The meeting of the standing committee
FACE is participating in the 42nd meeting of the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention, running from 28 November until 2 December 2022. The Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (or Bern Convention) is the first international agreement dedicated to the nature conservation, covering most of Europe and some African countries (now 50 states in total). Government representatives and organizations meet once a year at the Standing Committee meeting in Strasbourg to discuss environmental issues and make decisions. This year the Standing Committee discusses findings and issues at stake for the Berne Convention and its contracting parties, in particular the issue of the post-2020 contribution of the Berne Convention to the current global biodiversity framework, bird conservation , the fight against invasive alien species, and the relationship between biodiversity and climate change. On the agenda of 29 November was Switzerland's proposal to move the Wolf from Appendix II (strictly protected) to Appendix III (protected).
State of conservation
With a view to the Standing Committee, the secretariat of the Bern Convention has commissioned the Large Carnivore Initiative of Europe (IUCN group of specialists) to produce an updated assessment of the conservation status of the European wolf. This report concludes that the wolf can be classified as “ Least Concern” [category Least Concern, adopted for species that are not at risk of extinction in the short or medium term. Editor's note] on a European scale, underlining that the high diversity of management and monitoring systems is still problematic for a holistic conservation approach. The conservation status at the European scale is undeniably positive and the species can be classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List system when the assessment is carried out at the continental scale” Boitani et al. (2022). The recovery of wolves to approximately 21.500 individuals in geographic Europe (excluding Belarus and Russia) is a clear conservation success. Switzerland's proposal is well justified considering that it is now considered the most abundant species in Europe, and it is possible as the text of the Convention provides for such changes.
The situation in Switzerland
Switzerland has declared that it has over 200 wolves (about 23 packs) on its territory and that it can no longer manage conflicts based on exceptional withdrawals as permitted by art. 9 of the Bern Convention. To improve social acceptance and coexistence, the management system needs to be adapted to include proactive conservation and management measures. However, this is not possible with the current listing of the wolf in Appendix III. Furthermore, Switzerland has called for a uniform legal treatment of the wolf under the Berne Convention. Unfortunately, a blockage of the EU-27 vote against, decided in advance by the European Commission and the Council of the European Union, meant that the necessary two-thirds majority could not be achieved. A disappointing decision to do nothing. This is yet another example of the obstacles that exist to the species' passage of protected status in both directions under international law. Despite positive trends and the latest expert opinion on the wolf population in Europe, the Council Decision describes the wolf population in the EU as consisting of 39 biogeographical units.
Conservation and management
This approach divides wolf populations in Europe more by climate zones and political boundaries rather than by scientifically established wolf populations. FACE, represented by Sabrina Dietz, spoke in support of Switzerland's proposal, saying that such a change should be seen as a conservation success story as all populations have exceeded previous population targets. Furthermore, FACE encouraged contracting parties to engage in transboundary conservation and management of large carnivores. Proposals under the Bern Convention for species listing are often blocked by the advancement of the EU position (including abstention). Appendix III of the Berne Convention still offers protection to the species, but at a level more appropriate for a species such as the wolf. A good conservation status can be achieved by listing in Appendix III of the Bern Convention, as demonstrated by the Eurasian lynx. This is one of the reasons why a resolution was passed in the European Parliament last week welcoming the proposal presented by Switzerland and calling for its adoption. Rising wolf populations continue to cause conflicts with a central problem being “strict protection” legal frameworks, resulting in very heavy bureaucracy in many countries, impeding successful conflict resolution. It is easy to see how some non-EU countries are dissatisfied with the dominance of Brussels/EU decision-making at the international level.