The Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Asturias (TSJA) has rejected the application for an interim suspension of the regional wolf control plan. This means the programme of control measures in Asturias remains in force until the main proceedings determine its lawfulness.
In its balancing of interests, the court gave priority to the protection of the public interest, which it expressly said included the interests of livestock farming and the rural economy. This position had been put forward by the regional government of Asturias as well as organisations involved, such as Fundación Artemisan, with Unión Rural Asturiana and the Asociación de Agricultores y Ganaderos (GANAGRI) . Following the decision, the planned measures may continue to be applied for the time being.
Those who brought the case and sought the suspension included Plataforma para la Defensa de la Cordillera Cantábrica, Ecoloxistes n'Aición d'Asturies and the Fondo para la Protección del Lobo Ibérico. They consider the interventions a breach of European and national protection requirements and warn of irreparable harm to the population. These objections will now be examined in the ongoing main proceedings.
According to the TSJA, its reasoning also refers to expert documents suggesting that the population is developing favourably. The court also cites recent legal developments that provide for different protection regimes north and south of the River Duero ; this interpretation reflects the judges’ view and is contested in the legal proceedings.
For livestock farmers in Asturias, the ruling initially provides legal certainty and prevents a gap in the enforcement of controls. The decision does not order any specific changes to the programme. The central question of the lawfulness of the relevant rules and their practical implementation is left to the main proceedings.
The dispute over how to manage wolves has been before the courts in northern Spain for years. In Asturias, some permits had already been challenged in court, prompting the regional government to adjust its management approach. Similar urgent applications against culls were also heard recently in neighbouring Cantabria; there, the relevant court likewise rejected a request for a provisional suspension. The TSJA’s latest decision adds to this shifting body of case law without prejudging the outcome of the main proceedings.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).