Against all scientific research reports on the topic, including the Swedish government's own investigation earlier this year, the Swedish Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning has proposed that the Swedish wolf population be reduced to 180 individuals, a decimation of the wolf population with about 40 per cent. A decimating license hunt might commence this winter.

This decision is in violation with the government's own agenda to improve the genetic status of the wolf population, as well as with the Habitat Directive’s rules on favourable conservation status. WWF Sweden, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and the Swedish Carnivore Assosiation all agree that a decimation of the population would "seriously endanger the population, in particular in a long-term perspective, due to higher vulnerability to diseases, poaching, traffic accidents, nativity variation and other random events".

The decision was kept secret from the aforementioned organisations, as well as the Swedish Wolf Committee, until the public announcement was made by Swedish Environment Minister Lena Ek. We now want her to reconsider and heed the scientific reports on the future well-being of the Swedish (and by extension Scandinavian and Russian) wolf population.

Sign the petition to demand that Lena Ek act now, then forward this email to everyone. When we reach 50,000 signatures, Avaaz will deliver our call to her in Stockholm.