FAPAS -Hoy

 21-august-2008

The management of the wolf

 
The Government of the Principality of Asturias has opened to public information the Review of the Plan for the Management of the Wolf, which is a document that tries to facilitate the management of a species that it is necessary to protect within the framework of the conservation of the biodiversity of the Cantabrian mountains. But it also foresees the need to protect the interests of the stockbreeding activity of these mountain zones.

It is not an easy task and Asturias has been pioneer in starting these guidelines for the management of trouble species as it is the wolf. The new Plan for the Management of the Wolf covers the needs for the conservation of this specie, but it leaves the door opened to a malevolent interpretation of its management which might end in taking decisions to indiscriminately eliminate the wolves trough a random and subjective interpretation of the person in charge.

This is the reason why FAPAS has submitted a claim requesting the deletion of part of the drafting that it is considered a contradiction with the own philosophy of the Plan that justifies its approval.

  Adult wolves in the Natural Reserve of Somiedo, Asturias
Picture of the Program for Photographical Control of FAPAS

CLAIM SUBMITTED BY FAPAS TO THE PLAN FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE WOLF IN

ASTURIAS

Seen the July 8 2008 Resolution  by virtue of which it is agreed the procedure of public information in the file for the review of the Plan for the Management of the Wolf in the Principality of Asturias and according to what is foreseen in the draft subject to public information.

I do hereby request that the following claim is taken into account:

Justification:

Whereas on general terms the plan presents intervention guidelines coherent with the requirements for the conservation of this specie, useful for the sustainability of the ecological balance in the territories where it acts, including the fundamental aspects so that through an adequate management it is made compatible its conservation with the requirements of the human interests. 

But in paragraph 3) “Establish the framework for the development of the actions for population control” it is foreseen in its subparagraph the following b) “To foresee the possible exceptional actions out from the program and caused by important variations,” etc.

This subparagraph shows itself as an open door to the elaboration of any measure or action that, by not being duly defined, will be subject only and exclusively to the subjective and vague criteria and to the subjective interpretation of the manager, which in fact implies the possibility to take management decisions that might completely cancel, through its cover in this subparagraph, the rest of the intentions set out within the Plan and which work out right.

To sum up, paragraph b) is a blank check to adopt any indiscriminate and random measures that would allow to eliminate wolves under any circumstances and in any part of the territory of Asturias, being therefore provided for under a Management Plan that thus fully contradicts itself with what is foreseen on its Schedule 1.- Introduction: The adequate conservation of a wild species as the wolf in a complex territory as it is Asturias requires a “clear” regulatory framework which allows a management based on updated knowledge, technical criteria, etc.

Taking the above into account, it is hereby requested to repeal the whole paragraph 3) b) for being contrary to the objectives for the approval of the Plan For The Management of the Wolf in Asturias.

fapas