New regulation

Golden jackal may be hunted over the winter

A golden jackal

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

In the province of Salzburg, golden jackals can be hunted from October 1 to March 15. This is made possible by an amendment to the state's closed season ordinance, which came into force today. This regulation takes into account the breeding and rearing phase of the animals and ensures the conservation status of this game species.

"With this measure, we want to take into account both the protection of the habitat of native wild animals and agricultural interests," explained Marlene Svazek (FPÖ), the deputy governor responsible for this area.

Animal rights activists: "contrary to EU law"
Animal rights activists criticize the hunting of golden jackals in Austria. "In Burgenland, Carinthia, Upper Austria and Styria, the state hunting law stipulates that golden jackals may be hunted from October 1 to March 15," says the initiative "Referendum for a Federal Hunting Act": "This is contrary to EU law, as the golden jackal is a protected species that may only be hunted if it is in a favorable conservation status and the conservation status is monitored."

Special protection only in Vienna and Vorarlberg
In Austria, this would not be the case due to the small golden jackal population, which is clearly stated in a legal opinion. In Tyrol, the golden jackal can be shot all year round, and in Lower Austria, where the golden jackal has been declared a "predator" by the state hunting association, it can also be shot all year round, the initiative had criticized. In Vienna, golden jackals are actually strictly protected by nature conservation regulations. In Vorarlberg, they are subject to hunting law, but are protected all year round.

On the occasion of World Jackal Day in April, "Tierschutz Austria" spoke of a "treatment of the golden jackal in Austria that makes a mockery of the rule of law". According to EU law, in particular the Fauna-Flora-Habitat (FFH) Directive, the golden jackal is a "species of Community interest" and is therefore protected.

Golden jackals spread naturally from Eastern and Southern Europe to Western and Northern Europe. They first appeared in Austria in 1987. In Salzburg, a golden jackal was first recorded in September 2020. At that time, two sheep were killed by the predator in Lungau.