No safe haven for Norway’s wolves
Copyright 2001 WWF
December 27, 2001
Norwegian hunters are currently preparing to commence with the next phase of the country’s carnivore extermination scheme – the culling of the Koppang wolf pack. Killing of the family group, believed to consist of 11 individuals, is likely to start in January. The Norwegian authorities have confirmed that they will not issue any warning before they load their shotguns and start their helicopters, claiming last winter’s licences still apply.
The largest of Norway’s three remaining families of wolves are not alone in facing the gun this winter. The vulnerable southern Norwegian population of wolverines will also be under pressure from hunters. Last winter the population was estimated at 55 animals, of these nine adult animals have already been shot. In addition, nine cubs were killed in their dens, by revolvers. Another nine are scheduled to be killed before the hunting season expires at the end of March 2002.
Norwegian authorities’ motivation for culling these threatened species, are the fear of attacks on people and their economical impact on sheep farmer’s income, but there have not been any registered wolf attacks on people in Norway for more than 150 years and none by wolverines, ever.
A new report by WWF-Norway shows that the average Norwegian sheep farmer earns less than 20% of their income from sheep farming. It also shows that the total value of Norway’s annual sheep production is £55m (NOK 700m), while the country’s government annually subsidises this production to the tune of £126m (NOK 1.6 Bn). This means Norway is willing to accept an annual loss of £71m (NOK 900m) subsidising the sheep industry, but cannot afford the £6.5m (NOK 82m) cost per year to maintain a sustainable level of carnivores within its borders, protective measures and farmer compensation included.
WWF calls on the Norwegian Government to live up to its responsibility as manager of two of Europe’s most valuable carnivore populations and stops both the planned and the ongoing carnivore cull.
For more information:
Anita Neville, tel: 07768 721 170, email: aneville@wwf.org.uk
Rasmus Hansson, Chief Executive Officer- WWF-Norway
tel: 0047 9068 6313, 0047 2203 6514, email: rhansson@wwf.no