Eurasian wolf at Polar Zoo in Bardu, Norway. Wikicommons/Mas3cf. Some rights reserved.Norway’s plan to cull two-thirds of its tiny population of wolves recently made international headlines and was widely condemned by environmentalists. From outside, this decision from a supposedly progressive green nation is mystifying. What may seem like a symbolic issue is in fact indicative of the high domestic political stakes related to the country’s environmental responsibilities. Understanding attitudes to wildlife among voters and politicians can tell us a lot about the state of Norwegian society leading up to the general election in September.
The wolf is indigenous to Scandinavia, but hostility from rural populations led to a national policy of extermination of this and other predator species in the late nineteenth century (when Norway was also busy decimating the world's whale populations). The wolf has for a long time been the archetypal predator in the minds of Europeans, cast as a sinister figure in countless stories and songs. Changing attitudes have led to a situation where a very limited number of wolf families have been permitted to live on just 5% of Norway’s geographical area. Today the wolf population is estimated to be just 67 and the species is listed as critically endangered in Norway, although numbers in neighbouring Russia are notably higher.
Predator culling is an issue that crosses political boundaries with vocal proponents in all of the dominant parties, and is deeply connected with the Norwegian national self-image and culture. A comparable debate would perhaps be fox hunting in the UK, or even gun control in the US, where arguments are heavily loaded on both sides and rational discourse becomes difficult. While the clear majority in Norway are in favour of preserving or increasing the number of wolves, disproportionate emphasis is placed on the wishes of a small but powerful minority who favour aggressive culling. Some politicians even question whether Norway needs to respect international biodiversity agreements and maintain a wolf population at all - a populist message which sadly resonates with many rural voters.
