Innocent Victims of ‘Fox Week’ – and of German Hunters
UPDATE – 18/02/11 – 2230hrs GMT.
‘Fox Week’ Slide Show now released on Youtube.]
To View – please click on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar7LUnII54w
As regular visitors to this site are aware, SAV have been working with German anti-hunt colleagues for months to format a campaign requesting a closed season in Germany during which animals such as foxes will not be allowed to be hunted and killed. Ideally, we are asking for a closed season between January and September every year.
Below you will see campaign sample letters written in both English and German.
Can we please ask that you send both letters, but independently of each other, to the German ministers involved.
It is important that both the federal and regional county ministers are made aware that this issue of German hunting is being monitored by animal people around the world. To this end, the beginning of the letter requires that you provide details of your nationality. This is outlined in red; please update to reflect your own personal, national situation.
A listing of the Federal Ministry and the County ministers to which the letter(s) – English and German) should be sent to is provided in the following:
Block List (to which the sample letter(s) should be sent:
poststelle@bmelv.bund.de, poststelle@mlr.bwl.de, Poststelle@mufv.rlp.de, poststelle@stk.hessen.de, poststelle@stmelf.bayern.de, poststelle@tmlfun.thueringen.de, internetredaktion@mlur.landsh.de, info@smul.sachsen.de, poststelle@mu.niedersachsen.de, poststelle@lu.mv-regierung.de, info@bsu.hamburg.de, joachim.bleckwehl@umwelt.bremen.de, Pressestelle@MUGV.Brandenburg.de, PR@mlu.sachsen-anhalt.de, poststelle@mlu.sachsen-anhalt.de
This list is subdivided into individual German regional County contacts should you wish to address each of them independently.
Federal Berlin Ministry: poststelle@bmelv.bund.de
German Counties:
Baden-Wuerttemberg: poststelle@mlr.bwl.de
Rheinland-Pfalz: Poststelle@mufv.rlp.de
Hessen: poststelle@stk.hessen.de
Bayern (Bavaria): poststelle@stmelf.bayern.de
Thueringen (Thuringia): poststelle@tmlfun.thueringen.de
Schleswig-Holstein: internetredaktion@mlur.landsh.de
Sachsen-Anhalt: PR@mlu.sachsen-anhalt.de, poststelle@mlu.sachsen-anhalt.de
Sachsen (Saxony): info@smul.sachsen.de
Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony): poststelle@mu.niedersachsen.de
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: poststelle@lu.mv-regierung.de
Hamburg: info@bsu.hamburg.de
Bremen: joachim.bleckwehl@umwelt.bremen.de
Brandenburg: Pressestelle@MUGV.Brandenburg.de
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Below is a letter to all German County Ministers of Agriculture and to the German Federal Minister of Agriculture; but excluding Nordrhein-Westfalen, Saarland and Berlin, where developments are underway / closed seasons are already established:
Important Note – some visitors may find it easier to copy the sample letters from the following pdf file, rather than copying directly from the text below.
** Here is the link to the pdf version: **
Sample Letter – ENGLISH.
Dear Minister,
I am a citizen of *** (include your own nationality here *** .
Animal welfare organisations in my country have alerted me to the fact that foxes and other so-called ‘predators’ within Germany are being intensively hunted by all available means; including traps, den hunts, drive hunts, etc.
This hunting is largely without any annual closed season, meaning that they take place continually for all 12 months of every year. These predator animals are regarded and treated simply as vermin; which they are most definitely not. Often, when they have been slaughtered by hunters, their carcasses are simply dumped into municipal animal disposal units like everyday household rubbish.
One argument used by authorities and hunting associations alike is that hunting foxes, badgers, raccoon dogs etc. serves the control and preservation of small game stocks in addition to preventing the spread of rabies. These misguided claims have long been refuted by substantiated scientific findings.
