Home / Environment / Farmers Gain Right to Shoot Wolves Attacking Livestock
Farmers Gain Right to Shoot Wolves Attacking Livestock
17 Feb
Summary
- France will allow shooting wolves outside protected areas.
- 12,000 farm animals were lost to wolves last year.
- EU lawmakers reduced wolf protection status recently.
The French government has announced it will permit the shooting of wolves that prey on livestock, extending this right beyond protected enclosures. This policy adjustment, welcomed by farmers, addresses rising concerns over predation. Last year alone, preliminary figures indicate that 12,000 farm animals were lost to wolves.
Previously, farmers could only shoot wolves if attacks occurred within a protected enclosure. This restriction is now being relaxed. Environment Minister Mathieu Lefevre stated that the status quo is unsustainable given the current level of predation. The change is expected to be officially enacted through an executive order in the upcoming weeks.
This French decision mirrors a recent EU-wide adjustment where lawmakers voted to downgrade the wolf's protection status from "strictly protected" to "protected." This broader European shift was reportedly influenced by an incident involving European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen's pony. French farmers have recently been vocal, protesting trade deals they believe will flood Europe with substandard products.
