New law

“Restoring the wolf’s fear of humans”

The wolf is still a problem in Carinthia - many farmers are afraid of predators.

(Bild: Jiri Bohdal)

The cattle drive in Carinthia is in full swing. A new law should make it easier to hunt wolves and provide more protection for livestock.

Practice shows that the new wolf ordinance works!", said a delighted Martin Gruber (ÖVP), Deputy Governor and Head of Agriculture, on Thursday.

The new Alpine Pastures and Grazing Protection Act and the new wolf ordinance came into force just one day earlier. The predator is currently classified as "strictly protected" and a reduction in its protection status is being discussed at EU level.

Almost 400 farm animals were killed in 2022, compared to 133 last year, which shows that hunting is making a difference! There will still be kills in the future, that's a reality, but we are moving in the right direction.

Josef Obweger, Obmann des Kärntner Almwirtschaftsverein

Because "our farmers can't wait for that", hunting is already being made easier: "Previously, a certain number of animals had to be killed before a wolf could be hunted - it took too long for us to intervene. Now it is possible to take a wolf from one kill," explains Gruber, who is "protective of the alpine pasture economy". This regulation applies to "almost all managed alpine pastures" with 1837 domestic alpine pasture areas.

"Herd protection does not work"
Criticism from environmental protection organizations demanding herd protection, for example, is not accepted by Siegfried Huber, President of the Chamber of Agriculture, and Josef Obweger, Chairman of the Carinthian Alpine Farming Association: "Herd protection does not work with such small-scale alpine farming."

"We don't have the resources to put up fences, which can be dangerous for black grouse, for example. And if several herds are pooled together, smaller alpine pastures remain unmanaged. Hunting is our only chance."

Deputy State Hunting Master Stefan Kulterer sees an additional advantage: "We have to teach the wolf to shy away from humans and farm animals again. Our goal is to hunt the wolf all year round, just like the fox."