Switzerland criticised over wolf shootings

From September 1 until the end of January, Swiss cantons are allowed to shoot wolves if they are simply deemed a threat to livestock or people. Keystone-SDA

Switzerland has been slapped on the wrist by the Bern Convention office of the Council of Europe for its wolf policy. It argues preventatively shooting wolves because of “potential damage” is a misinterpretation of this wildlife protection text.

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Only serious damage caused by wolves can lead to shootings, the Bern Convention office recalled in a letter published on Friday.

The Bern Convention is an international law treaty of the Council of Europe that aims to protect wildlife. The Swiss wolf protection association CHWolf filed an appeal with the Bern Convention in December 2023 against Switzerland’s wolf regulation policy. The Bern Convention office considered the complaint in September and issued its decision on Friday.

In its letter, the office also expressed concern about inaccurate monitoring of damage caused by wolves. Switzerland has not yet been condemned. The office will submit the case to the standing committee in December.

Another cause for concern according to the letter is the threshold set by the Swiss government for the number of packs in Switzerland. It is considered “arbitrary”. Added to the possible cumulative effect of a “politically motivated” regulatory policy, this threshold of twelve packs could lead to large-scale culling.

CHWolf’s president, Christina Steiner, also sees a political motivation behind the shootings. Steiner believes that the regulatory policy is not based on scientific grounds.

The legal basis for preventive shootings is part of the revised Hunting Act. It came into force in November 2023 for a limited period. In addition, the office is also concerned about the alleged manipulation of data in order to justify new culls.

It was against these provisions that CHWolf filed a complaint. The government was then given the opportunity to take a position. The federal authorities responded that the proactive regulation of packs was intended to instill fear of humans and their activities in the surviving wolves.

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

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