Presence of the wolf: declaration of defensive shots on the internet, compensation, potential samples, what changes as of April 1st

Increase in predation rate, new defense shooting regulations… During a press conference held on March 30 in Tulle, the Prefect of Corrèze, Vincent Berton, unveiled the new regulatory framework governing the relationship between wolves and breeders on the Millevaches plateau.

Since 2022, the wolf has been fueling debates in Corrèze. The increase in attacks on sheep herds and the identification of a pack by 2025 on the Millevaches plateau led Vincent Berton, Prefect of Corrèze, to declare on March 30: “We are facing a colonization front. This is what makes the situation particularly tense and complex.”

The government representative was speaking as part of a press conference to detail the content of an interministerial decree that will regulate the protection of wolves starting from April 1, 2026.

The defense shooting, previously subject to prefectural authorization, will now be done under a “declarative regime.” Breeders will need to make a declaration on the website demarche.numerique.gouv.fr and receive an acknowledgment allowing them to carry out these defense shootings. Last year, 30 breeders were authorized, but the new regulation expands this number to 234.

The new regulation on defense shootings concerns sheep and goat herds located in circles 0, 1, and 2 (see map below). The intervention framework remains strictly regulated. Shootings must be done near herds exposed to predation, and target identification is required before any shooting, especially at night. Baiting is prohibited. “Hunting wolves is a crime,” the Prefect reminds.

“This is the consequence of the reclassification of the wolf’s status from ‘strictly protected species’ to ‘protected species,'” justified the government representative in front of the media. This reclassification, effective since 2025, resulted from a decision made at the European level.

The updated regulatory framework will allow, starting from July 2026, removal shootings in cases of “exceptional predation situations” coupled with “ineffective defense shootings.” Nationally, the wolf removal rate has been increased from 19% to 21%, covering 227 individuals.

“We hope these measures will provide better protection for herds,” assures Vincent Berton, noting that “2025 was an extremely tough year, with a threefold increase in predation acts, a very tense situation for breeders, some of whom are traumatized.”

Regarding the potential risks of abuse by breeders due to this relaxation, the Prefect expresses “trust in the breeders’ responsibilities and their republican spirit.” The possibility of defense shootings should involve around fifty breeders in the Millevaches plateau.

I trust in their loyalty and discipline.

Vincent Berton

Prefect of Corrèze

On the plateau, where tensions are high, the Prefect relies on the increased number of wolf hunters, now totaling 33. Vincent Berton also highlights the presence of the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), with the Corrèze and wolf brigades. Additionally, he mentions the mobile gendarmerie brigade. The rules for compensation are also evolving. In circle 1, compensation remains subject to the implementation of protective measures after a certain number of attacks. This principle is now extended to circle 2, where at least one protective measure must be in place after the second attack to receive compensation.