Sweden’s government has commissioned its Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket, SNV) to review the conditions for protective hunting of wolves. The Swedish Carnivore Association (Svenska Rovdjursföreningen, SRF) has submitted their response, as a referral body for the SNV. It is based on the principle “No protective hunt without preventive measures”. The SNV must present its proposal to the government by March 31, 2024.
Protective hunting when humans "feel concerned” and “fear an attack"?
In July 2023, the government commissioned the SNV to review the rules for protective hunting of wolves. Among other things, the government wants the SNV to produce an assessment of “under which circumstances protective hunting of wolves could be granted already after one or a few attacks on domestic animals or dogs, or when wolves create concern and insecurity by being close to people, domestic animals or dogs.” The assignment also includes reviewing “the possibilities for being able to track down and kill a damaging wolf in direct connection with an attack on a domestic animal or dog, as well as review whether more aiding tools should be allowed to bring about a quick killing of such a wolf.”
No protective hunting without preventive measures
The Swedish Carnivore Association (SRF) is a referral body for the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SNV), regarding predator issues. This gives the association an opportunity to present facts and viewpoints that might be overseen.
In the SRF’s response, the association states that before a protective hunt may be considered at all, preventive measures must have been taken. This was completely left out from the government assignment. For every attack on domestic animals, the county administrative board must assess the overall picture, which preventive measures that have been taken, analyze whether it is a wolf at all, and if so, which wolf has attacked.
The SRF also believes that an ethical assessment has been completely left out. It is unethical to kill one or both of the parent animals in a wolf family if they have pups that need them. The measure may also be counterproductive as it might instead increase the risk of attacks on domestic animals from the young wolves. Likewise, the SRF believes that harmful individuals should be verified with DNA. It is not enough with a hunt leader’s statement that it is “likely” that the right individual was shot, which is happening today.
We will know if the opinions of the SRF will be considered, after the consultation responses have been handed over by the SNV to the government “Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure” by March 31, 2024. Decisions on eventual new rules will then be made by the government.
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