The Tallinn Administrative Court temporarily suspended the wolf hunting season, which started on Friday, until December 4. During this time, wolves are not allowed to be hunted.
Leelo Kukk, Deputy Director General of the Environment Agency in the field of wildlife, said that the preliminary legal protection was temporarily applied until December 4, and during that time the court is waiting for arguments from the parties to decide whether to extend the preliminary legal protection until the end of the wolf hunting season, until February 28. “However, the Environmental Board is of the opinion that the given hunting volume of wolves is justified. The plan for the protection and control of large carnivores provides for keeping the number of wolves between 20-30 litters. Based on national monitoring data, it can be claimed that it has been exceeded,” added Kukk.
A longer-term trend shows that higher wolf abundance causes more damage. “For example, last year, 2023, as far as the Environmental Board is aware, wolves killed 1,411 sheep, which is the highest number ever. Regulated hunting has ensured that the number of wolves has not fallen below the level stipulated in the plan. Prohibiting hunting can lead to self-judgement of wolves, which can have a negative effect on their population,” explained Kukk.
In Estonia, wolves are doing very well and their number has increased compared to the previous three years. The fact that the condition of our large carnivores in the forests is good shows that the right decisions have been made in nature conservation and hunting regulation and that our ecosystems are in a sustainable state.
Source: online.le.ee
