German Animal Welfare Federation and German Legal Society for Animal Protection Law (DJGT):
Killing incompatible with animal and nature conservation law
Infertilization permissible as an alternative
After 59 nutrias were killed in the Rhine floodplain on behalf of the city of Bonn, the Committee for the Environment, Climate and Local Agenda will discuss the next steps on March 5. The Bonn-based German Animal Welfare Federation and the German Legal Society for Animal Welfare Law (DJGT) pointed out before the meeting that the continuation of the killings is incompatible with animal welfare law if animal-free alternatives have not been tested. Animal-free alternatives in the form of infertility treatments have not yet been considered by the city - although the German Animal Welfare Federation had offered to examine all possibilities for technical, financial and organizational support.
"The city of Bonn was only interested in minimizing the nutria population as quickly as possible. Instead of accepting our proposal for a joint scientific pilot project to render the nutria infertile, it decided to shoot them," criticizes James Brückner, Head of the Wildlife Department at the German Animal Welfare Federation. "We are now appealing to the committee to put an end to the killing and pave the way for animal-free alternatives." The infertility of the Rhine floodplain nutrias is not only more animal-friendly, but also more sustainable, because the animals remaining on site would prevent the immigration of further nutrias from outside through territorial behavior. In contrast, the supposed success of hunting is only short-lived. "It is already foreseeable that without continued management, the nutria population will grow again," says the City of Bonn's communication. "If the decision is made to continue as before, the taxes paid by Bonn residents will continue to be used for killing measures that go against animal welfare. An indictment, especially for a Green mayor," said Brückner.
In its justification for the cull, the city of Bonn cited the fact that it had no other choice due to the requirements of the EU regulation on invasive species, because the reintroduction of castrated nutrias, which are considered an "invasive species", is not possible. However, DJGT emphasizes in its statement "The management of invasive species" that this is perfectly permissible under EU law. "If alternatives that do not cause animal suffering are disregarded in Bonn, there is no reasonable justification for killing them, as required by the Animal Welfare Act," says Christina Patt, member of the DJGT board. "Culling can only ever be a last resort." Comprehensive hunting is neither effective nor compatible with nature conservation and animal welfare regulations. "The city of Bonn must promote and strengthen the use of non-lethal management measures in future," demands Patt.
