In 2022, 12,000 animals were attacked by wolves according to cattle and sheep breeders.
According to the government, the wolf is no longer in danger of extinction with more than 1,000 animals listed.
Three days before the start of the Agricultural Show, this new protocol on shooting is awaited by cattle and sheep breeders.
Marc Fresneau, the Minister of Agriculture, announced this Wednesday its simplification via a decree published "by the end of the week", "in accordance" with what "many breeders" were demanding.
According to advanced evidence, shooting to defend a herd is, today, reserved for a single shooter.
There, the idea would be to be more efficient to authorize up to two or three shooters.
However, only scout lieutenants would be authorized to use specific equipment, such as thermal sight glasses.
In September, during the presentation of the wolf plan, it was specified that sworn lieutenants of louveterie and agents of the French Biodiversity Office, with thermal sight glasses will no longer be required to provide prior lighting " target ".
In order to make wolf scouts “more available”, “more mobile” and “more efficient”, several wolf scouts will be designated by the prefect in each department who will be specifically in charge of managing authorized wolf shooting.
Towards a reference figure
Furthermore, new developments could be brought to the population count.
Today, the number of wolves to be killed is communicated by the prefectures.
An initial estimate of the number of wolves in a department is made at the start of the year before being consolidated at the end of the year.
And in many departments, the number of animals collected is often below the authorized ceiling.
According to the avenues mentioned, a single figure would serve as a reference in December.
In its wolf plan presented in September, the government wanted a "rebalancing" between the strict protection of the wolf, which can only be taken into account in a derogatory manner, and better consideration of the "human distress" of breeders having saw their animals fall under the predator's fangs.
This plan also included electrified fences and the purchase and training of a livestock protection dog.
Herd protection aid paid by the State to breeders is becoming more and more expensive.
The amount of aid paid increased from 24.6 million euros in 2018 to 32.7 million euros in 2022 (an increase of 33%) and the number of “patou” type dogs present in the mountain pastures increased from 3,661 to 6,597 (i.e. + 80%).