Recent debates show hunting is still a controversial issue in Malta. The media have been full of arguments both for and against in recent weeks. One of the highlights was an interview I gave this newspaper some weeks ago in which I outlined my personal views on hunting.

Only people who can prove their competence, responsibility and goodwill become hunters in Germany

An argument made by passionate Maltese hunters in recent weeks was that hunting was also a problem in Germany because hunters there were allegedly also shooting everything coming their way. Maltese hunters were, however, misleading the public here by comparing Malta and Germany.

This article is intended, firstly, to counteract the discussions of the last weeks and, secondly, to provide an objective view of German hunting practice and legislation to show that hunting is dealt with differently in Germany.

Becoming a hunter in Germany is not an easy undertaking. As stipulated in the German Hunting Law (Bundesjagdgesetz), a hunting licence and a territory for the hunt are required.

Besides the Bundesjagdgesetz, every federal State has its own hunting law. In general, however, the message is the same: to get a hunting licence, you need to attend a course in which you learn everything you need to know about hunting. These courses normally last up to a year and are far from cheap, costing up to €3,000. There are shorter compact courses available but they are even more expensive.

The courses teach the basics in areas such as the environment, hunting law and treatment of animals. This is to make sure that all hunters are aware that they are interfering in nature and, so, see to it that such interference does not cause any sustainable damage.

Alongside the course, one has to practise shooting skills in a professional, government-licensed shooting range. In most federal states, proof has to be provided that a specific number of hours have been spent on the shooting range and a specified number of artificial targets shot in order to be eligible for the final hunting test. And, of course, this sort of training does not come for free.

The hunting test which, depending on the federal State, costs up to €250 is essential to prove one’s hunting knowledge and capabilities. It is made up of three parts and all three need to be passed to get a hunting licence.

The three parts of the test are a written exam with 100 multiple-choice questions, an oral/practical exam in a hunting territory and a shooting test. The shooting test is normally the hardest part with the highest failure rate. This test is, however, very difficult on purpose to ensure that only the most experienced and best qualified persons are able to hunt.

The hunting test is often referred to as the “green final school exam” because it is similar in its learning intensity to a University entrance qualification. If you fail one part of the test, you must, after waiting a certain length of time, sit the three parts all over again.

Passing the test does not make you a hunter quite yet. It only means you are allowed to buy a hunting licence, granting permission to hunt for a limited period of time. Such a licence is again not cheap, costing up to €200. What is more, to buy it you have to provide valid hunting insurance to the tune of at least €50,000 for property damage and €500,000 for personal injury.

So, to sum up, the prospective hunter would have already paid up to €4,000 only for being allowed to hunt. There is no gun or ammunition included, not to mention the fee for hunting in someone else’s territory.

The hunting licence allows you to buy a gun. Nevertheless, proof is required that the hunter is responsible and personally in a condition to handle a gun. That means you are not allowed to have any previous convictions.

A certificate of good conduct (and, sometimes, also a medical certificate if there are any doubts about the person’s physical or psychological condition) has to be provided every three years to the competent authority in order to maintain the right to possess a weapon. This is due to Germany’s very strict regulations on the possession and use of firearms designed to protect the population from harm.

Moreover, hunters are only allowed to possess a limited number of weapons. The law acknowledges the need for long guns and two short guns; for every additional weapon, proof that it is really needed must be provided.

Now, having completed this long list of requirements, the new hunter is almost there. The only thing missing, however, is a territory to hunt in.

The normal scenario is to rent someone’s territory for a period of at least nine years to be able to hunt. All contracts have to be checked and approved by the competent authority.

Irregularities in any contract lead to its rejection.

All newly-qualified hunters have to be in possession of a hunting licence for at least three years to get permission to rent a territory. In the meantime, they can buy authorisation to hunt in someone else’s territory but they are not allowed to take anything they shoot unless they pay the owner of the territory.

The law stipulates in detail how large the territory has to be in order to be eligible for hunting.

If you are the landlord of the territory, it has to at least cover an area of 187.5 acres. If you share the territory with others, it has to be at least 625 acres. The overall area should not be larger than 2,500 acres.

The rental fee depends on the landlord but normally one can expect to pay €5-10 per acre, not forgetting the costs of any damage that may occur during the hunt (for example, a deer damaging property while trying to escape).

Before the hunt can actually begin, the hunter has to be aware of what may and may not be shot by law and according to the Federal Protection of Species Order (Bundesartenschutzverordnung). This legislation is based on EU regulations on protecting animals (92/43/EEC) and birds (2009/147/EC), which are, incidentally, to be applied in every EU member State! Any breach of these regulations is heavily fined and has severe legal consequences for the hunter.

To put it in a nutshell, only people who can prove their competence, responsibility and goodwill are allowed to become hunters in Germany.

The strict laws in place in Germany separate the wheat from the chaff. This is why one has to follow a difficult and arduous path to be allowed to hunt, an expensive undertaking.

All the regulations are there to make hunters aware that their action is not without consequences, just like any interference in nature. This is why only about 0.4 per cent of all Germans are in possession of a hunting licence.

The first duty of every hunter – as stated in the first article of the Bundesjagdgesetz – is to take care of nature and to hunt only in a respectful manner.

Hunting is not an end in itself or for food-related reasons but is only allowed to keep the population of wild animals at a healthy level.

Hubert Ziegler is the German Ambassador to Malta.

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