the essential
On Tuesday, meeting in Strasbourg, the fifty member states of the Berne Convention voted in favor of lowering the level of protection for wolves. In Aveyron, reactions are mixed.
Meeting in Strasbourg, the fifty member states of the Berne Convention, a key text for the protection of European fauna and flora since 1979, voted for a downlisting of the wolf. This decision, which modifies the protection status of the species, provokes various reactions between breeders and environmental associations.
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A relief for breeders
Cercle 12, a collective bringing together breeders from Aveyron and neighboring departments, expressed its satisfaction, “as outdoor breeders who are constantly being attacked”.
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The collective recalls that this subject was at the heart of a European gathering organized in Isère two years ago. According to them, this measure could alleviate certain regulatory constraints and facilitate the defense of herds against recurring attacks by wolves. On the Larzac, where around 150 animals were killed in one year, again according to the collective, “while lieutenants of louveterie spent a considerable time, at night, near the herds to try in vain to stop this massacre” .
The concerns of environmental defenders
On the other hand, this measure alarms environmental associations. They fear an increase in wolf killings in certain countries as well as a weakening of the European “Habitats” directive, essential for the protection of biodiversity.
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According to these organizations, lowering the level of protection for the wolf could set a dangerous precedent for other protected species.
