There will be no temporary hunting ban on hares, rabbits and ducks in Drenthe for the time being. That is what the provincial government says in response to questions from the GroenLinks faction. The questions were asked in response to a hunting ban in Friesland.
The party wondered whether the counting data for wildlife in Drenthe was correct. According to the province, since 2017, records have been made of how much game and which species are present in Drenthe. Only the year 2020 was not counted, because of the corona measures in that year. The province therefore also says that the counting data is complete, because 2020 is seen as force majeure.
A new fauna management plan for the province will be published in 2023. This includes all counts from 2017 onwards. On the basis of this, it is determined whether a hunting ban should still be imposed.
GroenLinks also wondered whether rabbits and hares could also be removed from the ‘exemption list for spatial interventions’. This means that they should not be disturbed, disturbed or killed. GroenLinks would like to because both animal species are on the red list of mammals. That’s a list of animals that the Mammal Society is concerned about.
According to the province, the hares and rabbits are not at stake in Drenthe and they see no need to remove the animal species from the list. Also because removing the animal species from the list can cause problems with maintenance in rural areas. If the animals are no longer on the list, an ecological examination must be carried out each time during maintenance.
The province mentions a plot of potatoes as an example. If there are hares there, the farmer must apply for an exemption before he can harvest his potatoes. According to the province, that is too cumbersome.