeding of game - including swans, ducks, pigeons, but also deer - by persons who are not authorized to hunt is prohibited.

Expensive administrative offense
Wild animals will therefore be put on a diet across the board in future. Anyone who does not comply will have to reckon with a hefty fine. This is an administrative offense that is punishable by a fine of up to 20,000 euros.

"We therefore appeal to the population to refrain from feeding mute swans and other wild animals in order to avoid the associated negative consequences as far as possible," says the Vöcklabruck district administration.

Shooting decision not yet legally binding
The "Krone" report on the forced killing of swans in Garsten also caused much discussion. The Steyr-Land district authority released five one-year-old mute swans there for shooting.

 The background: A handful of farmers had complained about increasing damage (several thousand euros) to meadows and suggested the official compulsory order. However, following an appeal, the decision is currently before the provincial administrative court. The young swans are therefore (still) allowed to live on