When the Wolf Lurks: Losses and Challenges in Rural Life
Extinction or Expansion?
The numbers speak for themselves. In 2024, France recorded more than 12,241 wolf attacks, a 4.6% increase from the previous year. Spain was not far behind, with an estimated 11,500 attacks on livestock. In Galicia, one of the most affected regions in Europe, 1,600 wolf attacks in 2023 resulted in 3,000 animals killed. These figures highlight an unsustainable reality for Galician and European livestock farmers, who see their work, effort, and livelihoods constantly threatened.
For families who depend on livestock farming, each attack not only entails economic loss but also an emotional blow. Farmers do not just produce food; they represent the soul of rural Europe. However, they are the ones paying the price for policies that, although originally intended to protect an endangered species, have become a burden on the primary sector.
From Ideology to Common Sense
The issue is not wolf conservation but the disconnection of policies regulating its management. The European Union’s Habitats Directive of 1992, and the Bern Convention of 1979, established strict protection for the wolf when it was on the brink of extinction. But reality has changed: today, the wolf population has grown exponentially, and in many regions, such as northwest Spain or the Balkans, the species is no longer endangered.
Thanks to an initiative by the European People's Party in 2022, the European Parliament urged the Commission to review the Habitats Directive to facilitate coexistence between wolves and livestock farming. To do this, it was first necessary to amend the Bern Convention, as this international treaty, to which the European Union belongs, takes precedence over European regulations.
Finally, after an extensive debate process, last December culminated in the historic decision by the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention to reclassify the wolf, changing its status from a "strictly protected species" to a "protected species." This small change, which will take effect on March 7, 2025, is not just about removing a word; it means reducing the wolf’s protection and paving the way for modifying the Habitats Directive, granting countries greater flexibility to adapt their conservation plans.
However, not everyone has supported this change. Spain, along with Ireland, voted against the modification in the Council of Europe, once again demonstrating the socialist government’s disconnection from the needs of rural communities. This stance, more ideological than practical, ignores the real damage that current policies are causing to our farmers.
Now, the European Commission must decide how to adapt the Habitats Directive to reflect this new reality. Several options are being considered: a complete reform of the directive, which could include changes in the protection of other species, or a delegated act by the Commission to directly modify the annex where the wolf is classified. However, for this latter option to be viable, the European Parliament must first grant the Commission the prerogative to make such a modification without a broader legislative reform.
The Case of Galicia: A Model of Sustainable Coexistence
Galicia, a region in northwest Spain, is at the epicenter of the debate. Beyond the European and international framework, the wolf has a third layer of protection at the national level, as it is included in the List of Wild Species under Special Protection Regime (LESRPE), a classification that the Xunta, the Galician government, demands to be removed, arguing that it does not reflect the reality of the territory. At the end of the day, this national legislation is the obstacle preventing any real change.
In response to conflicts between wolf conservation and livestock farming, Galicia’s government has designed an approach that prioritizes prevention and compensation for damages. By 2025, more than 2 million euros will be allocated for the installation of fences, acquisition of shepherd dogs, and the hiring of livestock caretakers. In addition, compensation will be provided to affected producers in an effort to balance biodiversity protection with the viability of the primary sector.
A Call to Action
In Galicia, we know better than anyone what it means to coexist with wolves. Here, we are not talking about theories or grand speeches that sound good in offices; we are talking about realities. Realities like that of the farmer who loses his animals and feels abandoned in the face of rigid regulations that do not reflect the current situation. The change approved by the Bern Committee is an important first step, but it will not be enough until the Habitats Directive is modified.
Europe has a responsibility to adjust its policies to what is happening on the ground. It is not about choosing between biodiversity and livestock farming, but about ensuring that both can coexist. It is time to listen to those who live and work in rural areas because they are the ones who best understand how to protect their land and their way of life.