A long-running Swedish program to protect wolverines by paying reindeer herders is under strain, according to new research. Wolverine numbers have fallen in key northern areas while funding has not kept pace with costs. The study warns that conservation gains can erode without ongoing support.
Researchers from the University of York and the Swedish Agricultural University examined 30 years of data on Sweden's Conservation Performance Payment program. Launched in 1996, the scheme pays Sámi communities for the presence of wolverines rather than compensating for losses after damage occurs. Early results showed population growth, but documented reproductions in Norrbotten county have since dropped from two-thirds of the national total to less than one-third.