Wolf Management

The plan sets high priority to protection of biological diversity and good conditions for rich ecosystems and wants to see ambitious environmental goals that are followed up with strict legislation. Making wolf hunting more flexible and efficient by combining the hunting season with elk hunting aims at a smaller wolf population and pulls in the opposite direction. The counter-proposal's demand is therefore rejected by the plan.

• protect biological diversitydecisive»Vi måste lösa klimatkrisen och skydda den biologiska mångfalden – omställningen går alldeles för sakta.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must solve the climate crisis and protect biological diversity – the transition is far too slow.”
• rich ecosystems»skapa goda villkor för rika ekosystem« (party programme ↗)“create good conditions for rich ecosystems”
• ambitious environmental goals»miljömål som följs upp med skarp lagstiftning och praktiskt arbete.« (party programme ↗)“environmental goals that are followed up with strict legislation and practical work.”
• consideration for animals»All djurhållning ska utgå från att djur är kännande« (party programme ↗)“All animal husbandry should be based on the understanding that animals are sentient”

The plan does not address either wolf management or hunting seasons. The closest principle is the party programme's requirement that biological diversity shall be protected and that nature's boundaries are absolute, which argues against making licensed wolf hunting more extensive and flexible. The conclusion rests solely on this general principle.

• protect biological diversitydecisive»biologiska mångfalden måste skyddas.« (party programme ↗)“biological diversity must be protected.”
• nature's boundaries»Produktion och reproduktion kan organiseras på många olika sätt, men naturens ramar är« (party programme ↗)“Production and reproduction can be organised in many different ways, but nature's boundaries are”
• rural conditions are weighed in»Alla har ett gemensamt intresse av att hela landet kan leva och utvecklas.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone has a common interest in the whole country being able to live and develop.”

The plan requires long-term viable populations of wolf, lynx, bear and wolverine and that the predators are given the opportunity to regain their ecological function in the ecosystem. To make hunting of wolves more flexible and effective by combining the hunting period with elk hunting aims instead to keep the population down. The plan also establishes that conservation interests should take precedence in hunting.

• viable predator populationsdecisive»Sverige ska hysa långsiktigt livskraftiga stammar av de fyra stora rovdjuren: varg, lo, björn och järv.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden should support long-term viable populations of the four major predators: wolf, lynx, bear and wolverine.”
• predators' ecological function»Rovdjurens existens i Sverige ska inte enbart ses som överlevnad utan rovdjuren måste även ges möjlighet att återfå något av sin ekologiska funktion i ekosystemet.« (party programme ↗)“Predator existence in Sweden should not be seen only as survival but predators must also be given the opportunity to regain some of their ecological function in the ecosystem.”
• conservation before hunting interests»Det är viktigt att det ekologiska perspektivet sätts i fokus vid jakt och att naturvårdsintressen får företräde.« (party programme ↗)“It is important that the ecological perspective is put in focus in hunting and that conservation interests take precedence.”
• respect for nature's diversity»Respekten för naturens mångfald är en grundvärdering i den gröna ideologin.« (party programme ↗)“Respect for the diversity of nature is a fundamental value in the green ideology.”

The plan requires that protection of biological diversity harmonizes with rural populations' opportunities to conduct activities without risking loss of animals and property, and advocates active management of predators. Placing the hunting period for wolf so licensed hunting becomes more flexible and effective is a practical means for that active management and for acceptance among livestock keepers. The plan's demand to clean up complicated rules points in the same direction.

• protect livestock keepersdecisive»möjligheter att leva och bedriva verksamheter utan att riskera förlust av djur och annan egendom.« (party programme ↗)“possibilities to live and conduct activities without risking loss of animals and other property.”
• active predator management»en aktiv förvaltning av rovdjur och klövvilt« (party programme ↗)“active management of predators and hoofed game”
• voluntariness and property rights»då frivillighet och äganderätt är grunden för en bättre naturvård.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“then voluntariness and property rights are the foundation for better nature conservation.”
• simpler rules in rural areas»Vi ska rensa upp bland överflödiga regler och byråkrati.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We should clean up excess rules and bureaucracy.”

The party programme establishes that Sweden shall have viable populations of all five large carnivores, explicitly including wolves. The counter-proposal aims to make licensed wolf hunting more flexible and efficient by combining the hunting season with moose hunting, which tends toward a smaller wolf population and conflicts with that commitment. The plan's support for dialogue with local populations addresses the livestock farmers' situation, but does not resolve the question of expanded hunting.

