National Park: Science Opposes Fuorn Cull
From a scientific perspective, the culling of the Fuorn wolf pack, which lives primarily in the Swiss National Park, is not warranted.
The canton of Graubünden applied for the cull following two attacks on cattle in August. By contrast, culling the individual female wolf that caused one of the attacks and has long since ceased to be part of the pack could be justified, writes the «Research Commission of the Swiss National Park» of the Swiss Academy of Sciences in a statement published on Friday.
In August, wolves killed one cow each on the Alp Laschadura and in the Val Mora. The Office for Hunting and Fisheries (AJF) of the canton of Graubünden therefore submitted a request for the removal of the «Fuorn» wolf pack to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) on 3 September 2024. The cull would take place outside the national park area. Genetic analyses carried out on 18 September revealed that the young female wolf F223 caused the attack on Alp Laschadura. According to current knowledge, this wolf has not been part of the Fuorn pack for months. Which wolf caused the attack in Val Mora has yet to be established.
Protection of the National Park Severely Compromised
The Fuorn wolf pack lives primarily in the Swiss National Park. The park is legally protected as “a reserve in which nature is protected from all human interference and, in particular, the entire flora and fauna is left to its natural development”. The Research Commission emphasises that the wolf pack has become an important part of the ecosystem. The FOEN should give appropriate weight to the protection afforded under the National Park Act when balancing it against the statutory mandate of the Hunting Act to “limit wildlife damage to an acceptable level.”
Culling Wolf Packs Barely Reduces Livestock Losses
To implement effective measures for the protection of livestock, scientific findings must be taken into account. Accordingly, the culling of large predators often does not reduce the number of future livestock depredations, and sometimes even an increase in attacks is observed.
In summary, the research commission concludes that from a scientific perspective, the removal of the entire Fuorn pack is not justifiable, carries considerable consequential risks, and contradicts the conservation objectives of the Swiss National Park. The shooting of the wolves that caused the two attacks, however, is considered justifiable.
Participatory Campaign: Due to the disastrous policy of Federal Councillor Albert Rösti (SVP), demand that your municipality grant a tax remission request for federal and cantonal taxes in light of the recently approved wolf culling in Switzerland. You can download the template letter here: https://wildbeimwild.com/ein-appell-fuer-eine-veraenderung-in-der-schweiz/
