Illegal Hunting of Predators

Current regulation of hunting is insufficient to prevent and discover grave instances of illegal hunting of the large predators. A study of tagged predators has shown that 25 per cent of the wolves have been killed illegally. The figure for lynx is 10 – 15 per cent.

The Swedish EPA has produced a report in which it concludes that nature wardens employed by county administrative boards, the police, prosecutors and others need more training and support.

This is a broad review of the growing problem of illegal hunting of predators.

The review covers illegal hunting as such, where wolves and wolverines are tracked and shot from snow scooters. Poison and outlawed trapping methods are also sometimes used. It is also a crime not to report the shooting of brown bears and lynx during legal controlled hunting.

Difficult task

Some people do not consider illegal hunting to be particularly serious. Nature wardens sometimes faces mistrust and contemptuous arrogance in its attempt to combat crime of this kind. A change in attitudes is needed, along with support and training for more police officers, prosecutors and nature wardens. Information campaigns are also needed.