Sweden: Government wants to halve wolf population

The Swedish government has given the green light to kill five entire wolf families, totalling 30 wolves, by hobby hunters.

Critics note that this recreational hunting violates EU law, as protected species must not fall below a sustainable level, according to the Bern Convention.

Population down by 20 percent

The wolf population in Sweden declined by nearly 20% in the years 2022–2023, and there are now 375 registered animals. This decline is attributed to increased hunting pressure.

The Swedish government plans to halve the population and set 170 wolves as the new minimum level for a “favourable conservation status”, instead of 300. Critics say this will endanger the wolf population, which has historically been vulnerable in Sweden, partly due to overhunting. In Switzerland too, the reckless wolf hunting is having devastating effects.

EU plans to loosen protection status

The European Union plans to relax the rules on the persecution of wolves, enabling countries to increase the number of wolves killed. Environmentalists instead call for preventive measures such as electric fences to prevent conflicts between wolves and livestock. As studies confirm, recreational hunting fails as a means of population control.

Warning of negative consequences for all wildlife

“We are highly critical of the path taken by the EU to downgrade the protection status of the wolf,” said Magnus Orrebrant, the chairman of a Swedish association. “If the EU follows the recent decision of the Bern Convention and changes the protection status of the wolf in the Habitats Directive, the outcome will be very negative not only for wolves, but for all wildlife in Europe.”