Sample text: Species protection standards for wolf culls

1. Motion

The cantonal government is instructed to ensure that all cantonal cull decisions concerning the wolf are in accordance with the Bern Convention, the Biodiversity Convention and European species protection standards. In particular, it is instructed to

• conduct a binding international law review before each cull decision
• ensure that wolf culls are only ordered as a last resort, after all reasonable livestock protection measures have been fully implemented
• publish the cull decisions and their justifications in full
• not grant cull permits for entire wolf packs when favorable conservation status is not secured
• advocate at the federal level for Switzerland to fully respect the protection status of the wolf according to the Bern Convention

2. Brief justification

The wolf is a protected species according to the Bern Convention. The political practice in Switzerland and Europe shows that this protection is increasingly being undermined. With the JSG revision 2023, Switzerland has significantly lowered the threshold for wolf culls. Environmental organizations and legal scholars have criticized this regulation as a potential violation of the Bern Convention.

Switzerland must not participate in an international "race to the bottom" in species protection. This motion demands compliance with international species protection commitments.

• Dossier: The wolf in Europe
• Dossier: Wolf in Switzerland