SadaNews – French Agriculture Minister, Annie Gauvain, stated last night, Friday, that French authorities have allowed the killing of about 200 wolves, as packs of wolves are spreading in agricultural lands and roaming near major cities.
She added that there are slightly over a thousand wolves in France, and the ministry’s departments raised the maximum number of wolves allowed to be killed from 19% to 21%, which is slightly more than 200 wolves, and it could be raised again to 23%.
The Agriculture Minister told a French radio station: “Wolves are causing increasing damage to our livestock farms, putting farmers in a state of stress and severe harm.”
Last year, a heated debate between farmers and animal protection groups over the increasing number of wolves and their attacks on livestock ended with a vote in the European Parliament that supported the farmers’ view.
European lawmakers agreed last May to downgrade the wolf classification from “strictly protected” to “protected,” meaning that EU countries can allow wolf hunting, provided they take measures to prevent these animals from becoming extinct.
The European Commission, which proposed the change, stated that it is based on a comprehensive study and analysis, taking into account that wolf populations are increasing throughout the EU, where their number reached approximately 20,300 wolves in 2023, leading to increased damage to livestock.