Environmental associations criticize restructured herd protection
Published: Thursday, Apr 11th 2024, 11:40
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Several environmental associations criticize the restructuring of the herd protection measures in the revised Hunting Ordinance. The adjustments towards proactive interventions are undisputed, but the implementation is insufficiently clarified and shows potential for improvement.
The new ordinance no longer provides uniform support for herd protection measures throughout Switzerland, the environmental associations Birdlife, Gruppe Wolf Schweiz, Pro Natura and the WWF told the media on Thursday.
They criticize the fact that the cantons would now decide which measures are funded and to what extent. This would lead to confusion among livestock owners, different contribution rates for measures and possible livestock protection tourism, as dogs may be registered with colleagues in neighboring cantons because there are more contributions there.
Cantons with more wolves would be favored in the distribution of funds, the report continued. Fewer benefits for livestock farmers in cantons with a low wolf presence would make preventive livestock protection more difficult. This would take Switzerland back to the time before 2014, when herd protection funding was only available in areas with a wolf presence.
According to the environmental associations, livestock protection advice is now only available for alpine farms and no longer for farms in the agricultural zone. This would put those without prior knowledge of wolves and livestock protection at a disadvantage.
Utilizing herd protection potential
Another point of criticism is that the strict federal testing of livestock guarding dogs is no longer necessary. Simpler cantonal tests would now be possible. A lack of funding for breeding and training would lead to the increased use of unknown breeds. This would increase the risk of incidents and the protective effect would hardly improve. This would jeopardize the acceptance of livestock guarding dogs.
The environmental associations see great untapped potential in livestock guarding. According to them, four out of five sheep pastures do not yet have livestock guarding dogs. The majority of wolf attacks occur in completely unprotected flocks. In spite of livestock guarding dogs, wolf attacks occur in situations of inadequate herd management in which the herds are spread over too large an area.
The partial revision of the Ordinance on Hunting and the Protection of Wild Mammals and Birds is in the ordinary consultation process until July 5. The ordinance is due to come into force on February 1, 2025.
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