A total of 36 wolves may be shot during next year’s license hunt. But Peter Eriksson, chairman of the Swedish Hunters’ Association, is critical.
– It is a big disappointment, the wolf tribe is still far too large, he says.
Last year it was decided that 75 wolves could be shot, but next year the number will be reduced to 36.
The wolf is protected and may only be hunted under strictly controlled conditions, and the decision therefore only applies to five counties in Central Sweden where six wolves may be shot in each of the six areas in question.
“Giant Trouble with the Wolf Tribe”
The county administrations concerned believe that the number is a “reasonable withdrawal” given how large the wolf population is. But Peter Eriksson, chairman of the Swedish Hunters’ Association, thinks the figure is far too low.
– The politicians say that we are going down to 170 to 270 wolves, and we are far from there, he says.
And since wolves cause great damage to, among other things, agriculture, he believes that it is of great importance to reduce the wolf population.
– We have seen during this year that there has been a huge problem with the wolf tribe, and with the experience we have from Central Sweden, you have had a far too dense wolf tribe for a very long time, says Peter Eriksson.
There are a total of 450 wolves in Sweden
According to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s latest count, there are currently 450 wolves in Sweden, and 57 wolves were shot during this year’s license hunt.
Researchers point out that too great a reduction could lead to inbreeding and thus threaten the wolves in the long run. But Peter Eriksson believes that the politicians’ goals will never be reached if the number is not increased in next year’s wolf hunt.
– You have to take steps to reduce the wolf population, and you don’t do that with this decision.
The wolf hunt starts on January 2 and lasts until February 15 at the latest.