Shepherd paid €1,840 for 46 sheep killed by wolves, a fifth of their market value

A shepherd in Duas Igrejas, in the municipality of Miranda do Douro, lost 46 sheep in a single wolf attack and put his loss at €15,000. The ICNF, the nature conservation agency, confirmed wolves were responsible and that he met the legal requirements, but compensated him just €1,840, about €40 per animal against a market price above €200. The author argues that low payouts fuel illegal killing of wolves, whose national population has stayed near 300 for 25 years. He notes the Government has recently changed the compensation rules and points to Scandinavian payments for presence and Spain's regulated hunting as models.