The Standing Committee of the Bern Convention voted on 3 December 2024 in favor of downgrading the protection level of the wolf (Canis lupus) from “strictly protected” to “protected”. The proposal was presented by the European Commission on 27 September and the change will come into force in starting from March 7, 2025 unless at least 17 Member States object. The regulatory change, which to be effective must be implemented by each individual State, will allow the hunting of these specimens to be authorized, provided that a good state of conservation of the wolf populations present in Europe (in Italy there are estimated to be around 3,300 specimens, of which approximately 950 in the Alpine range). The decision did not leave public opinion indifferent, splitting it into opposing positions: those in favor of the decision motivate the choice based on the increase in wolves in the last twenty years and the lack of habit of living with this species. Those who oppose it, however, point out the importance of the wolf in maintain natural balances of the territory, for example by controlling the populations of wild boars and nutria, and recalls that the percentage of predation of European livestock by wolves is very low (0.065%) and could be controlled with special devices protective measures.
The situation of the Wolf in Europe and what this regulatory change entails
At the beginning of the seventies in Europe the wolf, persecuted for centuries with snares, traps, guns and poison, was a species on the brink of extinction and in Italy only a few specimens remained in the Central Apennines. Over the course of 45 years, the situation has changed thanks to rigorous regulations for the protection of this species, public awareness, the establishment of new Protected Areas, but also thanks to the remarkable plasticity of this species. Today in European territory they are estimated approximately 23,000 wolves and in Italy around 3,300 after the first national monitoring in 2022.
To date, the Bern Convention and European legislation (Habitats Directive) consider the wolf a “species”strictly protected”, whose individuals they cannot be deliberately killed, captured or disturbed. Only in exceptional circumstances, for example for reasons of public safety, can a specimen be killed if there are no other possible solutions. This situation, however, is about to change.
From next March 7th the wolf will move to a less restricted level of protection, which means that specimens can be killed, although in a controlled manner. Hunting may be authorized as long as the maintenance of one is guaranteed satisfactory state of conservation of the populations present in Europe. The change was proposed considering that today its populations have increased numerically, thanks to the efforts implemented so far for the conservation of this large carnivore, and this could create problems for livestock farming.
A change like this is generating mixed reactions. On the other hand, the wolf has great media power and remains one of the most charismatic predators, the protagonist of fairy tales and legends which, more than other animals, creates opposing reactions in humans of boundless love and fascination or terror and hatred.
The arguments of those in favor of the measure
The reasons of those who are satisfied with this decision are essentially based on the fact that the number of wolves has increased significantly in the last twenty years, as have conflicts with human activities. The European institutions have therefore given a voice to farmers and inhabitants of rural areas and this change will allow greater flexibility for Member States in the management of local wolf populations. Other reasons are also given:
- many times farmers give up asking for compensation for the damage caused by the wolf, because the procedures are complex and the attacks are increasingly frequent, therefore, they believe that the coexistence is only possible if the number of wolves is limited
- wolves also pose a threat to the human securityconsidering that some episodes of attacks on pets and humans have occurred
- even if at the community level the overall damage is not very high, at the level of individual territories it is lost the habit of the presence of this species.
The arguments against downgrading the protection status of the wolf
Who is opposite to the downgrading of the level of protection of the wolf believes that the numerical recovery of the wolf is a process still ongoing and there is no scientific evidence that justifies a downgrading so soon, moreover not necessary, given that the current legislation already allows the culling of problematic and dangerous specimens.
Furthermore, opponents contest that after years of commitment and efforts for the conservation of the wolf, they are barely noticed the first positive effectswith this measure we immediately go back and start killing specimens again. Those who oppose this decision believe that man’s approach is always to manage other species based on his local and temporary needs, without considering that:
- the wolf is a key species for the conservation of the natural balance of a territory, given that it is a predator at the top of the food chain, regulator of other populations and eliminating them means causing excessive proliferation, for example, of herbivores with serious repercussions on natural habitats;
- is the main ally in the counteract the proliferation of wild boars And nourish which cause extensive damage to agriculture;
- kill wolves without knowing their characteristics and social role that they occupy can destroy the herds, cause the adults to disperse and increase the damage;
- the wolf’s predations only affect the 0.065% of European livestocktherefore coexistence with the wolf is possible simply by adopting appropriate livestock protection measures (guard dogs, electrified fences, greater presence of shepherds, control over the dispersion of waste and animal residues);
- the wolf does not attack manbut keeps his distance. The very rare cases of aggression were caused by bad habits such as the attempt to attract wolves by abandoning food and waste or the practice of leaving dogs free without a leash, putting their lives at risk.
