Green demand fees for species protection at the hunting fair in Dortmund!

Green demand fees for species protection at the hunting fair in Dortmund!

The trade fair "Jagd & Hund" in Dortmund, which takes place in the Westphalia halls from January 28 to February 2, 2025, asserts itself as the largest hunting fair. In the context of the event, the Dortmund Greens are now calling for the introduction of a species protection fee of 10 euros per visitor. The aim of this fee is to generate donations for the protection of endangered animal species such as elephants, rhinos and leopards in Africa. With over 80,000 visitors a year, the fair could potentially bring in more than 800,000 euros for species protection. The current admission price for the event is 23 euros, which the Greens consider comparatively low, because the average expenses per visitor amount to 720 euros, such as Ruhr24.de reported.

The demand for a species protection fee is not only seen by the Green Council Group as financial support, but also as a means of sensitizing the public to the risk of endangered species. A spokeswoman for the Greens emphasizes that the model resembles those of the species protection euro in Zoo, in which donations are collected on a voluntary basis. On the other hand, critics, including animal welfare organizations such as ProWildlife, indicate that the hunting fair has been criticized for years because they are promoting hunting travel at threatened species, which further fuels the discussion about species protection. This problem is also taken up by mengede intact , which indicate the criticized offer of hunting trips and trophy hunt.

ethics committee and political reactions

Mayor Thomas Westphal (SPD) had already announced the establishment of an ethics committee in 2020 to evaluate the offers of the fair. However, this process was criticized because it was not realized until the end of the current election period. In the past there have already been protests against the fair, especially because of the trophy hunting offers. On February 17, 2022, the council members rejected an application from the Greens, which called for an immediate ban on hunting trips at the fair. Instead, the establishment of the ethics committee was decided, but without taking concrete steps, which both critics and animal welfare organizations consider inadequate. Dr. Jane Goodall appealed to the council members to prioritize species protection and to vote against the sale of trophy hunts, while petitions with 255,000 signatures demanded the immediate measures.

The discussion about the hunting fair reflects the tensions between the interests of hunting lobbyists and the necessary protection of endangered species. Despite the overwhelming criticism and the demands to immediately ban the hunting trips, the fair remains an important transshipment point for these practices and attracts countless visitors. Representatives of the Greens emphasize the responsibility of the trade fair organizers for global species protection and demand pioneering steps to improve the situation.