The Berne Convention, which ensures the protection of wildlife in Europe, approved this Tuesday, December 3, a downgrading of the protection status of the wolf, which will go from “strictly protected” to “protected” species. Anger of nature defense associations.
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The decision was feared. It fell like a brutal ax this morning for nature protection associations.
The 49 member states of the Berne Convention, meeting in Strasbourg, approved a proposal from the European Union, which seeks to better protect livestock in a context of an increase in the wolf population, the Council said in a press release. of Europe. The wolf's status is lowered by one level.
In the Jura, Patrice Raydelet, president of the large predators division, can no longer find words, dismayed by the announcement of this decision. “We will continue to massacre wolves, a species essential to the balance of ecosystems. We all know that livestock farming contributes to the increase in greenhouse gases, we know that Comté production in our region has been polluting rivers for years. By maintaining the focus on the inconvenience caused by the wolf, we put aside all these other subjects.
Patrice Raydelet fears a drastic increase in authorizations for shooting against wolves, while the main agricultural unions do not want to hear, according to him, about protecting herds.
If we can't have the chance to live a second time with the wolves, there's no point in going any further. There, we continue a process of destruction.
Patrice Raydelet, president of the large predators division
According to him, Europe and France should make other choices. “We are given subsidies to go to schools to talk about wolves, and at the political level, we do the complete opposite!” he denounces.
“Despite a scientific consensus, the Standing Committee of the Berne Convention has just voted more or less for the death of wolves in Europe, giving in to agricultural lobbies and hunters. 5 countries opposed the declassification: United Kingdom, Monaco, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina. 2 abstained: Tunisia and Türkiye. All others chose to lower the protection status of wolves from “strictly protected” to “protected.” With our international partners, we are studying all possible remedies” writes One Voice.
Thierry Chalmin, president of the Haute-Saône Chamber of Agriculture, had in September 2024,In a letter addressed to 1,500 breeders to “go out armed and hit a wolf” if they see one. This morning, he welcomed the decision of the Berne Convention without fanfare or fanfare. “The declassification of the wolf is perhaps good news, I don’t know. I am convinced that it will not change anything for breeders” he said to our journalist Clément Jeannin.
For 30 years, we have been talking about wolves, and I see that populations are only increasing, predations are only increasing, and breeders are exasperated.
Thierry Chalmin, president of the Haute-Saône Chamber of Agriculture
“The modification will enter into force in three months, unless at least one third of the parties to the Berne Convention (17) object”the Council of Europe clarified this Tuesday morning.
“If less than one third of the parties object, the decision will enter into force only for those parties who have not made objections”he added.
The wolf population has practically doubled in Europe in the space of 10 years, reaching 20,300 individuals in 2023. Wolf defenders believe that wolves do not cause that much damage. According to WWF-France program director, Yann Laurans, “the removal of wolves from herds is in reality negligible, of the order of one percent” of the total attacks in Europe, other animals also attack livestock.
The estimate for the number of wolves in France in 2023 stood at 1,003 individuals, down 9% over one year. Around 20% of the population is slaughtered each year. The quota for killing wolves authorized in 2024 in France stands at 209 wolves. As of December 1, 201 had been killed, according to the No Wolf Facebook page which regularly relays the voice of farmers.
