This December 2, 2024, the signatory countries of the Berne Convention will re-examine the protection status of the wolf in Europe.
Will Europe make it easier to cull wolves? This is what the signatory countries of the Berne Convention will examine on Tuesday in Strasbourg, arousing the apprehension of scientists and associations.
“We are generalizing to Europe what France already practices by derogation”
The standing committee of the Convention, which aims to ensure the protection of wildlife species, is considering downgrading the wolf from species “strictly protected” has “protected”following a proposal submitted at the end of September by the European Union.
“This would mean that we are generalizing to Europe what France already practices by derogation, namely the possibility of shooting wolves according to rules to be determined nationally”summarizes for AFP the director of WWF-France programs, Yann Laurans.
Wolves can thus be killed to protect herds, under very specific conditions.
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A danger “for livestock and, potentially, for humans”
In its proposal, the EU, which claims to be based on “an in-depth analysis of the status” carnivore on its territory, reports a growing population, reaching 20,300 individuals in 2023, mostly in the Balkans, the Nordic countries, Italy and Spain.
According to Brussels, this expansion has led to difficulties “from the point of view of coexistence with human activities, in particular due to the damage caused to livestock, which has reached significant levels”.
Last year, the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, spoke of the “real danger” of the wolf “for livestock and, potentially, for humans”.
Some suspect she has a grudge against the canine since one of them killed a pony on her property in northern Germany. But she is not the only one.
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Illegally “hitting” wolves
In Haute-Saône, in eastern France, dozens of farmers deplored attacks on their animals at the beginning of November and denounced the refusal of state services to carry out defensive shots.
The president of the Chamber of Agriculture in the neighboring department of Doubs, for his part, called on breeders at the end of September to arm themselves and “taper” wolves illegally, in order to protect their flocks.
“The removal of wolves from herds is in reality negligible, of the order of one percent” of the total attacks in Europe, tempers Yann Laurans, other animals also attack livestock.
Destabilize “very precise social organization” what a pack would risk creating “more disordered behavior” of this towards the herds, according to him.
A “fragile” species
The EU proposal “is widely considered illegal, lacking scientific justification, and violating the principles of democratic participation”warned several NGOs, including the animal rights association One Voice, in a letter addressed at the end of November to the secretary of the Convention, Mikaël Poutiers.
This proposal “draws on certain information provided by a single, non-peer-reviewed report produced by a consultancy firm under a service contract, subcontracted and funded by the European Commission”they continue.
“The wolf population, wrongly judged as healthy by the European Commission, is in reality still quite fragile”supports Yann Laurans.
“By weakening the species which is the summit of the European ecological system, we risk weakening the overall health, already quite weak, of the European ecosystem”he warns.
A “key moment” to increase slaughtering according to Michel Barnier
During a visit to the Livestock Summit at the beginning of October, Prime Minister Michel Barnier estimated that the new official assessment of the number of wolves in France, expected by the end of 2024, could represent potential “key moment” to increase slaughter.
The estimate for the number of wolves in France in 2023 was 1,003 individuals, down 9% over one year. Around 20% of the population is slaughtered each year.
The decision will be taken at the meeting of the Berne Convention committee, which will take place from December 2 to 6 at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg.
If adopted, it will come into force three months later in countries that did not object during the vote.
The Berne Convention is made up of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe, with the exception of San Marino, as well as four African states: Burkina Faso, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.
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