In some places in Bavaria the animal has multiplied so much that residents are already thinking of Hitchcock’s bird thriller. The CSU and Free Voters want to shoot the crow, even though it is strictly protected.
When it comes to rooks, Martin Paninka has a clear point of view. “The colony in our Schmutterwald is causing so many problems that we can only help if we can specifically target the population,” says the SPD man and mayor of Asbach-Bäumenheim (Donau-Ries district). “But the request for exceptional shooting that we submitted to the nature conservation authorities was rejected.” The rook has been strictly protected since 1977. Now Paninka has new hope. On the initiative of Free Voters and the CSU, the State Parliament’s Environment Committee recently approved a pilot project to examine whether targeted shooting can do something against the rooks. In addition, the state government should work with the federal government and the EU to reduce the protection status of birds.