Wolf downgrading: relief for farmers in the face of predation

As in Saint-Beauzély last July, the wolf was photographed several times in Aveyron. OFB

The Bern Convention approved a downgrading of the wolf's protection status. A “just satisfaction” for the president of the association Cercle 12 Mélanie Brunet, who has been campaigning for 8 years for better regulation of the predator in Aveyron.

Meeting in Strasbourg, the 49 Member States gave their green light by approving, on Tuesday 3 December, a downgrading of the wolf's protection status, which will go from “strictly protected” to “protected”. What is your reaction? ?

As outdoor breeders who are constantly being attacked and as an association that has existed for eight years, we can only be delighted. This downgrading is one of our first demands and was the theme of a European gathering that we organised in Isère two years ago, where 12 European countries were represented. We are therefore very satisfied because society now recognises our status as victims of wolves. This is an important step that finally demonstrates an awareness at the international level of the extent of the danger that wolves represent for livestock, and potentially for humans.

What is the timetable ?

We still have to wait about three months for this reduction in protection to be reflected in the Habitats Directive. The French government also needs to amend the Wolf Plan to review the shooting protocol and change the rules that allow farmers to defend themselves more effectively against attacks on their herds.

Concretely, what do you expect from it ?

We don't have all the details yet, but what we can say is that today, authorized shootings are authorized by exemption under very strict conditions. Conditions that will now be relaxed. Currently, a defensive shot is limited to exploited areas where damage has been observed. With the new rules, it could be possible to intervene preventively, even in the absence of herds. We will no longer be forced to be frozen in a single position and wait for the wolf to pass in front of the rifle as is the case today.

What does that change?

Everything. Since April, on the Larzac, wolf hunters have been trying unsuccessfully to capture a wolf responsible for more than 150 victims. This is to say all the difficulty of sampling shots. By relaxing the shooting rules, we facilitate the sampling conditions.

Other means of protection exist

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Yes, but they are ineffective in the long term. An example: between 2005 and 2015 in the Hautes-Alpes, we massively developed these means of protection: nets, protection dogs. At the same time, predation was multiplied by 4… So when we only activate this single component, the packs develop, increase and predation can only increase. The wolf observes, adapts. To protect a herd, we would need as many protection dogs as wolves. This is not sustainable and it poses a real problem for sharing the uses of nature, particularly with hikers.

However, associations believe that these levies will have no positive impact on livestock. At the forefront of the pro-wolf fight, the FERUS association believes that the death of a dominant animal can “disrupt the pack” and increase aggressiveness and “attacks on herds”.

This argument is false. Field observations, particularly in the Alps, show that targeted culling temporarily reduces attacks, offering a respite to farmers. It is also the only way to reduce the number of wolves that must once again become afraid of approaching human activities.

According to the OFB, however, the number of wolves in France in 2023 is estimated at between 1,000 and 1,100 individuals, down over one year.

This is a complete underestimate. Several examples demonstrate this. At the end of 2019, the Drôme hunting federation estimated the number of wolves in the department at 90, compared to 38 for the National Office for Biodiversity (OFB). But five years later, the OFB has acknowledged that there are now between 200 and 300 wolves in the Drôme. If there are already between 200 and 300 in this department alone, I don’t see how there can only be 1,000 in France…

In Aveyron ?

It is very difficult to know. I cannot give figures but what we do know is that in Aveyron we have already had more than 210 victims since the beginning of the year. We also know that, in France, the number of livestock victims of wolves is increasing in 2024 compared to 2023. Our objective is therefore to drastically reduce this number which is between 11,000 and 12,000 victims per year so that farmers and their families can regain the peace of mind to which they are entitled.

We know the subject is very inflammatory between pro and anti-wolf. Aren't you afraid of cutting yourself off from the public that may consider this project dangerous for biodiversity and wildlife ?

We remain confident, because our goal is not to eradicate wolves, but to better protect our herds. We have existed for eight years and we have never had any problems. Understand that we are not against wolves but we have always said that we wanted to protect our herds, to take those that attack us. If they did not make themselves noticed in our farms and were content with wild animals, there would be no problems. And frankly, public opinion is largely understanding when we give them the real figures and they measure the reality on the ground.