Iberian wolf livestock conflict in Portugal

In northern Portugal, farmers in the Trás-os-Montes region reported several wolf attacks on livestock in the Marão and Alvão mountains. Local agricultural representatives criticized existing compensation from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), arguing that the payouts did not reflect the actual value of the animals and called for increased subsidies and better resources for herd protection.

In response to these issues, the Portuguese government updated the compensation regime for producers affected by Iberian wolf attacks. This revision, announced jointly by the Ministries of Environment and Energy and Agriculture and Sea, aims to balance species conservation with the economic sustainability of farms in wolf-populated territories.

The updated rules eliminate progressive reductions in payouts based on the number of annual attacks, ensuring more stable and proportional payments. Additionally, the policy allows for compensation for animals that disappear following an attack, subject to technical validation by the ICNF. The new system also removes automatic exclusions for animals under one month old to better reflect real-world free-grazing conditions.