Trio of European nations to cull wolf population; conservation groups oppose move

This winter, three European nations namely Finland, Sweden and Norway are slaughtering wolves to limit their numbers, despite many conservation organisations urging the European Union to intervene. As per The Guardian, hunters in Sweden have already killed the majority of their yearly goal of 27 wolves, while Finland is planning to kill 20 wolves in its first "population management cull" in seven years.

Apart from the two nations, Norway will slaughter around 60% of its wolf population this winter, which will comprise 51 wolves, in order to keep the nation's wolf population to a maximum of three breeding pairs.

Due to this scenario, conservation groups have accused Nordic countries of creating the most unfavourable circumstances for wolves in Western Europe, as well as breaking EU legislation of protecting the animal, which has undergone recovery in recent years but is still vulnerable in many nations. 

Conservation groups protesting against wolves slaughter

Siri Martinsen, the chief executive of Noah, an animal rights organisation that is battling Norway over its wolf hunts said, "It is a horrific situation. Norway’s wolf management is out of control and they are just shooting wolves because some people don’t like them. It is outrageous to hold a species at a critically endangered level," as per The Guardian.  

In Norway, the wolf protection and conservation zone covers 5% of the nation, with wolves being protected as a top priority. In spite of this, 25 wolves would be slaughtered this winter inside the protected zone, unless Noah's legal case, which includes WWF Norway as well as Association Our Predators, is fruitful. Further, wolves discovered beyond the protective zone are not permitted to reproduce and are killed if a regional council determines that they could constitute a danger to livestock or semi-domesticated reindeer. 

Despite the fact that Norway is not a member of the EU, wildlife organisations claim that their wolf slaughter is in violation of the Bern Convention on the conservation of European species and natural ecosystems, The Guardian reported.  

In addition to this, as per conservation organisations in Sweden, the 395 wolf population which has been estimated for 2020-21 could have dropped to 300 by the end of the winter. Magnus Orrebrant, head of the non-governmental organisation Svenska Rovdjursföreningen said, "Sweden has promised the EU we should not go below 300 – that’s the bare minimum. We have informed the EU that 300 is way too low. We have habitat that could house more than 1,000 wolves," as per The Guardian.  

Furthermore, Wolves are particularly disliked by hunters because they kill valued hunting dogs, which are commonly utilised in Nordic countries to track game and deer. In Finland, the wolf population in the nation is 300, which is considered to be the largest in a century, as per Sami Niemi, a ministry of agriculture and forestry official who is in charge of wolf management.

According to research conducted by the Natural Resources Institute of Finland, a biologically healthy wolf population should be over 500 in number. 

Meanwhile, wildlife organisations in Finland, as well as Sweden, have petitioned the European Commission and the European Court of Justice to consider the wolf slaughters illegal, however, both national administrations believe that exceptions from the habitats directive permit for legal culls, The Guardian reported.  

(Image: Unsplash)