Our roughly 400 wolves could become 170 if the Swedish Parliament may decide. Already in January, the forests will be filled with wolf hunters, as 75 wolves in fourteen packs are to be exterminated in a state-licensed hunt. In addition, about 20 wolves will die during the so-called protective hunting.
Naturvårdsverket (The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency) claims that the aim is to reduce the wolves’ impact on humans and domestic animals. It’s against the EU’s Species and Habitats Directive, which protects our strictly protected wolves.
This is development going backwards. An indefensible action by a country like Sweden. Shooting protected wolves is a total disaster. Here, thousands of trophy hunters, including foreign ones, will kill wolves and keep parts of the wolf (skin, teeth, skull) as trophies if they want. And this is approved by the state! Completely unacceptable. The regulations must be changed. Parts of protected animals shall not belong to hunters or hunting right holders. Pure Middle Ages, shooting wolves!
There is an incomprehensible resistance to living with wolves in Sweden. Hunters must hunt as “they always have” and off-leash hunting with dogs is considered a tradition and a natural right. But in other respects, modern methods such as GPS are adopted. Wolves do take livestock occasionally. This is of course sad for those affected. But – there are ways to protect your animals. Reviewing fencing and bringing animals in overnight. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Naturvårdsverket, has several million SEK in wildlife protection funds. Why are there no announcements linked to new modern technology with the objective of protecting domestic animals? The alleged human-wolf conflict should have been resolved long ago.
Sign our petition. We want the hunting of protected wolves to stop!