Luxembourg's forests are suffering significant damage due to an overpopulation of game, leading to a sharp rise in compensations for affected farmers and forest proprietors, Environment Minister Serge Wilmes revealed in response to a recent parliamentary enquiry.
In response to a recent parliamentary enquiry from MPs Arendt and Graas of the Democratic Party (DP), Environment Minister Serge Wilmes provided updates about the state of Luxembourg's forests, noting that an overpopulation of game is causing damages to the Grand Duchy's landscapes and woodlands.
Compensations paid to farmers and forest proprietors for game damage have also been high recently, according to the Minister. While the average between 2011 and 2022 was around €446,000, the compensation rose to €780,000 in 2019 and to €560,000 in 2020. In 2022, they were again slightly below the average at €390,000.
Hunters are therefore intent on keeping the game population under control, be it by hunting from highseats, battue, shooting with night lenses, or hunting with semi-automatic rifles.
