Lorraine Williamson
The future of the Iberian wolf in Galicia is once again in the hands of the courts, after the regional government confirmed it will ask judges to overturn a ruling that currently blocks lethal control of the species.
The Xunta de Galicia has announced it will formally request that the Tribunal Superior de Xustiza de Galicia (TSXG) lift a judicial suspension preventing wolf control measures. Environmental groups warn that if the appeal succeeds, it could reopen the door to hunting under the guise of population management.
A legal dispute, not a symbolic battle
This case is not about ideology or headlines. It is rooted in administrative law and evidence. The TSXG suspended Galicia’s wolf control plan after conservation organisations challenged whether the Xunta had properly demonstrated that the species was in a favourable state of conservation.
Under both Spanish and European law, lethal control of protected species is permitted only under strict conditions. Judges ruled that those conditions had not yet been convincingly met and applied the precautionary principle, prioritising long-term conservation over short-term intervention.
Why the Xunta wants the suspension overturned
Galicia’s regional government argues that the situation on the ground has worsened since the court’s decision. It says wolf attacks on livestock have increased, placing a growing strain on farmers in rural and mountainous areas where extensive grazing remains central to local economies.
Officials maintain that compensation schemes are failing to reflect the real cost of losses and that continued inaction risks accelerating rural abandonment. The Xunta insists it is not calling for unrestricted hunting, but for selective control in specific areas where conflict is most acute.
A familiar divide in rural Galicia
For many livestock farmers, particularly in eastern and northern parts of the region, wolf attacks have become a regular concern. Farming unions argue that without intervention, some small holdings will no longer be viable.
Conservation organisations respond that wolves are being used as a convenient scapegoat for deeper structural problems in rural Spain. They point to inadequate investment in fencing, livestock protection measures and long-term rural support, warning that weakening protections could undo decades of recovery for the species.
Why this case is different from previous wolf debates
Unlike earlier national controversies over wolf protection, this dispute is not about changing the species’ legal status or celebrating its return to areas where it had vanished. Instead, it centres on whether a regional government can meet the legal threshold required to justify lethal control.
That distinction matters. A ruling in Galicia could influence how other autonomous communities attempt to manage protected wildlife through administrative mechanisms rather than legislative change.
What the court will examine next
Judges at the TSXG are expected to scrutinise updated population data, evidence of livestock damage and whether non-lethal alternatives were sufficiently explored. They will also assess whether Galicia’s proposal complies with EU conservation law, which requires that lethal measures be a last resort.
The decision will determine whether the suspension remains in place or whether Galicia is allowed to proceed with controlled intervention.
A ruling with wider consequences
For now, the ban on wolf control stands. But the outcome of this case could shape wildlife policy far beyond Galicia, influencing how Spain balances environmental protection with the realities of rural life.
At its heart, the question is simple but unresolved: has Galicia proved that lethal control is necessary — or is the Iberian wolf still entitled to the strongest protection the law can offer?
Sources: