Valais may not regulate wolf pack in Val d’Hérens
Under current legislation, the canton of Valais cannot reduce the wolf pack in Val d'Hérens through culling. The conditions for regulation have not been met. This has been decided by the Federal Administrative Court, confirming a ruling by the FOEN.
FOEN rejects application for regulation
During the 2022 alpine summer, several livestock fell victim to wolf attacks in the region.
The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) rejected the canton of Valais’s application to regulate the pack in Val d'Hérens, citing the fact that several sheep had strayed more than 100 metres from the night pasture area and had therefore been inadequately protected by the livestock guardian dogs of the alpine pasture.
Subsidiarity of regulatory culling
In its ruling, the Federal Administrative Court (FAC) refers to the Bern Convention, under which the wolf remains a strictly protected species. Its deliberate killing is therefore only permissible when all other options have been exhausted. Under current hunting legislation, the existence of actual damage to livestock or a significant threat to human safety are mandatory preconditions for the regulation of a pack.
Protective effect of livestock guardian dogs
The FAC notes that it is the FOEN’s responsibility to determine what protective measures are reasonable. This includes, in particular, the appropriate use of livestock guardian dogs. The federal office considers a distance of 100 metres from the pasture to still be sufficient to provide adequate protection for livestock.
The FAC concludes that the FOEN has not deviated from current legislation. The appeal is therefore dismissed.
This ruling may be challenged before the Federal Supreme Court.
Dossier: Wolf in Switzerland: Facts, politics and the limits of hunting
