The decision to change the status of the wolf from a “strictly protected” to a protected species was made on Tuesday at the level of the Bern Convention. These are nature conservation pacts signed by almost all European countries (including the entire European Union) and several African countries. The European Commission requested a reduction in the level of protection.
Previously, the way to this was opened by the decision of most European Union countries, which was also supported by Poland. After it was decided to reduce the protection of wolves under the convention, there was only one step left – changing the EU animal protection regulations, i.e. the Habitats Directive.
Scientists and environmental organizations urge us not to make this decision. However, considering that the proposal came from the European Commission itself and was supported by the majority of countries, it seems to be a matter of time. Changing the wolf's protection status will not automatically change the law in EU countries, but it will enable them to make this decision.
Will Poland lower the wolf's protection status?
The government in Warsaw was among the majority to support the EU's decision to reduce the level of protection for wolves. In response to an interpellation by MP Daria Gosek-Popiołek, Deputy Minister of Climate Mikołaj Dorożała wrote that “Poland supported the European Commission's proposal with a view to solidarity with EU member states”, although before this decision it did not ask scientific institutions for an opinion.
What is behind this “solidarity”? As he wrote in ““Gazeta Wyborcza” Adam Wajrak, the decision to support the Commission's proposal was not made by the Ministry of Climate – it was made by Donald Tusk, and later he instructed the Ministry of the Environment on how to vote. And here we can find this “solidarity”, because Tusk's European political environment and PO – the European People's Party (EPP) and the head of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wanted less protection for wolves. In this way, EPP wants to please farmers (because wolves cause losses for e.g. cattle breeders), and in the background there is the personal story of von der Leyen, whose pony was killed by a wolf.
What will Poland do when – as can be expected – there is a change in the directive and EU countries will be able to reduce the level of wolf protection in their country? Deputy Minister Dorożała indirectly referred to this in October in response to another parliamentary question.
Green MPs Małgorzata Tracz and Klaudia Jachira asked whether national regulations on the protection of wolves would be changed and reduction shootings would be allowed. Dorożała wrote:
“Currently, no legislative changes are planned. The existing legal regulations should be considered as adequately ensuring the protection of wolves in Poland. The permit system, combined with the possibility of obtaining compensation for damage caused by wolves and subsidies for preventive measures, allows for a flexible response to incidents involving wolves.” .
“Culling is counter-effective”
The declaration of the Ministry of Climate that wolf protection in Poland will not be changed is little consolation for organizations protecting nature. Firstly, it applies only to one country, and wolves live in many others, and the consequence there may be greater reductions in shooting. Secondly, it is only a declaration – after lowering the protection status of the wolf at the European level, it is enough for the government to change its mind (or the government changes) and with one decision, the wolf may also cease to be strictly protected in Poland.
Environmentalists also fear that the “opening” of the directive may constitute an opportunity to weaken the protection of other valuable species, e.g. lynx and bear.
– Politicians in the name of the short-sighted interests of the hunters' and farmers' lobby will cause tragedy. The science is clear: culling is counterproductive, leads to the weakening of wolf families and increases, not decreases, the number of attacks on farm animals. We don't have to resort to culling because we have a number of effective ways to coexist with wolves. These are the solutions that the EU should promote, says Marta Kaźmierczak from the Pracownia dla Wszystkich Estot Association.
The reduction in the level of wolf protection was praised by agricultural organizations, including Copa-Cogeca, which brings together agricultural trade unions from all over Europe. In their opinion, this “responds to the needs of farmers” and will give them “greater peace of mind.” Also Polish agricultural organizations they appealed for such a decision.
According to experts, regulating the wolf population by shooting will not only be harmful from the point of view of nature conservation, but also counterproductive in terms of the interests of breeders. Pracownia na Wszystkich Stotych, an organization working to protect nature, writes about the “countereffectiveness” of shooting. He points to research and examples from other countries: reduction shootings break up family groups in which wolves live and, unable to hunt wild animals in a group, wolves attack insufficiently protected farm animals.
The studio points out that “wolves play a key role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and biodiversity, and their presence brings economic benefits,” and instead of shooting, farm animals can be better protected.