The country breeds about 7,000 animals and is challenging Brussels' phase-out
The EU is set to prohibit the raising of sika deer, an Asian species deemed a threat to native ecosystems, but Austria is seeking a national exemption to protect its farmers.
Originally imported from East Asia for aristocratic estates, hunting parks and zoos, the sika deer (Cervus nippon) later established wild populations in parts of Central Europe, Ireland and the UK.
The species also became farmed for its meat, which is often compared with that of the native red deer.
But last year the EU deemed sika deer a threat to local ecosystems – particularly due to their crossbreeding with red deer – and banned their keeping, breeding and sale.
