Meeting at the Ministry of Environment — Protecting Wolves

On January 11, 2024, representatives of AZOU, Help Animals Of Ukraine, URSA, and KECC met with the First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi.

They discussed the need to comply with the requirements of the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, which Ukraine joined in 1996. In particular, the need to protect wolves, which are state-protected in 25 European countries (listed in the national Red Book) and partially protected in 5 others as a hunting species.

Only in Russia, Belarus, Moldova, North Macedonia, and Ukraine are wolves destroyed without any control. There are no limits set for them (unlike hunting species). On the contrary, wolves in these five countries are classified as harmful.

In reality, they harm no one. Their summer diet consists of 60% plant food, and in winter they feed on mice (34% of diet), plant food, remains of farm animals from dumps and burial sites, with only a small fraction being wild ungulates.

The meeting also addressed establishing clear criteria for listing animals in the Red Book of Ukraine, banning the export of animals listed in Appendix II of the Bern Convention, and criminalizing penalties for illegal harvesting and sale of Red Book animals.

As a result, the parties agreed to jointly develop relevant draft legislation.