Reducing damage to agriculture through sustainable management of protected animal populations
19.05.2025
On 15 May 2025, a conference on sustainable management of populations of protected animals causing damage to agriculture was held in Brussels - an event dedicated to the current challenges related to the growing population of protected animals - in particular wolves - and the reasonable concerns of rural communities directly affected by the growing population of this species.
The conference was attended by the representatives of the European Union (EU) Member States, the European Commission (EC): Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) and Directorate-General for the Environment (DG ENV), as well as the representatives of science and agricultural organisations.
The participants in the meeting stressed that a proactive, controlled and science-based model of managing large predators was necessary. This would ensure the stability of wolf populations and reduce damage caused by large predators (especially wolves), particularly in the regions where traditional grazing of farm animals is common.
Reduction in the protection status of the wolf
During the discussion, the EC representatives informed, among others, that on 8 May 2025 the European Parliament voted to reduce the protection status of the wolf from “strictly protected” to “protected”. Thus, it adapted the provisions of the Habitats Directive to the amendment introduced on 3 December 2024 by the Bern Convention Committee. This gives the Member States greater flexibility in managing wolf populations.
The Directive will enter into force 20 days after being published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The Member States will have 18 months to adapt to its requirements.
Data on the wolf
According to the data from 2023, it is estimated that there are about 20,300 wolves in Europe, of which more than 5,000 in Poland (according to the Statistics Poland data).
In 2023, in Poland, wolves bit to death about 2,000 farm animals in total: sheep (69%), cattle (20%), goats (9%) and horses (2%). In addition, over 5 years the value of compensation paid has doubled – in 2023, it amounted to nearly PLN 3 million.
The meeting concerned the area of activity of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) and was held under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The conference was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development together with the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European Union.
