Following last week's Administrative Court ruling halting license wolf hunts in five Swedish counties, the affected boards have yet to decide on appeals, with a three-week deadline looming. The original plan allowed for 48 wolves to be culled starting January 2026.
The five county administrative boards—Örebro, Västmanland, Dalarna, Västra Götaland, and Södermanland—have discussed the Administrative Court in Luleå's December 15 decision to suspend the planned 2026 license wolf hunts but have not finalized whether to appeal. The court halted the November-approved cull of 48 wolves, citing failures to prove it would not harm the species' conservation status under EU rules.
"We have talked about the ruling, and we will continue to work on analyzing it and stay in contact with each other to see how we should proceed," says Eva Olsen, head of the nature and water department at the Västra Götaland County Administrative Board, to TT.
The boards are focusing on legal grounds for any appeal, which each would file independently if pursued. With time pressing, Olsen noted: "We are very aware that time is tight for this. So the issue is of course prioritized with us."
This development underscores ongoing tensions in balancing wolf population management with protection efforts.