To defend wolves, FNE Ain and One Voice appeal to the administrative judge in Lyon on June 10
In the Ain department, where wolves have only just re-established themselves, a few months ago, a birth was observed for the first time in 100 years! Instead of rejoicing in the return of this species, so important for biodiversity, the prefecture is starting to hand out permits to kill. A decree issued on May 6 authorizes the farmers from one farm to shoot wolves. Before this, unsurprisingly, nothing had been done to protect the herd in question. Electric parks have since been installed, but not efficiently. This is why we have decided, alongside our partner FNE Ain, to lodge an appeal to request the urgent suspension of the decree. An initial hearing has been set for June 10 at 10:30 am at the Lyon Administrative Court.
Update as of June 5, 16:25: Victory by forfeit for FNE Ain and One Voice!
The contested decree has been repealed by the prefecture, even before the hearing scheduled for June 10!
We are continuing to fight for a total halt to wolf shooting. In the meantime, the State has a duty to comply with regulations, and cannot hand out shooting permits when flocks are not properly protected.
We remain vigilant to ensure that a new decree is not published in the coming weeks.
Fewer wolves, but still more shooting
As we learned last week, the wolf population has fallen by 9% in one year, from 1,096 in 2022 to 1,003 in 2023. This is hardly surprising, given that the slaughter quota increases year after year. Although this species is strictly protected, it can be the subject of numerous derogations, authorizing its killing throughout the year, even during the breeding and cub-rearing periods.
Effective protection : a sine qua non
On the farm in question, electric fencing has been installed. But the photographs in our possession show a completely different reality: on some plots, the fences are not fitted with electricity; while on others, if they are on, they are in places badly stretched, inclined or lying on the ground. An animal as agile as a wolf will have no difficulty in jumping or slipping through. And yet, to benefit from a shooting authorization, farmers must have installed effective and proportionate protection measures. This is clearly not the case here. In the press, the people concerned are shouting loud and clear that they don’t want to cohabit with wolves.
On June 10, we will be present at the Lyon administrative court to defend the wolves alongside FNE Ain and request the emergency suspension of this decree, pending its definitive annulment. Join our fight and sign our petition to demand real protection for wolves.