The European Commission proposed on Wednesday to downgrade the wolf's classification from “strictly protected” to “protected” in order to make the management of the species' populations in Europe and thus hunting more flexible. In Spain, the wolf is on the list of protected species and has not been allowed to be hunted in any autonomous community since September 2021. The commission argues that the Wolf Protection Act dates from 1979 and that scientific data from that time is available. But environmental groups cannot understand the proposed change of position and strongly reject it. The nature conservation organization WWF has accused the chairwoman of the municipal board, Ursula von der Leyen, of “ignoring science and sacrificing conservation successes for her own political benefit.” This decision by the President of the Commission comes at the height of the rise of the extreme right in Europe, which is calling into question many environmental policies.
In any case, the countries of the European Union must now decide whether to accept the proposal to weaken the protection of the wolf, which would mean changing the international Bern Convention on the conservation of wild animals, plants and natural habitats in Europe.
The commission's decision was made after “currently collected data on wolf populations” that have increased “significantly” over the past two decades. This recovery in some areas of the European Union has led to an increase in attacks on farm animals, according to Brussels. Von der Leyen warned at the beginning of September: “The concentration of wolf packs in some European regions has become a real danger for livestock and possibly also for people.” However, he also acknowledged that the increase in wolves is “good news for biodiversity in Europe”.
He also recalled this Wednesday that local authorities have been calling for a change in conservation policy for years in order to “more actively combat critical concentrations of wolves”. It is about maintaining the goal of preserving biodiversity and protecting rural livelihoods. In Spain, the controversy surrounding the species intensified since the hunting ban was extended to the whole of Spain in 2021. Until then, the wolf could be hunted in the areas above the Duero border, where the largest population is concentrated. With the expansion of its protection, its capture has been banned in all municipalities, except in very specific cases for which a permit is required. The controversy goes so far that this Tuesday the head and tail of a wolf were hanging on a footbridge in Proza (Asturias). The Autonomous Communities with the most wolves (Castile and León, Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria) are constantly pressuring to lower the species' protection status.
The Commission will continue to support the authorities of various countries in promoting coexistence with wolves and large carnivores in general. “Investment in prevention measures remains essential to reduce livestock predation,” said Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius.
For the WWF, the change of opinion is all the more unjustified as the results of the Commission's in-depth analysis of wolf populations in the EU, published today, do not provide any scientific evidence that the state of the wolf population has changed significantly in a year. “The proposal sabotages the EU's role as a trusted partner and leader in international fora and calls into question the authenticity of its efforts to achieve global biodiversity goals,” explains Sabien Leemans. Furthermore, just a year ago, von der Leyen “made a powerful statement on the historic agreement to lead global action to protect nature together with the rest of the international community by 2030.” “Today’s announcement puts these international commitments into practice Ask.”
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