Organisations Warn of Serious Consequences of Decree Allowing Wolf Hunting

Bratislava, 1 January (TASR) - The decree allowing wolf hunting in Slovakia as of January 1 is a step that isn't based on expert arguments and raises serious concerns about the future of the endangered wolf population, stated experts from Aevis, 'We Are Forest' and WWF Slovakia, Ivana Kohutkova of Aevis told TASR on Wednesday, adding that the organisations express their fundamental disagreement with the decree and warn of serious consequences for Slovak nature. "Today marks the beginning of a massacre by the Environment Ministry that serves only the interests of a select few. This move is in no way about the protection of nature, farmers or people, but about the abuse of power and the promotion of hunting interests," said Aevis head Rastislav Micanik. According to the experts, the approval of the decree removed the wolf from the list of protected animals and hunters can hunt it as part of their normal activities. The organisations consider this move by the Environment Ministry to be a professional deficit that doesn't take into account systemic solutions or the needs of nature conservation and endangers the wolf population in Slovakia and Europe. "The ministry, which is supposed to protect nature, has once again turned its back on it. It has ignored the appeals of dozens of leading Slovak scientists and nature conservation experts, questioned the credibility of studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and allowed hunting regardless of the fact that no economic benefits have been demonstrated," emphasised WWF Slovakia expert Katarina Butkovska. A new decree allowing wolf hunting in Slovakia has come into force on January 1. In the 2025 season hunting will be allowed until January 15 and the quota for this season is set at 74 individuals. "Although it's likely that the quota won't be used up in this short period of time, from the next season onwards, hunting will take place during the entire permitted period," stated the Environment Ministry, adding that the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry sets the quotas. am/mcs