Overview
- The Landesdirektion Sachsen issued a case-specific exemption for one pond operation inside the Oberlausitzer Heide- und Teichlandschaft biosphere reserve.
- The permit allows live capture and cross-border relocation as the first step, with lethal removal confined to situations where relocation options are demonstrably exhausted.
- Authorities cited extensive damage since 2019, including about €190,000 in repairs and a dam breach in June that caused additional losses.
- The decision aims to limit ongoing economic harm and safeguard the pond complex as a key component of the designated FFH conservation site.
- Conservation groups NABU, BUND, Grüne Liga, and Naturschutzverband Sachsen urged the state to revoke the permit and pursue near-natural management or alternative sites for the operator, while officials say they currently do not expect shooting will be needed.