Plans of the Provincial Council

End to animal transportation, no ban on driven hunts

Hannes Amesbauer (FPÖ) is not only responsible for the environment and social affairs in the government - he will also take care of animal welfare. The "Krone" newspaper confronted the hunter with hot topics such as pedigree dogs and fully slatted floors.

Is it "just" a portfolio to score points with the population? Or a matter close to his heart? We asked animal welfare councillor Hannes Amesbauer this when he took office. "There is not a single one of my agendas that is unimportant, I don't want to prioritize them. But animal welfare is right at the top, that was my absolute priority - because there are still so many horrible things, so much to do," says the FPÖ politician.

"Just these damned live animal transports across Europe or by ship. It's not in keeping with the times, it's barbaric, it has to stop!" Amesbauer wants a ban on keeping animals "for the first serious administrative offense". Currently, this is only possible after the second offense and a conviction.

Hannes Amesbauer in conversation with "Krone" editor Christa Blümel

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian)

Animal shelters should be able to plan for the long term
It was a long way until animal shelters no longer had to act as petitioners - which is still often the case for private animal welfare organizations today - and their finances were put on an orderly footing. Are there now threats of cuts due to the budget crisis in Styria? "No, that's not planned," says Amesbauer. "Animal shelters fulfill a legal mandate, they are service providers for the province of Styria, and that requires money. I also want to give them long-term planning security." He wants to talk to the private sector, "who do an incredible job".

There will be no race list. That is absolutely not on my agenda. Because no breed is bad. The problem is always and in every case the owner, not the dog.

In an ideal world, no animal would have to live on slatted floors. It's not species-appropriate, the animals injure themselves. I would like to see a ban with compensation for farmers.

Hannes Amesbauer

"The problem is always the owner, never the dog"
Another sensitive issue: Styria is one of the federal states that does not have a "breed list", meaning that no breed is classified and condemned as a "fighting dog". The 43-year-old emphasizes: "No breed is bad. The problem is always and in every case the owner, not the dog."

Speaking of owners: the "Krone" has long been calling for a ban on arming dogs for private individuals; after all, some of the worst biting incidents happened with guard dogs. Although the state security law has been amended, it does not provide for a ban. Will that change now?

Amesbauer wants to look more closely at this issue in order to have a precise overview. "I am now holding talks with relevant contacts such as the animal welfare ombudswoman."

Solution sought for fully slatted floors
It is still unclear what the future holds for fully slatted floors in pig stalls in Austria. The transitional period until 2040 was overturned by the Constitutional Court and there is still no solution - this must be in place by the end of May. "In an ideal world, no animal would have to live on a floor like this. It's not species-appropriate, tails are torn off, ears are bitten off. I would like to see it all gone, but in such a way that the farmers are compensated for it," says Amesbauer. He believes that "the EU has a duty to help finance this".

Driven hunts are often condemned and rejected by society - for hunters and politicians (many of whom are huntsmen), however, a ban is not an issue

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

No ban on driven hunts
The man from Mürztal is a passionate hunter himself. He does not want to ban the controversial driven hunts, "I'm not a fan of a ban culture anyway". Driven hunts are "sometimes necessary in order to fulfill the prescribed shooting plans".

Incidentally, like his predecessor Anton Lang, Amesbauer is aiming to make Styria the number one animal protection state.