[Updated 12/5/12 with a note to my readers in Sweden.]
Now that we know cowboys are an endangered species here in the American west, maybe we should think about how some of the indigenous people around the globe are also being negatively affected by rapidly expanding wolf populations and top down political control.
The Sami, or “Saami” people are an indigenous tribe native to northern Scandinavia. The Sami people raise and sell reindeer meat for human consumption. Not surprisingly, the Sami were adamantly opposed to allowing wolves to re-colonize Scandinavia. In Sweden, Sami opposition was somewhat mollified when the government proposed a limited wolf hunting season in 2010. This decision ignited a howl of protest from environmental groups. “Save the Wolves – Shoot the Saami!” quickly became a popular mantra in old world coffee houses.
In 2011, the European Union filed legal proceedings against Sweden for failing to follow the environmental dictates of the Union which require total protection of wolves.
“The Swedish authorities’ actions give me few other options than to propose to the EU Commission to start a formal proceeding against Sweden for breaching the E.U.’s environmental laws,” says Janez Potocnik – EU Commisioner for the Environment. [1]
“The noose is tightening around Sweden,” said Mikael Karlsson, the head of Sweden’s Association for the Protection of Nature. [2]
The mere threat of heavy fines and crippling sanctions was enough for the Swedish government to cancel wolf hunting. [3]
Unlike the spineless Swedes, the Finish government stood up for its reindeer industry and won a similar challenge brought by the E.U. against that country’s proposed wolf hunting season. The reindeer husbandry business in Finland covers over one-third of the total land area of the country. The Finlanders went toe to toe with the ruling elite in order to protect the rights of its citizens. The Finns argued that lethal wolf management via an established and well regulated hunting season was absolutely essential to insuring the protection of reindeer herds and the continued economic sustainability of the industry. Unfortunately, the notable victory the Finns achieved may turn out to be short lived as environmental groups continue working through the E.U. to find new ways to enforce rewilding dictates.
The unprecedented explosion of the wolf population across Europe has ignited a backlash from sheep and other livestock producers all across the continent. Here’s a few brief quotes from articles dated between 2007 and 2011 that document the rapid expansion of wolves in Europe and the growing frustration among rural people. Click each link to read the entire article.
Wolves return to Italy:
“There are now (2007) between 500 and 1,000 wolves living in Italy.”
“However, the problems start when wolves return to an area after decades, and the ability to coexist has been forgotten.”
http://phys.org/news90260221.html(Note: Since the article was written, the population of wolves in Italy has doubled to approximately 2000 animals.)
Wolves return to Germany:
“The return of the wolf to all of Germany, said Professor Beata Jessel, head of Germany’s Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, is now “unstoppable”.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8855821/Wolves-thriving-in-Germany.html
“A German village is in mourning after a wolf broke into an enclosure and slaughtered 13 much-loved pet deer. Experts are urging farmers to protect their livestock better because the wolf population is set to keep increasing…”
Wolves return to Spain:
“Ecologists are cheering their presence. But the animals are now making unusually bold forays towards towns and cities.”
Wolves return to France:
“The wolf, pursuing its lightning re-conquest of France, has reached the Vosges Mountains on the Alsace-Lorraine border for the first time in 80 years.”
“After two decades of pro- and anti-wolf battles between nature-lovers, shepherds and politicians, even some supporters of the grey wolf (Canis lupus) are growing alarmed by the rapid progress of the world largest wild canine through the French countryside.”
“The wolf is no longer an endangered species”.
“The shepherds and their flocks are the endangered species.”
http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/Wolves-terrorise-shepherds-in-France-20110728
“French authorities say they have issued a rare wolf-hunting license after an attack on a mountain herd left more than 70 sheep dead.”
“In the attack on a flock of about 1,500 sheep last week by a suspected lone wolf, 10 were killed outright and 62 were killed when they went over a cliff as the herd stampeded in panic.”
Wolves return to Switzerland:
“Fifteen sheep were killed in an attack in the Dix Valley in canton Valais last weekend. The flock was in an enclosure and watched over by two mountain dogs and a donkey.”
“We have a feeling of powerlessness.”
“No one suspected that there was a wolf in the area. We took all the preventive measures and it still attacks. It’s hard to know what we can improve.”
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/Home/Archive/Living_with_the_big_bad_alpine_wolf.html?cid=980198
Making room for wolves in the Netherlands:
“People are leaving the countryside for the cities and the countryside is emptying out.”
“The emptiness and the peace and quiet, combined with sufficient prey and cover is an ideal habitat for the wolf.”
And here’s a good one…. wolves in Scotland? William Wallace is turning over in his grave!
“One of Scotland’s wealthiest landowners has called for wolves and wild lynx to be reintroduced…”
A note to my readers in Sweden:
Om du är svenska och läser detta, välkommen. Självklart om du står upp mot vargen återkolonisering av ditt eget land, än du inte är ryggradslös. Vi här i Amerika står inför samma frågor, och jag försöker hjälpa mina landsmän att förstå riskerna med att låta vår regering tvingar oss att leva med vargar. Vi som kämpar den gröna draken är bröder och systrar i armar. Jag använde Google Translate för att lämna detta meddelande till dig.
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Thanks for quoting from my article and linking to my blog. Anything to spread the word.
France seeks experienced wolf hunters….
http://www.english.rfi.fr/visiting-france/20130710-france-seeks-wolf-hunters-north-america
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2361758/The-wolfs-door-Killer-beasts-roaming-Western-Europe-time-100-years-sparking-fears-soon-arrive-Britain.html
Wolfs are harmless to humans. They avoid them. They do poise a threat to livestock yes but that doesn’t matter. Before farmland, the land would have been home for Wolves. We are the problem, not wolves.
*They avoid us.
Christopher,
You state your opinion as if it were fact. It’s not. Of course wolves kill humans. Accounts from all over the world, both in historical archives and recent/current media accounts, document countless instances of wolves killing untold numbers of humans. From Alaska to Siberia, Europe, India and Turkey, and most of the former Soviet Republic, you can find first hand and government documented accounts. But then, doing research actually takes some time, while spouting off an opinion only takes seconds.