Wolves to lose ‘strictly protected’ status in Europe

The wolf’s extortion presumption volition beryllium lowered from ‘strictly protected’ to ‘protected’.

European countries person agreed to downgrade the extortion presumption of wolves owed to their increasing fig and effect connected agriculture and farming livestock.

The 49 subordinate states of the Bern Convention connected the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats agreed to little the wolf’s extortion presumption from “strictly protected” to “protected”, the Council of Europe said connected Tuesday.

The alteration volition beryllium implemented from March 2025.

Wolves person been protected from being hunted oregon captured unless they airs a superior menace to livestock oregon wellness and safety.

Under their caller status, immoderate “exploitation” of wolves “shall beryllium regulated successful bid to support the populations retired of danger” – giving a acold little threshold for hunting them.

The European Commission projected the alteration past twelvemonth arsenic increasing wolf numbers led to conflicts with farming and hunting communities and determination were calls for measures to forestall attacks connected livestock.

“Important quality for our agrarian communities and farmers. We request a balanced attack betwixt the preservation of wildlife and the extortion of our livelihoods,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said successful a connection aft the vote.

Last year, von der Leyen mislaid her beloved pony Dolly to a wolf that crept into its enclosure connected her family’s agrarian spot successful bluish Germany.

From the brink of extinction

Grey wolves were virtually exterminated successful Europe a period ago, but their numbers person powerfully rebounded owed to conservation efforts. This includes their designation arsenic a “strictly protected” taxon nether the 1979 Bern Convention, which bars them from being killed oregon captured unless posing a information menace to humans oregon livestock.

In 2023, determination were breeding packs of grey wolves successful 23 European Union countries, with a full colonisation estimated astatine astir 20,300 animals, bringing the elusive creatures into much predominant interaction with humans.

More than 300 biology and carnal extortion groups person spoken retired against relaxing protections for wolves, arguing it is premature since portion colonisation numbers person grown, their betterment is inactive ongoing.

In a connection connected X, the World Wildlife Fund’s EU bureau said the commission’s determination was “extremely disappointing” and politically motivated.

“Instead of supporting coexistence measures, we backtrack connected our ain conservation success!” said the group.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies