In a referral proposal, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency states that hunting should be allowed throughout the country between November 15 and February 29.

- There is a viable tribe of squirrels in Sweden. The population is estimated at about 200,000 individuals and we see no reason why hunting should be prohibited, says Ebba Henning Planck, project manager for the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's hunting time review.

Skin and meat

The proposal is now to be referred for comment. It is welcomed by Magnus Rydholm at the Swedish Jägareförbundett:

- The reason why the hunt was banned was not that the species needed protection, but rather that there were so few who engaged in squirrel hunting that it could just as well be removed. At the beginning of the 1990s, politics was a bit more hunting-critical than it is today.

The Hunters' Association does not believe that squirrel hunting will be common now either. Instead, there are fundamental reasons why the ban should be removed: If there are game in hunting tribes, it should also be possible to exploit for those who want. In the squirrel's case, it is both fur and meat.

Both the Hunters' Association and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency believe that hunting will have no effect on the number of squirrels. It varies naturally year by year and is instead controlled by diseases, the availability of food and how many predators chase them.

Damage roof and rob eggs

- Shelter hunting is allowed already today. Squirrels can cause damage to houses when they build homes under the roof tiles, says Ebba Henning Planck.

The proposal from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency must now be referred for a referral before the government makes a final decision. And although they would say yes to hunting, Magnus Rydolm does not believe in the Swedish Hunters' Association that many animals in particular would be shot. It was different during the first half of the 20th century.

- My grandfather used to hunt a lot of squirrels during the war years when the fur gave good pay. But not even he used to eat the meat.