Executive Board of Zeeland have decided to adjust two parts of the recently established wildlife damage regulation. The main change concerns shortening the period within which farmers must apply for an environmental permit after detecting wildlife damage: from three working days to a maximum of 32 hours.
Why this adjustment?
The Province of Zeeland received signals in recent weeks that a period of three working days in practice leads to more damage. Especially with geese, the damage can increase sharply in the first days if no quick action is taken. By shortening the period to 32 hours, farmers can act faster and the damage becomes more manageable.
Furthermore, it appeared that completely abandoning preventive measures for low-yield crops could lead to unauthorized state aid. By requiring at least one preventive action or deterrence by human presence, the regulation remains legally sustainable and enforceable.
What does this mean in practice?
- Permit period: farmers have a maximum of 32 hours after damage detection to apply for an environmental permit for damage control.
- Preventive measure: for low-yield crops, during the non-vulnerable period either a preventive method must be applied or deterrence must take place through human presence.
- Entry into force: the changes apply retroactively from November 1, 2025.
