After pressure from some countries and lobbies in the livestock and hunting sectors, the European Union countries backed on Wednesday the initiative to reduce the protection status of the wolf from “strictly protected” to only “protected,”  in line with the proposal from the European Commission. Spain and Ireland were the only ones to vote against the proposal, while Slovakia, Cyprus, Belgium, and Malta abstained. The twenty-seven have approved with a solid majority the proposal to make the management of the species’ populations in Europe more flexible and, therefore, their hunting. The Commission decided to propose lowering the protection status of … Continue reading Europe Weakens Wolf Safeguards with 20,000 Wolves in Sight—Spain and Ireland Stand Firm Against the Vote