The world criticises the Swedish wolf hunting

Photo: Tom Svensson /Nordens Ark

People from more than 45 countries all over the world have supported our criticism of the licensed wolf hunt in Sweden, by sending some 3000 letters in just three days to Commissioner Potoĉnik within just two days.

– This gives a glimmer of hope this tragic day, says Mikael Karlsson, President of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.

The wolf hunting weakens the wolf population

The Swedish licensed wolf hunt is claimed to be part of an official Swedish wolf conservation policy. However, conservation researchers, the public, and EU Environment Commissioner Potočnik have criticised that the Swedish government now pursues with yet another large-scale wolf hunt, which started this weekend. Thousands of hunters have been permitted to hunt 20 out of a population of about 200 wolves. So far, 16 wolves have been killed or shot at.

– The hunting will weaken the wolf population, which already suffers from inbreeding and isolation. Since the government has decided to limit the number of wolves in Sweden to 210 individuals, a favourable conservation status is prevented also in the future, says Mikael Karlsson.

Not only people from all over the world are sad over the hunt

The EU environment Commissioner, Janez Potočnik, says in a statement that he regrets “that Sweden has begun the licensed hunting of wolves… the actions of the Swedish authorities leave me with little choice other than to propose to the Commission that it begin formal proceedings against Sweden”. The comment was made in relation to a formal complaint filed by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and other organisations last year.

– Hopefully, the Commission will take Sweden to the European Court of Justice. We hope that many will join our protest over the hunt and the fact that Sweden, once a pioneer in environmental protection, is eroding its biodiversity policy, says Mikael Karlsson.