After half a century, wolves in Europe may lose their protection. What will happen next?

This week marks the potential end of 45 years of strict protection for gray wolves in Europe. The European Commission is proposing to move wolves from Appendix II (strictly protected) to Appendix III (protected) of the Bern Convention, reports BBC.

This change is expected to eliminate many of the safety measures that have previously allowed these animals to thrive in Europe. In fact, if wolves lose their protection, each EU country will be able to set its own annual quota for wolf culling.

Statistics indicate that the population of gray wolves in Europe has nearly doubled over the past 12 years: in 2012, their numbers were around 11,000, and today they are close to 20,000. Unfortunately, scientists also believe that wolves cause too much harm to livestock.

At the same time, wildlife advocates argue that improving livestock protection methods would actually be more effective. For instance, the introduction of more trained herding dogs is suggested. According to animal rights activists, wolves also help control the populations of deer and wild boar, which cause significant damage to trees and crops, and they prevent the spread of diseases by preying on infected animals.

Recently, wildlife experts gathered in the town of Băile Tușnad to discuss large carnivores. Most of them, though not all, oppose hunting wolves and bears. Biologist Michal Haring from Slovakia stated that African swine fever is spreading across Europe, while wolves serve as a deterrent to the spread of the disease, as they cannot become infected but can prey on sick animals.

Another argument against wolf culling is that they hunt in packs of five to eight individuals, typically a pair and their offspring. If older wolves are culled, the pack disbands, making it more difficult for them to catch deer and wild boar.

Activists also point to a 2023 EU report stating that only about 50,000 out of 68 million sheep and goats in Europe die each year at the hands of wolves — just 0.065% of the total. In simple terms, the actual impact of wolves on livestock is "very minimal." Furthermore, it notes that there have been no recorded fatal wolf attacks on humans in the past 40 years.

At the same time, scientists acknowledge that if individual wolves or packs begin to kill too much livestock or show aggression towards humans, governments will have to take measures to control the predators.