Cull lifted

Five young swans are now allowed to live on after all

The young swans can now continue to live in Garsten after all.(Bild: zVg)

In Garsten, five young swans were released for killing by the district authority of Steyr-Land (Upper Austria). However, an animal welfare association lodged a complaint against the cull in good time. On Friday, the regional administrative court ruled in favor of the animal rights activists and overturned the decision.

The Steyr-Land district authority in Garsten authorized the shooting of five one-year-old mute swans after obtaining the opinion of an official hunting expert. The background: a handful of farmers had complained about increasing damage (several thousand euros) to meadows and suggested the official compulsory order.

Groups disband in spring
At the end of March, the "Krone" reported on the release of the cull. The decision caused animal rights activists to shake their heads and they lodged a complaint with the provincial administrative court. It stated: "As herbivores, mute swans very often use suitable green areas, e.g. meadows and rape fields near bodies of water, as wintering grounds and also form larger groups. These areas are only suitable as long as the vegetation remains relatively low. In spring, these groups disperse as adult animals visit their breeding grounds and non-mature swans also disperse over large areas."

Rejected by the district authority
The Linz Provincial Administrative Court dealt with the case on Friday and ultimately ruled in favor of the animal rights activists. The compulsory cull was rejected and referred back to the district authority. The court found that the district authority had not obtained the necessary expert agricultural opinion. "As a central, technically based investigation step of the facts was omitted, the contested decision had to be annulled and the matter referred back to the district authority," was the reason given for this decision.