Germany to Ease Wolf Protections as Coalition Backs Hunting Law Reforms

New German government plans to incorporate wolves into hunting law, responding to rising livestock conflicts and EU-led regulatory shifts.

The coalition agreement between Union and SPD mandates the relaxation of strict wolf protections, allowing for their inclusion in the national hunting law.
The Bundesrat, led by Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Thüringen, has urged swift national legal changes to enable targeted wolf population management.
The EU Commission has initiated a process to downgrade the wolf's protection status from 'strictly protected' to 'protected,' enabling stricter control measures by member states.
Environmental groups like NABU and WWF oppose the changes, advocating for improved herd protection over culling as a solution to livestock damages.
Hunting associations and agricultural representatives support the reforms, emphasizing the need for practical measures to address growing wolf populations and their impact on rural communities.