Parar la muerte de lobos en Noruega

La organización noruega NOAH se ha puesto en contacto con FAPAS (Fondo para la protección de Animales Salvajes) para solicitar apoyo mediante el envío de cartas a la Primera Ministra y al Ministro del Clima y Medio Ambiente, para proteger las últimas manadas de lobos que viven en este país nórdico.

FAPAS entidad amiga de Ong ADDA con la que hemos colaborado en diversas ocasiones, nos ha informado de este hecho al que nos sumamos para hacer difusión y una mayor presión a la autoridades noruegas.

Carta enviada por NOAH:

Estimados colegas en España,

Le escribo en nombre de la organización noruega de derechos de los animales NOAH. Nos gustaría pedirle su ayuda enviando una carta al Primer Ministro de Noruega y al Ministro de Medio Ambiente para salvar tres manadas de lobos en Noruega este invierno. Hemos adjuntado una carta de plantilla a este correo electrónico.

A pesar de las manifestaciones y las cartas enviadas al gobierno y a los políticos el invierno pasado, el Gobierno noruego no ha mostrado signos de abandonar su política de mantener al lobo al borde de la extinción en Noruega. El año pasado, 31 lobos fueron asesinados y el Ministro de Clima y Medio Ambiente ya ha dado luz verde al asesinato de 26 lobos este otoño durante el invierno.

Sin embargo, la decisión del Ministro sobre el destino de las tres manadas de lobos (en total 17 lobos) todavía está pendiente. Estas manadas viven en un área llamada la zona del lobos que representa alrededor del 5% del territorio de Noruega y está destinada a dar mejor protección a los lobos que en el resto del país. El Consejo Regional de Manejo de Vida Silvestre ha decidido exterminar estas manadas, principalmente porque no quieren que la zona de lobos sea una reserva de lobos. Ahora le corresponde al Ministro decidir si esta decisión será confirmada.

Si el Ministro respalda la decisión, entonces el número total de lobos que pueden ser sacrificados en Noruega este otoño / invierno es de 43. Esta es la mitad de la población de lobos que existe en Noruega.

Por lo tanto, nos comunicamos con FAPAS para pedirle ayuda y les pedimos a usted y a sus miembros que envíen la mayor cantidad posible de cartas al Primer Ministro de Noruega y al Ministro de Clima y Medio Ambiente para expresar su protesta contra la decisión de matar a 26 lobos y pedirles ayuda. El ministro no debe de permitir la matanza de 3 manadas de lobos dentro de la zona de lobos.

Saludos cordiales

Katrin Vels

Mostramos el modelo de carta que se puede enviar a través de mail a la Primera Ministra y al Ministro de Clima y Medio Ambiente, solicitando que se pare la eliminación de las manadas de lobos en Noruega. Es muy importante que los mails sean correctos y tengan el contenido que nos indican nuestros colegas noruegos para que los altos miembros del Gobierno de Noruega los tengan en cuenta.

Copiar el texto siguiente y enviarlo a estos dos mails:

Dear Mrs Prime Minister Mrs Erna Solberg: postmottak@smk.dep.no

Dear Minister of Climate and Environment Mr Ola Elvestuen: postmottak@kld.dep.no

As a member of the ADDA organization in Spain, on behalf of concerned citizens in Europa would like express our protest against extensive shooting of wolves in Norway this autumn and winter and to call upon the Norwegian government to show to the international community that it is willing to take care of the wolf population on Norwegian territory for future generations.

It is extremely worrisome to learn that after having killed 31 wolves (including two healthy wolf packs) last year, the regional wildlife management boards have decided to shoot another 43 wolves in Norway. This includes extermination of three wolf packs within the wolf zone – Slettås (7 wolves), Mangen (6 wolves) and Hobøl (4 wolves). The Ministry of Climate and Environment in Norway has already decided to allow the killing of up to 26 wolves outside the so-called wolf zone this autumn and winter. The hunt started on 1 October. We are deeply concerned about this development, considering that the Swedish authorities have not allowed hunting of any wolves this winter due to the reduction of the wolf population by 26% on the Swedish territory since 2014/2015.

According to reports, most wolves that are found outside the wolf zone in Norway are wandering wolves originating in Sweden, and vice versa, most wolves that are born in Norway and leave their pack to find their own territory, head to Sweden. In light of this fact, it is incomprehensible to us how can Norwegian authorities act in such stark contrast to the decision by the Swedish authorities, especially as the government claims to use the Scandinavian wolf population as the basis for its decisions. The current situation also highlights that Norwegian authorities, by basing their management of the wolf on the population goal of 4-6 wolf litters per year as the maximum allowed, has no basis in scientific assessments of what is actually needed to keep the wolf population from becoming extinct.

It is especially difficult to understand the logic behind killing healthy wolf packs that are established within the wolf zone and that have caused no or only minimal damage to sheep farmers. As wolves are territorial animals, then the presence of wolf packs will have the effect of preventing other wandering wolves to move into the area. Hunting in a group makes it possible for wolves to specialize on their natural prey – deer and in some cases elk/moose. This will also considerably reduce the risk of wolves targeting domestic animals, such as sheep. In addition, large carnivores help to keep the forest ecosystems healthy.

We believe that the wish to keep the wolf zone from becoming a wolf reserve has no legal basis in the Bern Convention, considering that the wolf zone constitutes only 5% of the Norwegian territory. Not to mention that this fact alone contributes to the extreme level of inbreeding among the Scandinavian wolf population.

A policy that is aimed at keeping the critically endangered wolf permanently on the verge of extinction and as weak as possible is not something we would associate with Norway. It is especially worrying in light of the ongoing mass extinction of species on Earth – one of the fastest in the history of the planet. It is therefore essential to preserve large carnivores as keystone species and as part of our common natural heritage and legacy.

If the decision of the regional wildlife management board on the killing of three wolf packs will be upheld by the Ministry of Climate and the Environment, then half of the wolf population found on Norwegian territory shall be exterminated. This would in all likelihood also reduce the Scandinavian wolf population under the threshold of 300 animals that has been set by the Swedish authorities as the absolute minimum. In our understanding this scenario would also mean that Norway will have failed to uphold its responsibility to the international community to take care of endangered wild animals found on its territory.

We encourage the Prime Minister not to be guided by short-term economic and political interests and populistic concerns, especially as the law here stands on the side of nature and wild animals.

We call upon the Norwegian government not to relent to the pressure of certain interest groups to keep the wolf out. We call upon the central government to affirm its commitment to the law and to preserving biological diversity and respecting wildlife.

We plea to you, the Prime Minister of Norway, and the Minister of Climate and the Environment not to allow hunting of wolves within the area designated as the wolf zone this winter.

Yours Sincerely,

(Nombre y apellidos, si se desea también DNI, )

October 2018, (Ciudad)