Jaktkritikerna do not care about the countryside

Jaktkritikerna do not care about the rural

Christofer Fjellner (M) in slutreplik on the EUROPEAN commission's proposal on illegal wolf hunting

This is an opinion piece. It is the writer who stands for the views that are put forward in the text, not the newspaper Aftonbladet.

SLUTREPLIK. The EU wants to ban the Swedish wolf hunting. The EUROPEAN commission's proposal addressed especially on Swedish conditions and is directly in conflict with the riksdag's decision to allow hunting. It becomes a reality hitting it hard both against those who live in rural areas, with the wolf around the corner and towards the sami renbetesland.

But this is obviously irrelevant for Margareta Sturemyr from the association Jaktkritikerna. She welcomes the idea, saying dismissively that it is only about jaktbolag want to sell the “highly lucrative trophy hunts to foreign hunters.”

the Answer is significant for Jaktkritikernas view of wildlife management. They applaud to the hunting license is stopped – despite the fact that the wolf population is significantly greater than the 170 to 270 individuals as the riksdag has taken a decision on. Had Jaktkritikerna been determining we had not had any hunting at all in Sweden, and they ignore the blank in the regulatory framework are complied with in the day or not.

Sturemyr the ranks thus to the same crowd, including the green Party and the Swedish society for nature conservation who wanted nothing more than to put a spanner in the works for the Swedish predator management.

With the Commission's proposals, the number of wolves increase exponentially and spread to the areas where we have agreed jointly that we do not want them. It will further affect those already living with the wolf today. In particular, that the proposal also means that Sweden no longer should be allowed to take socio-economic considerations in wolf management.

It also means that the wolf is spreading to new areas. The sami engaged in reindeer herding are already hard beset by bears, wolverines and lynx, which takes up to 50 percent of the kalvbestånden in the spring. If the wolf is allowed on the renbetesland it may have devastating consequences for the reindeer industry.

If any illegal hunting occurs, the Commission wants to punish all hunters and prohibit all legal hunting. Straight against scientific advice and proven experience that shows that the illegal hunting increases, and the legitimacy of policies decreases when the active management is put on the exception. It is like trying to extinguish fire with lighter fluid.

the Proposal may not only affect those who are already living with the consequences of the wolf, but also the sami who live by reindeer

It is no surprise that Jaktkritikerna is critical to hunting. The more disappointing it is that the Swedish government does not do more. This is a recurring tactic to blame the EUROPEAN union, but the government's action has been senfärdigt and inadequate.

the Proposal may not only affect those who are already living with the consequences of the wolf, but also the sami who live by reindeer at risk of losing their livelihoods. They expect that the government engaged in the issue with full force and stop the proposal from becoming a reality.

\\nChristofer Fjellner (M), Mep

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