Spanish farmers fear that new protections for wolves will lead to livestock deaths
Farmers groups in Spain have condemned the government’s move to declare the Iberian wolf a protected species, saying that a nationwide hunting ban would lead to more attacks on livestock.
8 February 2021
1 minute read
In a nation already used to passionate debate over bull-fighting, the Environment Ministry ruled on 4 February that protections for wolves in the south would extend north of the Douro river, where controlled hunting had still been allowed.
Reuters reports that the ministry stressed the cultural and scientific importance of the species, and their value to maintaining ecosystems. Spain is home to an estimated 1,500-2,000 Iberian wolves, with 90 percent in the northern regions of Castile and Leon, Asturias and Galicia.
But agricultural union UPA said a recent rebound in the wolf population had brought more attacks on cattle and accused Environment Minister Teresa Ribera of ignoring farmers' needs.
"It is we livestock farmers who are in danger of extinction," it said.
Farmers and environmentalists have repeatedly clashed over campaigns to bolster populations of apex predators like the brown bear and the Iberian lynx, particularly in Spain's mountainous north, which is home to extensive sheep herds.
Conservation group Ecologists in Action praised the new protections and urged authorities to work with farmers on ways to protect cattle without harming wolves.
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Source: Reuters
