Press release from Swedish Wildlife Association, regarding the January slaughter of wolves

Please excuse the not so acurate translation, article has been google-translated.

Wolf Slaughter in January - a black stain in the history of coservation!

Many people have reacted strongly, and with strong disgust at the mass hunting of wolves as recently witnessed by the media, "said Swedish Wildlife Association.

The hunt, which, according to Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren's constantly repeated mantra would be "limited and strictly controlled" meant in reality that thousands of hunters, both injured animals and shot over the allocated quota of over 10% of the population. The current situation is unclear how many wolves were actually taken down.

Swedish Wildlife Association has never received so many responses from so many people from such diverse places of accommodation and professions, as now, when when it went up to the Swedish people that the government opened the doors of the mass hunting of Sweden's few wolves. We quickly got over 10 000 signatures in protest against the hunt, "says Ann Dahlerus, general secretary of the Swedish Society for Predators. - Alliance has had such a rush to honor the 2006 election promise on the hunting of wolves for the election year of 2010 that the proper preparation, which was the least we could claim for the controversy over hunting was stress on the foot.

Neither the Environmental Protection Agency or the county administrative boards have been given time to ensure that the hunt was held in such strictly controlled conditions as the situation requires, "says Krister Persson, chairman of the Swedish Society for Predators.

Ultimately responsible for hunting are the two decisive Center Party ministers Andreas Carlgen and Eskil Erlandsson, who with cloudy argument advocating for the hunt as if it would be basically a good thing for the wolf population. The Minister has in several media elements claimed that the purpose of hunting is to shoot animals that suffer from genetic defects, presumably in order to get the search to be "humane" and forward looking. - He speaks in good faith. Wolves have been shot indiscriminately and there was no plan to target your hunt for specific animals. In addition, there are no opportunities to identify a wolf who might suffer some genetic damage, which is hopefully only a few animals do so far. Perfectly healthy wolves were shot.

To cull by more than 10% of the wolf population is obviously not an acceptable strategy to maintain a small and highly isolated wolf population, "said Ann Dahlerus.

The most urgent measures is to allow the wolf population grow until it becomes larger and more stable and allowing the wolf-ups even in the north where they are now banned. Genetic connect naturally with the Finnish-Russian population is essential for the wolf population long-term survival, "says Krister Persson.

Judging from the responses received to the Swedish Association of Predators in recent days, many people find it absurd that the hunting of a critically endangered wolf population is released to thousands of hunters at the same time and takes place in forms resembling a pure joy of hunting!

It seems that there among the hunting comunity, there was a real excitement about the wolf hunt, and reporting from diferent locations gives the impression that wolf hunting is seen as a real highlight. In light of the predators hostile sentiments contained within a small but combative segments within the hunting core have surely demands that stand in 25 degrees below zero was significant, "says Anders Ekholm, regional manager for the Swedish Association Predators within the county.

The association now expects the authorities to thoroughly evaluate how the hunt was organized and put into practice in parallel with a rapid assessment of the impact on wolf population. What animals were shot? Including information on descendants of immigrants and how is the current situation for surviving puppies in turf where the parent stock was shot?

For more information contact:
Ann Dahlerus, Secretary General of Swedish Predators' Association, tel 0768-500 653rd

Krister Persson, President of Swedish Association Predators, tel 070-643 88 69th


Anders Ekholm, regional manager Gävleborg Swedish Predators Association, phone 026-29 51 10, 070-651 56 32nd

Download the press release via the link below:
http://www.rovdjur.se/pag, 01,1,96,97,463. html

Read the article in Swedish: http://www.rovdjur.se/shi,11,1,1464.html

Also, please read: "Wolf hunting - Scandal in Swedish Conservation" (Vargjakten scandal i Svensk naturvard")

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