Debate Intensifies Over Musk Ox Protection Status in Sweden
Debate over the legal status of musk ox protection in Sweden heats up.
Key Points
- • Climate Minister Romina Pourmokhtari's support for musk ox protection is questioned.
- • The musk ox is strictly protected under the Bern Convention but lacks specific national protections.
- • A proposal to downgrade its protection status was put forth in 2015 but was not enacted.
- • Recent investigations revive the discussion of removing musk ox from the state wildlife category.
The ongoing debate about the legal protections for the musk ox population in Sweden has reignited, with significant implications for environmental policies. Critics, including Anders W Jonsson (C), question whether Climate Minister Romina Pourmokhtari supports formal protection for this species, which is currently classified as strictly protected under the Bern Convention. However, specific protections at the national level are minimal, limited to a law requiring a 100-meter distance from the animals.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's 2015 proposal to remove the musk ox from the classification of 'state wildlife' was previously dismissed by the then-government. The agency argued that because the musk ox was not a native species—they first reappeared in Sweden after being reintroduced from Norway in the 1970s—it should not be included on the endangered species list. This classification ruled overlooks the species' 30,000-year history in the region, where around ten individuals currently reside in western Härjedalen.
A recent government investigation echoes the 2015 proposal, suggesting that the musk ox’s absence from state wildlife management could facilitate more liberal hunting regulations. If passed, this change could severely undermine conservation efforts to protect Sweden's sole wild musk ox population, signaling a potential shift in focus away from wildlife preservation in favor of regulatory simplicity.