Overview

• Starting in 2026, prior permits will be replaced by declarative reporting for defense shots by farmers or mandated hunters when a wolf attacks livestock, according to state officials.
• Prefect Jean-Paul Celet stressed that any killing outside an attack remains a criminal offense carrying potential prison time and heavy fines.
• The national ceiling stays at 19% of the estimated wolf population, set at 192 removals for 2025, with 146 wolves killed so far from an estimated 1,013 animals.
• Conservation groups including WWF and France Nature Environnement said the shift amounts to broad de‑protection and argued the cap cannot be enforced under self-reporting.
• Farmer reactions were split, with some welcoming easier defensive action and unions pushing for higher quotas amid a reported 25% rise in attacks this year.