Galicia to Revise Wolf Management Plan After Congress Downgrades Protection Status, Addressing Farmer Concerns

Galicia is set to revise its wolf management plan by June, following a decision by the Spanish Congress to lower the protection status of the wolf. This revision aims to balance wolf conservation with the needs of farmers and ranchers, who have reported increased damages to their livestock. The Galician government is considering allowing controlled hunts in areas where wolf attacks on farms are frequent. The decision to revise the plan was approved by the Consello de la Xunta. According to Alfonso Rueda, the Congress's decision corrects a previous error made in 2021 when the wolf was unilaterally included in the List of Wild Species under Special Protection (Lespre) without scientific support. Since 2021, alerts about damages caused by wolves have increased by 77%, and the number of attacked livestock has risen by 57%, averaging ten per day. This has led to increased compensation costs, with the budget for aid rising from an average of €350,000 before 2021 to over €900,000 this year. The Xunta maintains that the wolf population in Galicia is healthy, having grown by 37% in twenty years, with 93 packs distributed across over 90% of the region.