Sweden’s wildlife agency has shifted control of lynx and wolverine hunting decisions to regional authorities, marking a significant change in how predator management operates across the country.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency announced on April 24, 2026, that it is delegating the right to decide on licensed hunting of lynx to county administrative boards in all counties except Gotland. For wolverine, the same authority is granted to the boards in the northern predator management area — Västerbotten, Norrbotten, Jämtland and Västernorrland counties.
This move means local officials will now determine whether licensed hunts occur and at what scale, based on both regional conditions and national wildlife management goals. The agency retains overall oversight and requires the counties to report their decisions back to it.
The change reflects long-standing requests from hunting organizations for decisions to be made closer to where the animals live. Solveig Larsson, chair of the Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management, noted in her newsletter that the multi-year licensing decisions for lynx, wolverine and bear align with political commitments to regionalized predator management and allow for better planning by authorities.
A key innovation in this year’s decision is the three-year duration of the delegation, replacing the previous annual renewal process. Hanna Ek, head of the Wildlife Management Unit at the Environmental Protection Agency, stated that stable populations over time make longer delegations feasible, contributing to continuity and predictability in management.
The delegation is only possible because Sweden’s three predator management areas currently exceed established minimum population levels for both lynx and wolverine, which is a prerequisite for transferring decision-making rights.
The policy shift represents a continuation of efforts to decentralize wildlife management while maintaining national ecological targets, balancing local autonomy with coordinated conservation efforts across Sweden’s diverse landscapes.
Why did Gotland not receive authority to decide on lynx hunting?
Gotland was excluded because large predators like lynx do not naturally occur on the island, making licensed hunting decisions unnecessary there.
What does the three-year delegation period mean for wildlife management?
The three-year delegation provides greater continuity and predictability in planning compared to annual decisions, based on stable population trends for lynx and wolverine over time.