The largest wolf wolf of modern times began in Sweden Nature organizations also warn that it could cause great harm to human populations.
Hunters will be allowed to kill 75 wolves out of 460, as the government seeks to reduce the predators’ population density in certain areas.
“Hunting is absolutely necessary to slow down the growth of wolves. The wolf population is the largest we have in modern times,” Gunnar Glorsen, Predator Director at the Swedish Hunters Association, said. he told the local press Where the chase began on Monday.
However, nature organizations have indicated that the number of Swedish wolves is relatively low – in Italy there are more than 3,000.
They have appealed the decision, which they say is against Berne Convention of the European Unionbut to no avail.
“Be discouraged. There is report after report that the Wolf Tribe has major problems, however [the government] “Don’t take it too seriously,” said Daniel Ekblom, of nature. maintain Wildlife management group of the association in Javelborg.
Marie Stigard, chair of the anti-hunting group Jaktkritikerna, said: “Wolves are one of the most important predators in the food chain and a prerequisite for biodiversity. Killing a quarter of the population by hunting has negative consequences for animals and nature. It is disastrous for the entire ecosystem. The presence of wolves contributes to an increase in The richness of animal and plant life. Human survival depends on healthy ecosystems.”
Anna Karin Sutherberg, Sweden’s Minister for Rural Affairs, recently Tell public broadcaster SVTWe see that the numbers of wolves are increasing every year, and with this culling, we want to make sure that we can reach the target set by Parliament.
“We can see that the level of conflict has increased, and the level of acceptance has decreased,” Satherberg said, adding that the government has asked the state Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider its recommended population numbers.
The agency had previously recommended a population size of at least 300, to avoid further vulnerability and the threat of inbreeding. However, a majority in the Swedish Parliament is in favor of reducing wolf numbers to 170 individuals, well below the range of 170 to 270 individuals that would allow the country to meet the conservation requirements of the EU’s Species and Habitats Directive.
A group of scientists from the best European universities wrote recently to Science, arguing that no scientific advice has been sought on this target and that it would threaten an already fragmented and fragile population.
Benny Javort, a predator expert with the WWF, said Parliament’s figure of 170 is “not based on any scientific facts”.
“Unpredictable things can happen in wild gatherings and level 170 is very low,” he told SVT. “We have a problem when it comes to the genetics of wolves, and the fewer wolves there are, the greater the effect of fluctuations in the genetic status.”
Norway shares a population of wolves with Sweden along its border, which poses further threats to the critically endangered predator. The wolf in Norway and Sweden – the Scandinavian wolf – is listed as an endangered species and is classified as Critically Endangered in Norway and Critically Endangered in Sweden. The Government of Norway has instituted a very restrictive wolf management policy with a fixed target of a population of only four to six pups per year. As far as is known, Norway is the only country in the world that sets a maximum number of endangered species. It allows fishermen Significantly reduce the number of wolves every year.
Nature activists argue that this additional pressure from the Swedish government could further endanger the species.
“Population genetics has shown that to maintain a viable population, you need to have approximately 1,500 individuals with genetic variation,” said the Active Rofdirfern (ARV) natural group. Sweden and Norway Currently there are around 400 wolves, but this appears to be trending downward to around 200 individuals in total, with 170 of them in Sweden and 30 in Norway. This is not compatible with the establishment and consolidation of a viable population of wolves in the Scandinavian Peninsula in the short and long term. “
The Swedish government has been contacted for comment.