“Mountain” Bill
Wolf management: how many specimens can be harvested in each region? The topic was discussed AB – Agrivenatoria BiodiversitaliaCrucial developments for wildlife management in Italy. In implementation of the recent "Mountain" Bill (Law 131/2025), the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security has prepared a draft decree establishing, for the year 2026, the maximum number of wolves (Canis lupus) that can be harvested on a regional basis. This measure aims to balance the protection of biodiversity and the reduction of conflicts in mountain and rural areas.
What does the draft decree provide?
The measure establishes a maximum cap of 160 specimens that can be collected throughout the country by 2026. This limit was calculated so as not to jeopardize the species' favorable conservation status, following the technical indications provided by ISPRA in its note of October 15, 2025. The new rules will allow Regions and Autonomous Provinces to manage the species more flexiblely, while always complying with Articles 14 and 16 of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC).
The withdrawal map for 2026
The harvest rate is divided by region. The decree's implementation was accelerated following the downgrading of the wolf from the Bern Convention, ratified at the European level in June 2025.
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- September 2025: Approval of Law 131/2025 (Mountain Bill)
- December 2025: The opinion of the Ministry of Agriculture (MASAF) has been acquired.
- January 2026: A meeting of the State-Regions Conference has been called for January 22nd to obtain the final opinion.
(source: AB – Agrivenatoria Biodiversitalia)
