Wolves in danger? Strasbourg decides on protection status!

Wolves in danger? Strasbourg decides on protection status!

In a decisive meeting on Tuesday in Strasbourg, the wolf's future protection status will be coordinated. The European Commission has made an application to downgrade the wolf from a "strictly protected animal species" into the "protected animals" category. This would give the EU member states more scope to regulate the hunt for wolves without completely lifting species protection. Such a step could take place if a two-thirds majority, at least 34 out of 50 signing states of the Bern Convention, agrees, as from a report by Volksblatt emerges.

The importance of this decision should not be underestimated: a reduced protection status could lead to various EU countries allowing wolves. However, it remains clear that the state of the wolf population must not be endangered, which was emphasized in a press release from the Council of Europe. While representatives of agriculture see a welcome opportunity to protect their interests in this change, environmental and animal rights activists show vehemently criticism. As early as 2022, Switzerland had submitted a similar application that was rejected by the EU because there was no corresponding mandate, Europa.eu

The possible lowering of protection status shows the tensions between economic interests in agriculture and the protection of endangered animal species. Regardless of the result of the vote, it remains to be seen how the wolf population will develop in the coming years and what political steps the EU will take to bring animal welfare into harmony with agricultural needs.