In March, One Voice is rallying for the wolves

174. This is the number of wolves who could be slaughtered this year completely legally. However, there are only 921 of them in France currently. Until the 18th century, there were between 15,000 and 20,000. They were already wiped out once and, in fact, the State is doing everything to get them eradicated once more.

Wolves: unjustly unloved animals

These intelligent animals evolve within a family unit in which the role of each member is determined to support their survival and the upbringing of the wolf cubs.

They play a key role in biodiversity and in particular help with the development of plant life and forests: with the return of wolves, herbivore populations must now move at a higher rate, spending less time eating, leaving time for the plant life to regenerate.

With all due respect to the hunters from the Drôme who ask to kill wild boars, which are too numerous according to them, and at the same time complain about no longer having enough to hunt when the wolves are more efficient than them…

Ineffective shots to protect animals destined for the abattoir

Shooting permits are granted easily by prefects without verifying if the protection measures for herds have been correctly and effectively implemented. Contrary to these killings, One Voice does not understand why this legal minimum has never been respected!

In fact, no study proves that killing wolves will reduce their impact on herds. It is the opposite even! Scientific research led in the state of Michigan published in 2018 concluded that shots on wolves could give rise to a false impression of declining predation. The situation could even get worse with the pack, destabilised by the loss of a member, operating in a disorganised manner.

One Voice taking legal action for the wolves

By definition, the shots must in theory remain exceptional since this is a derogation from the protection of wolves. However, prefectural decrees are copied and pasted, thus the justifications are often vague and stereotypical. On 27 January 2023, 2436 authorisations for slaughter are therefore in force, to kill… 174 wolves.

To put an end to this persecution, One Voice rallies before judges: firstly, for several years in a row at the State Council by requesting the cancellation of ministerial decrees fixing the conditions and the number of wolves that can be slaughtered, then before various administrative tribunals to get the decrees allowing lethal shots cancelled.

Despite our arguments being listened to by the Alpes-Maritimes Administrative Tribunal who cancelled the decree, for now, the others refuse to recognise the urgency in protecting wolves…

On 27 January 2023, two wolves had already been killed (including one being poached) according to official figures. These figures must nevertheless be interpreted with caution. As the chart has not been updated for a month, it is very likely that this sordid toll is higher in reality…

One Voice is rallying for them throughout the entire month of March. Our activists will therefore be in Saint-Maime on 5 March; on Saturday 11 March in Manosque and Nantes; but also in La Rochelle, Lyon, and Paris where they will expand the theme to include hunting; in Besançon, points of contact from the activist branches in Haute-Marne and Savoie/Haute-Savoie are joining up in a collective procession with the Pôle Grands Prédateurs and the Collectif Loup Massif du Jura; on 18 February, this will be happening in Lille, Nice, Troyes, Angers, and the following day in Bordeaux. Finally, our action will end on 25 March with on the ground action in Aix-en-Provence and Langres.

The details to date are below. It is possible that new towns will join the movement, for example Caen and Tours. National action listing all participating local One Voice activist branches. Be sure to check before going to the location as events may be changed up until the last minute.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice