GET TO SEE THE WEAPON: SP leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum watches closely when the head of the Norwegian Hunters’ and Fishermen’s Association, Knut Gjems, shows off the gun he uses on a daily basis. Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) on the right. Photo: Gisle Oddstad / VG
GJESÅSEN (VG) SP leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum praises the wolf hunters for bringing coffee cups to the campaigners.
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- Earlier in January, hunting teams experienced “Spanish riders” at their homes, which led to several punctures and at least one descent.
- Sp leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl, and leader Knut Gjems of the Norwegian Hunters and Fishermen’s Association condemn the activists’ methods and point out the danger of damage and vandalism.
- The Norwegian Hunters and Fishermen’s Association reports that the level of conflict around large predators has decreased and that trust in hunters has increased.
Sea view
Several members of wolf hunting teams experienced earlier in January that so-called “Spanish riders” were posted outside their homes. There are triangular spikes measuring five by five centimeters.
According to the felling manager, it led to several punctures and at least one derailment.
– There are some extremes who try to scare people away from participating. It is going too far when there are police cases, as has become the case now, says leader Knut Gjems of the Norwegian Hunters and Fishermen’s Association to VG.
Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) reacts strongly:
– It is completely unacceptable. Those who participate do a job for the administration, says Mehl.
Emilie Enger Mehl and Trygve Slagsvold Vedum. Photo: Gisle Oddstad / VG
SP leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, Mehl and Gjems are all from the old Hedmark county in Innlandet. The ministers are served moose burgers and wild boar burgers, while they talk about this year’s wolf hunt.
This year, the hunt was allowed to go ahead in peace due to legal obstacles after the state won a wolf case in the Supreme Court last year.
Vedum says that the hunters are doing a job for the Storting and the government.
– It is permissible to disagree with politics, but you must not bother people and expose the people who do the work to danger. Then accidents can happen and it’s scary, says Vedum.
– People can puncture and drive off the road if they get “Spanish riders” in their tyres, he elaborates.
GOOD MOOSE: Knut Gjems serves moose burgers when the ministers come to visit. Photo: Gisle Oddstad / VG
Vedum says that people are allowed to demonstrate and raise their views, but believes that they must work politically to create change.
– Where is the line between civil disobedience and what you consider to be completely unacceptable methods?
– Anything that can harm others, says Vedum.
At the beginning of January, five activists were arrested in Aurskog-Høland for destroying flag posts that framed the hunting area.
Emilie Enger Mehl in conversation with Knut Gjems. Photo: Gisle Oddstad / VG
– Civil disobedience is a tradition in Western democracies. Then you break the law to object to a point of view. Why can’t people engage in civil disobedience by walking in the woods?
– We cannot stop people from walking in the forest. What is totally unacceptable is harm to people, danger to life and vandalism, says Vedum.
He gets support from Gjems, which, like Vedum, has a “coffee cup” strategy.
– There is a limit when you attack people and damage people and equipment. We hunters have decided to reduce conflict. We have said that the hunters should offer the campaigners a cup of coffee, instead of being provoked. The day you allow yourself to be provoked and get the headline “Armed hunter threatened activist”, then you have lost, says Gjems.
He receives praise from Vedum for encouraging hunters to calm down situations with a cup of coffee in hand.
Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl, State Secretary Lars Vangen, Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, leader Knut Gjems and information manager Espen Farstad in the Norwegian Hunter and Fishermen’s Association. Photo: Gisle Oddstad / VG
According to the Norwegian Hunters and Fishermen’s Association, the level of conflict has fallen in the last couple of years.
They refer to the nature and environment barometer that came just before Christmas. It was carried out by Kantar Public on behalf of and in collaboration with the Norwegian Environment Agency, Norwegian Outdoor Activities, the Norwegian Hunting and Fishing Association and Statskog.
– The level of conflict around large predators has decreased. It is much quieter. Confidence in the hunters has increased. Almost eight out of ten Norwegians are positive about hunting, says communications manager Espen Farstad.
Distanced
Aktivt Rovdyrvern (ARV), which works for the conservation and strengthening of wild game populations and their habitats in Norway, has earlier this month sharply distanced itself from the use of “Spanish riders”.
– We completely distance ourselves from this. We have nothing to do with it, we are strongly against it and would never do something like that, said board member Hege O’Wiidt to VG.
However, they do hair done, is to take down a flag line that will limit the wolf’s movements, in Rafjellet.
– We took down a line in broad daylight to put this on the agenda. We question the legality of the use of flag lines, O’Wiidt said at the time.
Published:
Published: 29.01.24 at 15:05
2024-01-29 14:05:16
#Condemns #wolf #hunting #sabotage #Unacceptable
