Federal Office wants to lift suspensive effect for wolf culls
Published: Saturday, Dec 16th 2023, 12:30
Updated At: Saturday, Dec 16th 2023, 12:30
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The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) wants to lift the suspensive effect of the appeals against the wolf culls in Graubünden and Valais. It has submitted an application to this effect to the Federal Administrative Court.
The FOEN confirmed a report by Radio SRF on Saturday to the Keystone-SDA news agency. Following an appeal by nature conservation organizations, the Federal Administrative Court had postponed the shooting permits for the duration of the proceedings.
After examining the applications from Graubünden and Valais, the FOEN had originally approved the shooting of twelve complete packs. Only the request from the canton of Ticino to shoot the entire pack in the Onsernone Valley was rejected.
Already 19 wolves shot down
Since then, according to an initial count, eight of the 44 wolves released for shooting have been killed in Graubünden. In Valais, according to the latest figures from the Department of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife, 14 wolves were killed out of around 34 that had been targeted. State Councillor Fédéric Favre had already announced in the cantonal parliament on Friday that the canton of Valais was also requesting that the suspensive effect be lifted.
The appellant organizations Pro Natura, WWF, BirdLife and the Wolf Switzerland group believe that the federal government and cantons are disregarding the "principle of proportionality and the important role that the predator plays in the forest ecosystem". They had lodged two complaints with the Federal Administrative Court against some of the permits issued by the FOEN.
©Keystone/SDA
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