Attitudes to large carnivores

The majority of Swedes living in areas where carnivores are found have a positive attitude towards them and the Swedish approach to managing them. There are also significant minorities who are critical to the prevailing predator policy.

Attitudes to large carnivores in Sweden was studied last year in a big survey in 2004. A questionnaire was sent to 11,418 people in Sweden. The questionnaire included questions about large carnivores and carnivore management.

The survey was conducted jointly by the Mountain Mistra Programme, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the county administrative boards in Dalarna, Gävleborg, Västernorrland, Jämtland, Västerbotten and Norrbotten. Between 63 and 69 per cent of those receiving the questionnaire in these counties responded. The response figure elsewhere was 57 per cent.

Key findings

Some key findings of the survey:

• The majority of people living in areas where carnivores are found have a positive attitude towards them and the Swedish approach to managing them.
• Where carnivores are present, there are also significant minorities who are critical to the prevailing predator policy.
• Our survey confirms that people's attitudes towards these predators probably changes when the animals recolonise parts of their former range.
• The lynx is the most popular large carnivore in Sweden . We care less for the wolverine than we do for the other large carnivores.
• A large majority of survey participants think that responsibility for predator management should rest primarily with the Swedish EPA.
• A majority also consider that those with a particular interest in predator issues should be given a say in their management. This applies to nature conservation bodies as well as people directly affected by the predators, eg, hunters, farmers and the Sami (Lapp) people. Predator research, municipalities and county administrative boards should also be allowed to influence predator policy.

These findings support the recently established Swedish predator management system, which incorporates a central predator council as well as regional predator groups in counties with permanent predator populations.

One important conclusion to be drawn is that we can never extrapolate findings from national surveys to the counties and municipalities where carnivores are present. People who live where there are carnivores must also be asked for their opinions in order to obtain an accurate picture of popular attitudes.

Background

The aim is to provide background material for the efforts being made to achieve the objectives of Parliament and Government for an integrated predator policy (Bill 2000/01:57), and an integrated nature conservation policy (2000/02:173) at regional and local level.

The survey is therefore a key element in the efforts made to gain local support for nature conservation and resource planning. It also answers the question as to how the inhabitants of Sweden as a whole and those living in the five counties involved view the decision-making processes governing the large carnivores.

Previous studies

The survey repeats questions asked in previous national and international studies, so as to allow geographical comparisons and comparisons over time. A final report on the survey was published in 2005, and also dealt with issues concerning mountains, protected areas, hunting and fishing, as well as management of natural resources.