The leaders of Germany’s 16 states called on the European Union (EU) to ease protections for wolves and allow regions to pursue different policies in managing the wild animals.
Stephan Weil has urged that rules should allow wolves to be shot in areas with large wolf populations.
Weil is the premier of the German state of Lower Saxony and chairman of the Conference of Minister Presidents (MPK).
On Wednesday evening, farmers demonstrated in Brussels in favor of relaxing the protected status of the wolf.
“The wolf is definitely no longer threatened with extinction,’’ said Simon Darscheid of the North Rhine Westphalia Sheep Breeders’ Association.
In spite of pasture fences and herding dogs, Darscheid said wolves had continued to kill his sheep.
“The wolf must be downgraded from the very highest protection level in EU species protection law,’’ said Udo Hemmerling, an official with the German Farmers’ Association.
