Farmers in alert mode: wolf a danger

Created: 06/27/2022, 16:00

Warning against too large a wolf population: (from left) Klaus Solleder, Lisa Krötz, Christine Singer, Joseph Grasegger, Alois Kramer and Josef Glatz.

© Schubert

"It's not five to twelve - it's already twelve o'clock," said Klaus Solleder, district chairman of the Bavarian Farmers' Association (BBV), at the rally on Saturday evening in front of the congress center in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

At the wolf rally he addressed the problems with which the peasantry is struggling.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

- This protest action was deliberately held at the beginning of the G7 summit - as a reminder to politicians.

"We are left alone with the problems caused by the greats of the world," says the BBV press release.

"But the spread of the wolf is apparently politically and socially desired," said Solleder.

And with these words, there was a lot of incomprehension and frustration.

In addition to Solleder, the district and deputy state farmer Christine Singer also came, along with Elisabeth Krötz, Josef Glatz and Alois Kramer, other well-known functionaries of the BBV and Almwirtschaftsverein Oberbayern (AVO).

There were also many representatives of the individual local associations, chairmen such as local farmers, representatives of the pasture cooperatives and members of the Werdenfelser Bergschaf breeders' association.

In his statement, District Administrator Anton Speer (free voters) called for "wolf-free zones, because the wolf and a functioning alpine economy do not go together".

At the same time, he sees the need to attract more media attention.

If the animals can no longer be driven out by our local farmers, the typical jingling of bells will stop - it has stopped ringing!"

Klaus Solleder

Solleder made it clear to the 200 or so listeners what the reason for the displeasure was.

“Within just ten years, the pack population in Germany has grown from seven in 2011 to 158 now, plus 27 other pairs and 20 individuals.

The question then arises, where should pastoralism be in the future?

When the animals can no longer be driven out by our local farmers, the typical jingling of bells will stop – it has stopped!” This was also the motto of the event.

Solleder drew up a list of demands.

This includes the reduction of the protection status of the wolf and an immediate designation of non-protectable grazing areas.

He looked at countries like Finland and Sweden, which apparently have their wolf numbers under control through removals.

"In our country we act as if the wolf were threatened with extinction, but it never was," Solleder said.

As a reminder, an illuminated wolf's head was seen on the Grasberg, while fires were blazing on the Kramerspitze and in the Grainauer Sandreisse.

"We don't give up that easily," emphasized Josef Glatz, Chairman of the Garmisch Pasture Cooperative and the AVO.

Joseph Grasegger, Partenkirchner farmer and chairman of the regional association of sheep farmers, gave an interesting number: 47 percent of wolf attacks took place on protected pastures.

Grasegger has clear ideas: "A stock and protective hunt is needed.

The sooner the current inventory is reduced, the better.”