Why is Ursula von der Leyen declaring War on the Wolf? Yesterday, European bureaucrats started pushing for wolves to once again be hunted across Europe.
According to Ursula von der Leyen: “The concentration of wolf packs in some European regions has become a real danger especially for livestock”.
Is that really the truth?
To make these claims, von der Leyen & her team commissioned “In-depth Analysis” report (see comments for refs).
von der Leyen & her farming lobbyists probably think that most won't bother to look into this 109 page report.
So, how about we do some digging to learn the facts?
Following the wolves’ near-disappearance across Europe in the 19th century, in 2023, 20,303 wolves are now alive across 23 countries!
Italia has 3307, Romania has 3003, Spain has 2107, Poland 1886, etc.
So, what damage do these 20,303 wolves cause in Europe?
Wolves take 65,501 heads of livestock in the EU every year - 72.9% are sheep & goats.
Okay, so what does that impact amount to?
Well, the very report Ursula commissioned admits that:
“On a large scale, the impact of wolves on livestock in the EU is very small. Considering that there are 60 million sheep in the EU, the level of sheep depredation by wolves represents an annual taking of 0.065%”
0.065%.
0.065%.
0.065%.
Ursula von der Leyen, are you serious?
Okay, so what do European rural residents think?
In a 2023 survey, 68% of rural folks say that the wolf should be strictly protected & 72% agree that wolves have a right to co-exist.
Right, so what about farmers’ livelihoods?
Farmers are fully compensated by the EU for all damages caused by protected animals, like wolves. They are also fully reimbursed by the EU for all investment costs for all preventative measures.
By the way, did you know that EU farmers are already paid €41 billion per year by EU subsidies thanks to EU taxpayers?
Anyway, wolf damages in the EU total €19M yearly. And that’s for 10 million farms across the EU.
How much could wildlife tourism generate for the EU countryside?
Well, in 2005, the USA’s Yellowstone National Park - where the wolf is so famous – attracted 94,000 out-of-state visitors generating €32M in income (not adjusted for inflation). So, imagine the remarkable potential?
Thanks to the 1979 Bern Convention, wolves in Europe have been able to slowly recover their populations, why do bureaucrats want to dismantle that progress?
If you believe that the EU’s bureaucrats are WRONG and that these 20,303 Wondrous Wolves deserve a chance to live by our side, share this post to share the message across Europe.
Image credit: the FT.
#conservation #nature #sustainability
According to Ursula von der Leyen: “The concentration of wolf packs in some European regions has become a real danger especially for livestock”.
Is that really the truth?
To make these claims, von der Leyen & her team commissioned “In-depth Analysis” report (see comments for refs).
von der Leyen & her farming lobbyists probably think that most won't bother to look into this 109 page report.
So, how about we do some digging to learn the facts?
Following the wolves’ near-disappearance across Europe in the 19th century, in 2023, 20,303 wolves are now alive across 23 countries!
Italia has 3307, Romania has 3003, Spain has 2107, Poland 1886, etc.
So, what damage do these 20,303 wolves cause in Europe?
Wolves take 65,501 heads of livestock in the EU every year - 72.9% are sheep & goats.
Okay, so what does that impact amount to?
Well, the very report Ursula commissioned admits that:
“On a large scale, the impact of wolves on livestock in the EU is very small. Considering that there are 60 million sheep in the EU, the level of sheep depredation by wolves represents an annual taking of 0.065%”
0.065%.
0.065%.
0.065%.
Ursula von der Leyen, are you serious?
Okay, so what do European rural residents think?
In a 2023 survey, 68% of rural folks say that the wolf should be strictly protected & 72% agree that wolves have a right to co-exist.
Right, so what about farmers’ livelihoods?
Farmers are fully compensated by the EU for all damages caused by protected animals, like wolves. They are also fully reimbursed by the EU for all investment costs for all preventative measures.
By the way, did you know that EU farmers are already paid €41 billion per year by EU subsidies thanks to EU taxpayers?
Anyway, wolf damages in the EU total €19M yearly. And that’s for 10 million farms across the EU.
How much could wildlife tourism generate for the EU countryside?
Well, in 2005, the USA’s Yellowstone National Park - where the wolf is so famous – attracted 94,000 out-of-state visitors generating €32M in income (not adjusted for inflation). So, imagine the remarkable potential?
Thanks to the 1979 Bern Convention, wolves in Europe have been able to slowly recover their populations, why do bureaucrats want to dismantle that progress?
If you believe that the EU’s bureaucrats are WRONG and that these 20,303 Wondrous Wolves deserve a chance to live by our side, share this post to share the message across Europe.
Image credit: the FT.
#conservation #nature #sustainability
