Dear European Commission,  

I am writing in regard to the Commission’s invitation to submit up-to-date data on wolf populations and their impact. 

Personally, I strongly advise against weakening the protection of wolves in the European Union and in Sweden in particular.

A weakening of the protection would have a vastly detrimental effect on nature preservation in the Union and could very well lead to the extinction of the already fragile wolf population in Sweden. 

I call for the Commission to proceed with the ongoing infringement case concerning Swedish wolf management. This year, Swedish authorities decided to allow the hunting of 75 wolves. A record-breaking 57 wolves were shot – more than 12 per cent of the population. This is terrible and an evident transgression of the strict protection in the Habitats Directive. There is thus a strong reason for the Commission to bring the infringement case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.  

Facts clearly show that the growing populations of wolves in Europe and Sweden is a predominantly very positive development. As an apex predator, wolves are important for the functioning of ecosystems and worth a continued strong protection. 

Non-Swedish academic experts in a governmental panel found that the Swedish wolf population should reach 600 wolves to fulfil the criteria of ecological viability (see ‘Joint Statement’). Despite this, the Swedish Environment Protection Agency used this statement as the scientific foundation for a Favourable Reference Population of only 300 wolves: https://www.naturvardsverket.se/globalassets/amnen/jakt-vilt/bilder/ru-utreda-gynnsam-bevarandestatus-varg.pdf This does not make much sense.

The damage caused by wolves on domestic animals in Sweden is comparatively low and has stabilized over time. Wolf predation on sheep, the most common damage to domestic animals in Sweden, was limited to 250 sheep in 2022; less than a tenth of a percent yearly. https://www.slu.se/globalassets/ew/org/centrb/vsc/vsc-dokument/vsc-publikationer/rapporter/viltskadestatistikrapporter/viltskadestatistik-2022.pdf 

Furthermore, a vast majority of Sweden’s citizens are in favor of wolves in Sweden (69 percent) and few are in opposition (12 per cent). https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/25129/1/dressel_s_et_al_210827.pdf 

To conclude, I strongly urge the Commission to take action to protect Europe’s valuable wolves, and not weaken the necessary protection. Wolves are a net plus for the local ecosystem where they live.

Best regards,

Elin Bjurvald
Spånga