Wolf in Valais: Shooting Permit Unlawful

The nature conservation organisations are filing an appeal on several grounds.

Already last week, they demanded the restoration of suspensive effect. This is intended to prevent a wolf from being shot without a legally valid permit.

In the Augstbord region and the Turtmann Valley VS, wolves have repeatedly been recorded over several years. This presence obliges livestock owners to take measures to protect their sheep. Without these measures, the kills cannot be counted towards a shooting permit under the Wolf Concept. Yet even simple and reasonable herd protection measures were not implemented. On close inspection, only two of the sheep killed in the region can be considered adequately protected. A legally valid shooting permit would require 15 kills.

Shooting Does Not Prevent Damage

Furthermore, under the applicable provisions, an individual cull may only be considered if it prevents further damage. In the affected area, a total of three different wolves have been recorded. Shooting one of these wolves cannot rule out the possibility of further damage in the area in future. This fact is fundamentally at odds with the shooting permit.

Duty Violated

It has also been known for some time that one of the three wolves recorded in the area is a female. It cannot be ruled out that undiscovered young wolves are living in the region. If young wolves were present, the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN would have to approve a shooting permit, and the canton of Valais would not be permitted to issue one unilaterally, as it has done.

Under the Wolf Concept, it is the responsibility of the cantons to monitor wolf presence and follow up on indications of offspring. The canton of Valais has discontinued wolf monitoring by resolution of the Grand Council. In doing so, it is actively preventing the detection of possible young wolves.