Sweden’s much-dreaded controversial wolf hunt is set to begin this Thursday, with the government aiming at halving its wolf population a move that is sparking outrage from those in the conserved fraternity to legal experts as well.
It comes as a culmination of a campaign to reduce wolf population to its supposed “favourable conservation status,” under the new policy granted by the government. Five families of wolves comprise around 30 wolves. Its minimum population to be set down is 170, instead of the current mark of 300. The controversial move is at odds with what EU law protects, which do not allow dangerous acts against such protected species.
Sweden’s wolf population has dropped by nearly 20% between 2022 and 2023, with the current number standing at 375. Experts explain that increased hunting pressure is a main reason behind this decline. In Sweden, wolves have not been able to maintain their numbers for any length of time since their return to the country in 1983, after they were extinct here since 1966.
The Swedish government is part of a larger trend in Europe, where the EU is considering revising its habitats directive to relax rules surrounding the persecution of wolves. The European Commission is considering changes to reflect the growing populations of wolves, particularly in Scandinavian and central European regions. The shift aims to balance conservation efforts with concerns from farmers, who argue that an expanding wolf population threatens livestock, such as sheep.
Earlier this month, members of the Berne Convention voted to strip the wolf of “strictly protected” status in favor of merely “protected” status, an action set to take effect March 7, 2025. That might make it slightly easier for some EU countries to approve wolf culling, although environmentalists are strongly opposing that shift. Electric fencing and similar preventive measures aimed at protecting livestock without resorting to lethal measures are called for by Magnus Orrebrant, chair of the Swedish Carnivore Association.
