Germany: Legal debates arise over wolf management and hunting law amendments

The amendment to the German Federal Hunting Act (BJagdG) regarding the management of wolves has introduced significant changes to hunting and species protection laws. The legislative intent was to provide legal certainty and improve the protection of livestock by creating extensive options for wolf culling.

However, these changes have sparked legal debate. The Deutsche Juristische Gesellschaft für Tierschutzrecht e. V. (DJGT) has raised concerns regarding the effectiveness of reducing the wolf's protection status at a national level. Key legal questions remain concerning the relationship between new hunting regulations, established species protection standards, and animal welfare requirements, such as the necessity of a ‘reasonable cause’ under the Animal Welfare Act.

The DJGT has reviewed the compatibility of these regulations with the FFH Directive and the Federal Nature Conservation Act, using the legal situation in Hesse as a specific case study to examine the broader national implications.