Defense shots against wolves: the Pau administrative court validates authorizations for breeders in Ossau and Ouzoum

This Monday, June 15, the prefect of Pyrénées-Atlantiques took note of the decision rendered by the administrative court of Pau, which rejects the suspension requests filed against twelve defense shooting receipts […] These receipts are part of the new regulatory system which came into force on April 1, 2026, following the interministerial order of February 23, 2026 relating to the protection status of the wolf and the conditions for its destruction.”

He continues: “This decision confirms the legality of the declarations of defensive shooting filed by the breeders concerned. It also recognizes the need to allow farmers faced with predation to have appropriate means to protect their herds. It comes at a time when several environmental associations had initiated an appeal against all of the defensive firing declarations filed.

« Difficultés concrètes » dans les valleys béarnaises

The prefect also recalls that “the protection of herds and the conservation of wolves must be reconciled while respecting the framework set at national level. This conciliation requires taking into account both the requirements for preserving the species and the concrete difficulties encountered by breeders in the Béarnaise valleys.”

This news echoes the broad adoption, recently in the National Assembly, of the agricultural emergency bill, which included a wolf component. Taking advantage of the European Union’s declassification of the wolf, which is no longer subject to “strict” but “simple” protection, the text plans to better protect livestock farms against this predation. It removes the prior authorization required to carry out defensive shots during attacks on cattle, as is already the case for sheep.

Also adopted by amendment: the use of night or thermal sighting glasses as well as a presumption of legitimate defensive fire in the event of “imminent attack”.

« En tuant un loup, on déorganise la meute »

Among the applicant associations which were rejected, Ferus, which defends populations of bears, wolves and lynx, believes that “shooting is often presented as a quick solution, but scientific knowledge shows that they can have counterproductive effects”. “By killing a wolf, we disorganize the pack, which increases the dispersion of young wolves, more inclined to attack the herds,†she draws.

According to the association, prevention would have shown more convincing results. “We are not so surprised by this decision,” says Denis Doublet, wolf coordinator at Ferus. This is in line with the French state’s policy on wolves: we no longer want them except in the Alpine region, where they have been reestablished for a long time. It’s also a way of satisfying the agricultural unions.”