Current scientific literature proves that predators such as the fox instead actually act as a “health police” and in doing this, they fulfil a vitally important ecological function. Foxes feed predominantly (approx. 90% of their consumption) on mice and other rodents. Predators keep natural habitats free of carrion and, by selecting only weak and ill animals, ensure the survival of only the most healthy, fittest and fast-reacting small game population. A sustained reduction of predator populations through continual hunting is simply not possible. Predators naturally regulate their own population numbers on the basis of an ecologically sound level; if left to their own devices without interference by the human species.
Within hunt-free areas across Europe – and in parts of Germany as well – we are fully aware that the local biodiversity has improved considerably in comparison to areas which still retain hunts. I trust that you agree this is a favourable development which should be both encouraged and fully supported.
Therefore, I ask for your support in the form of a closed hunting season between (at least the period) January to September each year, which will provide a certain degree of protection to predator species.
Important information concerning this issue can be found here: www.schonzeit-fuer-fuechse.de.
Thank you for your attention on this very important issue.
Yours faithfully,
Name:
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Sample Letter – GERMAN
Sehr geehrte(r) Herr/Frau Minister(in),
ich bin Buerger von (bitte Land angeben / *** (include your own nationality here *** .)
Ueber Tierschutzorganisationen in meinem Land habe ich erfahren, dass Fuechse und viele andere Beutegreifer in Deutschland mit allen verfuegbaren Mitteln (Fallenjagd, Baujagd, Treibjagd) intensiv bejagt werden – und das weitgehend ohne jegliche Schonzeit. Diese Tiere werden wie Schaedlinge bekaempft – das sind sie sicher nicht – und haeufig in lokalen Tierkoerperbeseitungsanlagen wie Abfall entsorgt.
Als Argument wird von Ihren Behoerden oder den deutschen Jagdverbaenden u.a. angefuehrt, dass die Jagd auf Fuchs, Dachs, Marderhund und Co der Bestandskontrolle und dem Erhalt von Niederwild diene und eine Verbreitung der Tollwut verhindere. Diese Argumente waren schon vor 40 Jahren falsch und sind seit langem auch wissenschaftlich fundiert widerlegt.
Die aktuelle wissenschaftlich Literatur belegt, dass Beutegreifer als Gesundheitspolizei wichtige oekologische Funktionen wahrnehmen: Fuechse ernaehren sich zu 90 % von Maeusen und anderen Nagern, Beutegreifer halten die Natur von Aas frei und sorgen durch die Selektion von kranken und schwachen Tieren dafuer, dass ein gesunder, fitter und reaktionsschneller Niederwildbestand ueberlebt. Eine nachhaltige Bestandsreduktion von Beutegreifern ist durch die Jagd nicht moeglich. Beutegreifer regulieren ihre Bestaende auf einem naturvertraeglichen Niveau selbst, ohne dass ein menschliches Eingreifen noetig waere.
Aus jagdfreien Gebieten in Europa, auch in Deutschland, wissen wir, dass dort die Biodiversitaet im Vergleich zu bejagten Gebieten immer zugenommen hat. Ich fordere Sie deshalb auf, sich in Deutschland wenigstens fuer einen Mindestschutz im Form einer Schonzeit fuer Beutegreifer von Januar bis September eines Jahres einzusetzen. Wichtige Informationen zu diesem Thema finden Sie u.a. auf www.schonzeit-fuer-fuechse.de.
Mit freundlichen Gruessen,
Add Your Name Here
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A listing of the German ‘Fox week’ articles covered by SAV and including many graphic photos of what the hunters do to wild animals, can be viewed at the following:
This is a very important campaign to try and provide legislation and new protection for wild animals in Germany.
PLEASE DO ALL YOU CAN TO SUPPORT IT BY SENDING OUT the English and German Sample Letters (as above) to the federal and Regional County Minister (Block) contact listing provided above.
If you dont like images such as these below, then please take action and send out your mails very soon – together we can press for changes to German hunting legislation.
Photos: Typical ‘Fox Week’ Scenes:
Foxes killed by hunters – their bodies are then simply dumped in communal waste collection sites like household rubbish.
Please take action for them – Thank You – SAV.
*** Please feel free to crosspost all the above to your
worldwide groups and campaigners. ***
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, LETTERS, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering) | 1 Comment »
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 