Four autonomies will appeal and request the precautionary suspension of the order that includes the Iberian wolf in the List of Wild Species in the Special Protection Regime (Lespre), which prohibits the hunting of this animal in the national territory.

These are Cantabria, Asturias, Castilla y León and Galicia.

The Counselor of Rural Development of Cantabria,

Guillermo Blanco

, warned that Cantabria will continue to apply its Wolf Management Plan and, in the event that the precautionary suspension of the order is not accepted, the community will adopt the regime of exceptions included in the text to control the species.

All the actions taken by Cantabria will be coordinated with Galicia, Asturias and Castilla y León, although the resources will be presented independently.

The Minister of Rural Affairs and Territorial Cohesion of Asturias, Alejandro Calvo, has also announced that the region will legally appeal the inclusion of the wolf in the list of protected species as "unnecessary, hasty and because it prevents continuity in management."

"We believe that this cataloging is an error, that it is an error in how it is going to affect extensive livestock farming but also the entire management of the species," said Calvo, who added that if this framework remains, they will have to analyze and transfer to the Ministry a large part of the responsibility that Asturias now has regarding the incidence of the species.

Thus, the counselor has indicated that this cataloging places the Principality in a situation of legal uncertainty and the position of the Government of the Principality is to defend its management plan, which they understand has been a useful tool, although it can be improved, to defend the balance between the parts.

"In the case of Asturias, the wolf is not hunted, but rather we manage the species to promote coexistence with extensive livestock farming and in this matter we mark the debate and defense of our management plan," Calvo insisted, reiterating that in other cases and species, moratoriums on management plans have been approved for years, which is what the Principality will ask for.

Blanco trusts that the judges have a vision similar to that of Cantabria and also to that of these other communities, which account for the vast majority of the species, and has blamed the Minister for the Ecological Transition,

Teresa Ribera

, for the "damage irreparable "that the order may cause.

For its part, the Junta de Castilla y León has been "radically against" the inclusion of the wolf in the LESPRE, will appeal the ministerial order that makes it effective and will request the precautionary suspension of its effectiveness.

This has been pointed out by his counselor for Development and the Environment,

Juan Carlos Suárez-Quiñones

, who has ensured that the contentious-administrative appeal will be presented in the next few days at the National Court.

"And we will try to achieve the suspension of the effectiveness because the day after the effectiveness of this order is already causing damages to the Community," he added.

The head of Development and Environment considers that it is "a worrying day" for Castilla y León.

Suárez-Quiñones has affirmed that Castilla y León is "radically against" this initiative because it harms the general interests of the Community, but not only his own, but those of Galicia, Asturias or Cantabria, those of eleven communities, "the majority", who were against the inclusion of the wolf in the Listing.

Finally, the Galician councilor for the Environment, Territory and Housing, Ángeles Vázquez, has said that the announcement has caused "surprise, frustration and indignation" and has called the absence of "dialogue" between the Executive and the "wolf communities".

"What has just been done has no total and absolute meaning", he has expressed, and has revealed that they will try to use "precautionary measures" to halt the entry into force on September 22 of that order that "is not covered by any study scientist "and who equates the protection of this animal with that of" a four-leaf clover. "

He has confessed not understanding that a date has been set "without prior notice", in "precarious" and in a "somewhat delicate" situation, because farmers cannot have specific prevention plans in place and, if they suffer attacks, "there are no longer any a way "that no body can help them.

Autonomous authorization

The wolf will cease to be a hunting species as of tomorrow after the publication of the Order that modifies the LESPRE, in order to include all the populations of Iberian wolf (Canis lupus) in Spain.

This order, published this Tuesday in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and effective from tomorrow, September 22, establishes two additional provisions: one of them refers to the capture of specimens, set prior to the entry into force of this order, it may continue to be applied if it has an authorization from the regional authorities.

For this, it is necessary, among other issues, that there is no other satisfactory solution as indicated in the catalog of measures for the protection of livestock against wolf predation events published by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco).

Likewise, it must be justified that the measure of capture of specimens does not negatively affect the favorable conservation status of the species and the existence of significant damage to livestock on the affected farms.

The second provision adds that the strategy for the conservation and management of the wolf in Spain will be approved by the Sectorial Conference on the Environment, before December 31, 2021, and will be published on the website of the Ministry for Ecological Transition.

The ministerial order has received the endorsement of the Council of State which, after having studied the allegations of conservationists and autonomous communities, has considered that the decision to include the wolf in the LESPRE is sufficiently motivated and responds to the precautionary principle, according to sources from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

The same sources have highlighted that the new legal framework "will unify the level of protection of the species throughout the territory, as well as preventive measures, compensation and control mechanisms to avoid and alleviate damage from attacks on extensive livestock."

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Cantabria

  • Asturias

  • Castile and Leon

  • Galicia

  • National audience

  • Lottery

  • Justice

Coronavirus Covid restrictions in Spain: curfew, hospitality and other measures by communities

Holidays 2021 Work Calendar: Holidays and Bridges

Holidays 2021 work calendar: public holidays and bridges

See links of interest

  • The Palm

  • Last News

  • Work calendar

  • Home THE WORLD TODAY

  • Master Investigation Journalism

  • Series

  • Udinese - Napoli

  • Barcelona - Granada CF

  • Getafe - Atlético de Madrid, live