The Popular Party has managed to carry out in Congress an amendment to the bill against food waste that Subjeage the protection of the Iberian wolf. The disposition – which also has the support of Vox, PNV and Juns – allows to exclude the lupine populations of the north of the Duero from the list of species in special protection regime (Lespre). The ultimate goal of extending the exemption to the south of the river throughout the year and, thus, to return the management of this predator to the autonomous communities.
For environmental groups, the popular maneuver “sneaks” a legal modification “by the back door” and “unprotected” to the wolf. Meanwhile, the PP defends the measure and argues that “wildlife attacks” have caused The death of about 6,000 cattle in the last year And this has generated a waste of approximately “four million kilos of meat” in Spain.
This reasoning acts, in reality, to what for the popular is the substantive issue: in recent years, the increase in these populations has meant a “growing problem” for farmers, especially in the most “wolf” regions, such as Castilla y León, Galicia and Asturias. The thesis of the PP is that attacks on cattle have increased Since, in 2021, the wolf was included at the national level in the LESPRE, generating economic losses in local livestock.
“Since the wolf was shielded throughout Spain, there are 71 more herds in our country,” said Milagros Marcos, deputy of the PP, during the debate in Congress. «What we have to do is responsible management; Do not choose between the wolf and livestock, ”he added.
Thus, the modification will allow regional executives “to intervene strictly and technically on the canid.” That is, perform population controls through hunting management plans. In Cantabria, in fact, the Ministry of Environment has already announced “extractions” (that is, hunting) of about 40 copies a year.
But the truth is that there is great disparity in population data and wolf attacks that autonomic executives and ministry handle. That’s why, Luis Suárez, WWF Conservation Directorhe points out that «one of the things we ask from the organization, is clarity in damage data and the number of wolvesas well as traceability in the 20 million euros that, since 2022, are allocated so that communities with the presence of the predator allocate to their management, since it has been impossible to trace what they are invested ».
Suarez points out that «It is difficult to argue that the attacks of wolf have increased in four years And, assuming the general data and those provided by official agencies of the CCAA, there has not been that population rebound that justifies that the damage has increased. What we do know is that there has been an increase of less than 8% of wolf population in 10 years, which warns us of a stagnation ».
The reaction of environmentalists
The organizations Ecologists have strongly criticized Congress’ decisionwarning that it is “a serious setback” in the conservation of the Iberian wolf. They remember that the inclusion of the wolf in the Lespre three years ago was a measure based on scientific criteria and the need to guarantee the survival of the species that “in the Iberian Peninsula, continues in an unfavorable state of conservation, according to the regulations,” analyzes the biologist.
The recess of protection is expected to expand below the Duero when The European Commission modifies wolf prevention statusmeasure that may have been approved before summer. From there, environmentalists have few ways left to exhaust: “We will try to make the species again in the Lespre, because they have stolen that debate,” says Suárez.
For now, they will try to promote «coexistence measures to support livestockas aid to buy and maintain mastiff dogs, fence to protect cattle or support for hiring shepherds at night. They will also maintain “surveillance” before the intention of the CCAA to resume the “population controls through hunting.”