Hessian environmental groups sue over 2026 wolf culling plan

The Hessian Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz and the Gesellschaft zum Schutz der Wölfe have filed a lawsuit in the Kassel Administrative Court challenging the state’s wolf management plan for the 2026/27 hunting season. The plan, issued as a general ordinance on 30 June 2026 by the Regierungspräsidium, sets a “revierübergreifendes” management approach that includes the culling of up to 40 % of wolf pups, with an initial proposal to kill four pups in the Lahn‑Dill district later reduced to two.

The plaintiffs argue the measure constitutes a “kill‑plan” rather than genuine population management, violating the EU precautionary principle (Article 191 TFEU) and German constitutional provisions. They warn that such high cull rates could drive the regional wolf population toward extinction. State Minister Ingmar Jung (CDU) maintains the policy aims to protect livestock and public acceptance while keeping the wolf population at a low level, asserting that wolves pose no existential threat to sheep. The government seeks a swift court ruling to clarify the plan’s legality.