Regulation planned

Marlene Svazek is now also targeting beavers

Nature conservation officer Marlene Svazek (FPÖ) has now had the population of beavers in Salzburg surveyed. Her conclusion: the population is increasing too quickly. There are already 400 strictly protected rodents in Salzburg. A management plan is now to be drawn up. 

The next animal protected under EU law is now being targeted in Salzburg: State Vice-President Marlene Svazek (FPÖ) has had a survey carried out to determine how many beavers are currently living in Salzburg. The result: the rodent population is growing rapidly. Around 400 animals have already conquered 102 territories. And they are continuing to spread. The growth rate is around 30 percent. The large rodents feel particularly at home in Flachgau, which has 54 territories.

Svazek now wants to draw up a beaver management plan. Control measures are to be implemented. "In the Antheringer Au, we will ensure that the beavers spend less time on the edge," says Svazek.

Where the situation is particularly dangerous, for example where gnawed trees could fall over or infrastructure is threatened, beavers will be killed in exceptional cases. Szazek doubts that the beaver burrows could be useful in the event of flooding because water is dammed up. "There are cases where flooding only occurred because of a beaver." There should be a new regulation by the end of the year.