A tale of two countries: large carnivore depredation and compensation schemes in Sweden and Norway

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Norway and Sweden share the Scandinavian Peninsula and the people have similar languages, customs and lifestyles. Nevertheless, the situation regarding large carnivores, their depredations and the schemes devised to deal with these problems differ greatly. We view these two countries almost as ‘replicates’ to give us insight into how different types of livestock husbandry affect depredation levels and to compare compensation schemes. We will concentrate on sheep ( Ovis aries ) and semi-domestic reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus ) and will not consider predation on wild large game. THE SPECIES OF LARGE CARNIVORES Sweden and Norway have four species of large carnivores: the grey wolf ( Canis lupus ), wolverine ( Gulo gulo ), brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) and Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx ). All have been subject to lethal control since the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with high state-financed bounties. The official policy was extermination, and this occurred over large areas. After official policies changed, the bounties were removed, and populations of all four species increased in size and distribution. Present policies include maintaining or promoting viable populations, balanced with mitigating losses they cause to farm livestock (primarily sheep), semi-domestic reindeer, hunting dogs, and large game animals (primarily moose ( Alces alces ) and roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus )). The wolf originally occurred over all of Scandinavia. During the early nineteenth century about 500 were killed annually, but it was exterminated from Scandinavia in the late 1960s. In 1982 a few wolves were observed in south-central Sweden/Norway. They reproduced in 1983.