The European Court of Justice ruled earlier this summer that Austria has no right to hunt wolves, despite repeated incidents of livestock attacks and protests from activists in the Tyrol region.
The Court of Justice, which is the European Union's top court, said provinces cannot allow hunting of wolves, which have protected status, despite the livestock attacks. Several provinces allowed hunting in 2023, which spurred activists to protest and bring suit. A court in Tyrol asked for a ruling from the Court of Justice, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Wolves have been protected since 1992 in European Union countries.
“A derogation from that (wolf hunting) prohibition to prevent economic damage is only to be granted if the wolf population is at a favorable conservation status, which is not the case in Austria,” the ECJ said in its ruling. "The Austrian government has itself admitted that the wolf population in Austria is not at a favorable conservation status.”
Activists claim that 20 wolves were killed in Austria during the past year. Some non-government organizations estimate about 80 lived in Austria in 2022, according to the AFP report. Wolves were extirpated from Austria in the 19th century.
Tyrol officials said the hunting regulations that were in effect in 2023 “proved their worth,” and said they would continue allowing hunting on a “case-by-case basis” due to the “special features of our alpine farming.” The regional governments are continuing to appeal for changes in the protected status of the wolves.
