Overview
- This week (6–7 July) the cabinet put an AMvB into force that lets provinces prepare afschot (shooting) permits in advance so they can act faster on so‑called ‘problemwolves’.
- A wolf is classed as a problemwolf if it wounds a person, shows aggressive behavior toward people, or attacks livestock or horses twice within two weeks, and individual removal remains subject to a permit process.
- Provincial authorities may also authorize paintball or rubber‑projectile deterrents while farmers and other private actors may use light and sound to scare wolves without a permit.
- Local officials and many farmers welcomed the faster tools, but animal‑welfare groups have announced legal challenges and scrutiny intensified after the Utrecht ‘Bram’ case, where a wolf was shot outside the permitted time window and oversight was later judged minimal.
- Experts warn that lethal response is not a long‑term fix and urge more prevention measures such as fencing, guardian dogs and subsidies, and Parliament will hold a debate on the policy in September 2026 that could reshape or limit the new rules.