Despite new regulation

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Wolves have already been spotted in Styria this year, but none of them have exhibited problematic behavior.

(Bild: Gerhard Schiel)

A new regulation allows the shooting of problem wolves in Styria - but so far there has been no reason to do so. And a new ruling by the European Court of Justice could put a stop to the wishes of many alpine farmers anyway.

At the end of the previous year, Styria followed suit and - after a long discussion and resistance from SPÖ state environmental councillor Ursula Lackner - issued a wolf ordinance, as did other federal states. This allows hunters to shoot wolves that pose a risk to humans or have demonstrably killed several farm animals within a certain period of time in a specific area.

However, the regulation has not yet had to be applied, confirmed the office of Agriculture Minister Simone Schmiedtbauer (ÖVP) on Thursday. There have also been no confirmed wolf kills in Styria this year, "but we are only at the beginning of the Alpine pasture season". However, there have already been 78 reports of wolf sightings, 13 of which actually involved the predator.

EU ruling with consequences
However, it is questionable whether wolves can be shot at all and whether this is legally permissible. The European Court of Justice caused a stir with a ruling that became public on Thursday: An exception to the shooting ban is only possible "if the wolf population is in a favorable conservation status, which is not the case in Austria".

Specifically, the ruling was made in a case in Tyrol, but the consequences affect the whole of Austria. Efforts by conservative politicians, such as the ÖVP, to lower the protection status of the wolf at EU level are also being delayed. A vote planned for June had to be postponed, but the time could now come in October.