The provinces of Drenthe and Gelderland and several municipalities asked for help from the House of Representatives on Tuesday in tackling the wolf. They want the House to press at a European level to lower the protected status of the wolf so that the animal can be hunted. They also advocate clear national policy and a national information point about the wolf.
“More and more pasture animals such as sheep, cows and ponies are being bitten to death by wolves and residents are concerned about this and feel unsafe. Society is becoming increasingly polarized about the wolf,” is the message in the petition presented by deputies, representatives from municipalities and also a sheep farmer in The Hague. In addition to population management, authorities want to be able to intervene if a wolf has attacked livestock behind special wolf-resistant fences several times.
Drenthe writes that ‘the fear among the population for the wolf, especially after the incident in Wapse’, is great. A wolf was shot there last year on the mayor’s orders. The Public Prosecution Service is investigating this matter. In a letter to the Provincial Council on Tuesday, you can read that Drenthe wants to ‘intervene to prevent the number of attacks on people and animals from increasing and the fear and anger about the presence of the wolf among the sworn population from increasing’.
Paintball
The province of Gelderland recently decided that wolves that attack livestock that are well protected twice in one week may be shot. Wolves may also be chased away with a paintball gun throughout the province, a policy that previously failed in court. Gelderland also expects lawsuits against the new plans. The province has been advocating for some time to lower the protected status of the wolf, so that the population can also be ‘managed’. Agriculture representative Harold Zoet (BBB) also went to the European Commission in Brussels with that message.
The petition that the authorities presented on Tuesday has been signed by the Gelderland municipalities of Scherpenzeel, Barneveld, Maasdriel, Oldebroek, Nijkerk, Putten, Ermelo, Elburg, Ede, Neder-Betuwe, Tiel, Zaltbommel, Nunspeet and the Drenthe municipalities of Borger-Odoorn, Coevorden and Central Drenthe.
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Tags: Municipalities provinces Gelderland request action Chamber tackling protected status wolves Home
