Wolves: the European Commission in favour of massacring them

An anti-wolf point of view: an electioneering business asset on the eve of European elections

After the first round of eradications in France and in other countries in Europe, wolves have returned by themselves to the Alps Mountain range and little by little elsewhere in the country. These intelligent and sensitive animals, whose way of life is not too dissimilar to ours in many ways, incidentally play an essential role within ecosystems.
And yet... we still hear the same tune from farmers who perpetually blame them of being responsible of all evils.

This heinous discourse born from fear and well-established prejudice by cyno-agricultural lobbies are widely shared by the media and listened to by political and institutional circles, meaning that a second wave of disappearances in France will be inevitable as prefects are issuing authorisations for lethal shots. Especially as the European Commission is now clearly stating that they will no longer act as a shield to protect them. Much to the contrary.

If member states accept this declassification proposition, it will be submitted to the Bern Convention Committee in December 2024.

We, European people, are in favour of protecting wolves!

The most infuriating thing in all of this is that the vast majority of French people and Europeans far from share this viewpoint encouraged by agricultural and hunting lobbies.

In fact, a survey carried out in November 2023 for a group of associations in the EU (Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, and Romania) showed that rural populations are largely in favour of protecting wolves, bears, lynx, etc.
The same can be said for France, where draft decrees relating to the ‘National Action Plan for Wolves’ recently submitted for public consultation have been the subject of strong opposition and criticism. The participants, of which we are one, effectively condemned a policy that encourages and justifies this upcoming massacre. And yet, it is very likely that the laws will be published in the state.

No proposition of a compromise, no creative thinking. The only way they see the situation is in terms of competition for territory and food and the fear of children being devoured. And the only response considered by our decision-makers who have become short-sighted and astigmatic from looking at them under a distorted magnifying glass: to always kill these so-called threatening enemies.

Whether or not they are listed as a protected species, wolves - like any other animal - must be able to live in peace. We will never stop defending them and will continue to fight to stop them being shot. Join us in this fight by signing our petition.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice