FACE's point of view
FACE, the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation, which represents 7 million hunters in Europe, welcomes the European Commission (EC) proposal to change the international status of wolves from “strictly protected” to “protected” based on the latest scientific data on population growth and their impact. Referring to the next steps, FACE President Torbjörn Larsson said: “While we welcome this news and expect Environment Ministers to support the EC's scientific proposal, however, to ensure successful coexistence, we also need a broad package on carnivores that includes bear and lynx with particular attention to their protection status, reviewing the EC guidelines and the conservation status reporting system.”
A legal obligation that does not change
Moving the wolf from “strictly protected” to “protected” does not change the legal obligation to conserve wolves in Europe. The advantage is that it allows for adaptive management, more suitable for a species that is no longer threatened and with constantly increasing populations. To overcome current high levels of conflict, we should return to a situation where regulated management and maintaining a favorable conservation status occur simultaneously. Leaving aside the status of the healthy wolf population in Europe, which is clearly reaching social carrying capacity in many parts of Europe, the main problem remains of a practical and legal nature. The current Appendix II (Strict Protection) of the Bern Convention prevents countries from adapting the protection status of the wolf, which is why the EC presented its proposal. Specifically in the European Union, the strict protection listing (Annex IV) under the Habitats Directive is creating an almost impossible situation, combined with the fact that EC guidelines are unclear and several national courts are highly precautionary, creating administrative and bureaucratic burdens. All of this has frustrated rural communities.
The numbers on wolves
Today's in-depth analysis shows that wolf populations have increased significantly in recent decades, and are occupying ever larger territories. There are more than 20.000 wolves with generally increasing populations, expanding ranges and breeding packs in 23 Member States. This development is also reflected in the 2022 IUCN Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe assessment, which found that the outlook for wolves is positive, with further expansion expected for virtually all nine subpopulations in Europe. This expansion has led and will lead to further conflicts with human activities, with strong pressures on specific areas and regions of Europe (source: FACE).