It’s wolf hunting in Sweden, where fire has been opened against the wild predator in recent days. The goal is to decimate five entire groups in four counties for a total of 30 specimens so as to reduce the number of wolves present in Scandinavian territory.
The Swedish government allowed it, granting licenses to hunters and authorizing hunting activity from January 2nd until February 15th 2025 at the latest. Currently, according to the updated SveskJakt bulletin, 19 wolves have already been exterminated by double rifles.
The criticism leveled by Swedish and international animal protection associations was harsh, calling the European Commission into question, contesting the illegality of this measure.
Between debates and proposals to downgrade the protection status of the wolf in Europe, the species is still classified as protected. For this reason, by appealing to EU law, environmental and animal rights organizations contest the opening of wolf hunting, raising concerns for the conservation of the predator in the country.
Despite the complaints, the EU Commission did not take any action.
According to the latest data, the Swedish wolf population is already decreased in recent years by around 100 individuals wild. Instead, prevention is what we should invest in with greater force to mitigate the human-wolf conflict and guarantee a future for this species.
Preventive measures, however, do not seem to fully interest Swedish politics, whose intentions are very clear. Victim of hunting pressure and inbreeding, the wolf is more in danger than ever.
Sources: SvenskaJakt – Länsstyrelsen – WWF
