IUCN group sharply criticizes Federal Council over wolf culls
Published: Saturday, Nov 25th 2023, 01:20
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The Canid Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has sharply criticized the Federal Council for the planned culling of entire wolf packs. The procedure is unscientific and disregards the will of the people and the Bern Convention, the group wrote in a letter.
The letter to the Federal Council, dated last Tuesday, states that the aim must be to regulate the wolf population on the basis of science. This means healthy animals in stable packs that inhabit stable territories. However, the killing of wolves leads to packs breaking up and more conflicts. The fact that wolves become more timid as a result of being shot is unproven and misleading.
The reduction to 12 wolf packs is far below the minimum for a healthy population of around 20 packs, according to the expert group. The animals would not continue to reproduce, but would regulate themselves. Switzerland must give itself more time to learn how to deal with wolves again.
Switzerland also has a responsibility as part of the territory of the Alpine wolf population, which extends beyond the national border. Regulation must be carried out in consultation with neighboring countries and in consideration of the entire wolf population in the Alpine region.
Important function in the ecosystem
As the largest predator at the top of the food chain, wolves fulfill an important and missing function in Swiss nature, the expert group wrote. Their regulation of the game population leads to a healthier and more resilient ecosystem, for example by killing red deer and thus curbing game browsing in the forest.
With the relaxation of wolf protection in Switzerland, wolves can now be shot before they have caused any damage. This affects not only individual animals, but entire packs. The Federal Council approved the amendment to the Hunting Ordinance at the beginning of November. The revised federal law comes into force on December 1. Wolf shooting is permitted until January 31.
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