Dear members of the Council of Europe,

Dear members of the Standing Committee of Bern Convention,

 

On 20th December 2023, Ursula von der Leyen, current president of the European Commission, proposed to change the status of Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) from ‘strictly protected' to ‘protected' in Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.

 

This proposal is totally scandalous for several reasons :

• Although Gray Wolf populations are recovering on an european scale, local situations are not necessarily good. For instance, Sierra Morena (Spain) wolves population is likely extinct while in France governments tend to raise numbers of wolves that can be killed. In Latvia, wolves can be hunted from 15 July to 31 March.

 

• It spits in face of many people fighting for a better cohabitation between wolves and human activities such as scientists, NGOs, citizens …  These people offer true solutions (such as hiring shepherds) instead of systematic culling.

 

• Wolf culling can be counter-productive regarding cattle protection since it can jeopardize wolf packs and make wolves leave the pack to live alone, which can increase attacks on livestock (for a lone wolf a sheep is easier to catch than a red deer).

 

• It could be motivated by political reasons only (european elections in 2024).

 

 

So, members of the Council of Europe and members of the Standing Committee of Bern Convention have to be opposed to any modification of Gray Wolf status in Bern Convention.

 

Yours sincerely