Sweden’s Controversial Wolf Hunt Sparks Debate

Sweden’s wolf hunt has begun, targeting a significant reduction in the population of this endangered predator.

The government has approved the culling of five entire wolf families, totalling 30 wolves, a move critics claim violates EU law. Under the Berne Convention, protected species must not be reduced below sustainable population levels.

The country’s wolf population has already declined by nearly 20% in 2022-23, leaving just 375 individuals. This drop is attributed to intensified hunting. Earlier this year, the government announced plans to halve the population, reducing the minimum threshold for “favourable conservation status” from 300 to 170 wolves.

Conservationists argue this poses a serious threat to the species, which has a precarious history in Sweden. Wolves disappeared as a breeding population between 1966 and 1983 and remain listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.

This decision reflects a broader European trend to ease restrictions on wolf hunting. The European Commission is considering revising the EU habitats directive, citing increased wolf numbers in alpine and forested areas of Scandinavia and central Europe. Farmers advocate for these changes, claiming wolves endanger livestock like sheep.

Earlier this month, the Berne Convention voted to downgrade wolves from “strictly protected” to “protected” status, effective 7 March 2025. This change could pave the way for EU amendments allowing more extensive wolf culling.

Environmentalists, however, strongly oppose the move, emphasising the need for non-lethal measures. They argue that preventive strategies, such as electric fencing, can mitigate conflicts between wolves and farmers without jeopardising the species’ survival.

“We are very critical to the path that the EU is now taking, downgrading the protection status of the wolf,” said Magnus Orrebrant, the chair of the Swedish Carnivore Association. “If the EU follows up the latest Berne convention decision by changing the wolf’s protection status in the habitat directive, the result will be very negative not only for the wolves, but for all wildlife in Europe.

“In Sweden, it will have no immediate impact on the wolf population, since the Swedish government since 2010 has been blatantly disregarding the wolf’s special protection status, allowing a yearly licensed quota hunt and thereby breaking EU law. We filed a formal complaint to the EU commission, leading to an infringement procedure against Sweden, as yet to no avail.”

Léa Badoz, the wildlife programme officer at Eurogroup for Animals, a lobby group, said: “The wolf is unfortunately the latest political pawn, a victim of misinformation. Downgrading protection will not solve the challenges of coexistence, nor help farmers.”

The debate highlights the delicate balance between conserving wildlife and addressing human-wildlife conflicts. Critics warn that reducing wolf numbers risks undermining conservation progress, while proponents insist the measures are necessary to protect livestock and rural livelihoods.