• viable wolf populationdecisive»Sverige ska ha livskraftiga stammar av alla de fem stora rovdjuren: björn, järv, lo, varg och kungsörn.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall have viable populations of all five large carnivores: bear, wolverine, lynx, wolf and golden eagle.”
• protection of threatened species»Hotade växter och djur ska skyddas genom fridlysning, information och biotopskydd.« (party programme ↗)“Threatened plants and animals shall be protected through protection status, information and habitat protection.”
• dialogue with local populations»Dialog med lokalbefolkningen i berörda områden är en viktig del av rovdjursförvaltningen.« (party programme ↗)“Dialogue with local populations in affected areas is an important part of carnivore management.”
• measures against illegal hunting»Det internationella samarbetet mot smuggling och olovlig jakt ska fördjupas.« (party programme ↗)“International cooperation against smuggling and illegal hunting shall be deepened.”

The election manifesto explicitly states that the wolf population shall be reduced to 170 individuals, which requires a licensed hunt that functions effectively in practice. The party programme wants defensive hunting to be possible to protect life and property and for predator policy to be designed in consultation with the affected rural population, that is, with the livestock holders the counter-proposal highlights. Avoiding stress and injury to domestic animals follows from the plan's animal welfare perspective.

• reduced wolf populationdecisive»Den svenska vargstammen ska minskas till 170 individer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Swedish wolf population shall be reduced to 170 individuals.”
• defensive hunting protects life and property»också finnas möjlighet till skyddsjakt för att värna liv och egendom.« (party programme ↗)“also be possibility for defensive hunting to protect life and property.”
• consultation with the rural population»En långsiktigt hållbar rovdjurspolitik måste utformas i samråd med den berörda landsbygdsbefolkningen.« (party programme ↗)“A long-term sustainable predator policy must be designed in consultation with the affected rural population.”
• avoid suffering in domestic animals»Utgångspunkten för människans umgänge med djur bör vara, att så långt det är möjligt, undvika stress, smärta och skador för djuren.« (party programme ↗)“The starting point for humanity's dealings with animals should be, as far as possible, to avoid stress, pain and injury to animals.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan wants to reduce the wolf population to 170 wolves through increased hunting and states that the person who owns livestock shall not suffer economic damage from predator attacks. To align the wolf's hunting period with the moose hunt to make licensed hunting more flexible and efficient is a means to precisely that increased hunting. The plan does not specify hunting times, wherefore support is inferred.

• reduced wolf population through huntingdecisive»Verka för att minska vargstammen i Sverige till 170 vargar – genom ökad jakt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work towards reducing Sweden's wolf population to 170 wolves – through increased hunting”
• consideration for livestock owners»Samtidigt ska du som äger tamboskap inte lida ekonomisk skada på grund av rovdjursangrepp som du inte haft möjlighet att förhindra.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time, as an owner of livestock you shall not suffer economic damage because of predator attacks that you had no opportunity to prevent.”
• compensation for predator attacks»Höja ersättningsnivåerna för rovdjursangrepp så att de ligger i nivå med de faktiska kostnaderna« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Raise compensation levels for predator attacks so they are in line with actual costs”
• valued hunting tradition»Värna den svenska löshundsjakten« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect the Swedish loose-hound hunt”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan requires that the total large predator pressure be kept at reasonable levels in all parts of the country and that local influence over large predator policy increase. Combining the wolf hunting period with elk hunting for more flexible and effective licence hunting is a practical application of this, in line with the plan's desire to facilitate hunting where game causes damage to livestock keepers and landowners.

• reasonable large predator pressuredecisive»Ett större lokalt inflytande bör råda över rovdjurspolitiken. De stora rovdjuren måste förvaltas på ett ansvarsfullt sätt och det sammantagna rovdjurstrycket måste hållas på rimliga nivåer i alla delar av landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Greater local influence should prevail over large predator policy. The large predators must be managed responsibly and the total large predator pressure must be kept at reasonable levels in all parts of the country.”
• facilitated hunting»Underlätta jakt i områden med mycket vilt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Facilitate hunting in areas with much game”
• balance between human and wildlife»Det finns behov av att långsiktigt förvalta bestånden av vilt för att uppnå en god balans mellan människor och djur« (2022 manifesto ↗)“There is a need to manage wildlife stocks in the long term to achieve a good balance between humans and animals”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.