After months of debate, the coalition government’s environment ministry has devised a scheme that rules out the shooting, poisoning or trapping of wolves.
In order to protect their livestock, farmers will instead have to adopt preventative measures, such as installing electric fences and using specially-bred guard dogs like the Maremma.
“We don’t need culling, but a strategy of management,” Italy’s environment minister, Sergio Costa, said.
“Co-existence with the wolf is possible.”
The mitigation plan must now be approved by regional governments.
Wolves have been protected by law since 1971, when the species faced extinction in Italy.
However, they are currently making a strong comeback in the Belpaese.
The Telegraph reported that there are an estimated 1580 wolves living in the Apennines, while the wolf population in the Alps has more than doubled since 2015, from 130 to nearly 300.
Italy is home to 10 per cent of Europe’s wolf population, excluding Russia.
The national wolf management plan puts forward 22 “mitigation measures” for reducing wolf attacks on flocks.
The plan states that farmers who lose animals to wolf attacks will be compensated by the authorities.
The management plan was welcomed by conservation groups.
But the decision not to cull any wolves was criticised by farmers’ associations and some Italian regions, which had been pushing for the shooting of problem wolves.
“We need to look after the thousands of sheep and goats that are torn to pieces, the cattle that have their throats ripped out, and the donkeys that are killed by wolves,” Italian farmer’s association, Coldiretti, said in a statement.
“We expect a concrete commitment to compensation payments for farmers.”
