The French Senate voted on Wednesday to introduce areas of 'enhanced protection against wolves', in regions where the recently reintroduced predators are "causing disruption" to farming activities. Farmers in mountainous regions of Southern and Eastern France claim to have lost over 5,000 sheep in wolf attacks over the past 20 years.

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Wolves were reintroduced into France in 1992. Although the animals' range is increasing, there are believed to be less than 200 wolves in all of France and there have been several cases of poaching reported in recent years.   

Wednesday's vote went against the recommendations of both the French government and wildlife groups.

Lozère Senator Alain Bertrand said the new designation would be applied to "those municipalities where pastoral activities are severely disrupted by the attacks of wolves, which are causing serious damage." Under the new law, "destruction" of wolves would be permitted in the 'anti-wolf zones', without the need for special wolf-hunting licenses, which have only been granted by government offices six times since 2004. Senators noted that the law "Must not threaten the presence of wolves."

The measure passed in voting, with 208 in favour versus 131 against. It was proposed by the Socialist RDSE and supported by the majority of centrists and the right-wing UMP, with the notable exception of former environment minister Chantal Jouanno. The Green and Communist parties opposed the measure.  

Voting on the 'anti-wolf zones' proposal coincided with final negotiations over the government 'wolf plan'. France's Ecology minister is expected to make announcement on the plan on Tuesday 5th February. The plan will frame France's relationship with its wolves over the period 2013 – 2017; it is expected to ensure the continued recognition of the animals as a protected species, whilst finding ways to appease livestock farmers by reducing the animals' impact on sheep flocks.

Commenting on Wednesday's Senate vote, Ecology Minister Delphine Batho was critical of the measure. She suggested the zones proposal "may undermine the patient work that we are trying to accomplish [with the 'wolf plan']".

Ahead of voting, 11 environment and wildlife NGOs banded together to call on senators to reject the measure. These groups said moves should be made to protect sheep in at-risk regions by fence building, hiring shepherds and training dogs, instead of authorising the killing of wolves.

Although French farm organisations have been quick to call for wolf culls, and their calls are supported by many politicians, the ecosystem value of predators which have typically been hunted out of many European States is only just being studied. A paper published in March 2012 by scientists in the United States revealed "The loss in the Northern Hemisphere of large predators, particularly wolves, [means] current populations of deer and other large herbivores far exceed their historic levels and are contributing to disrupted ecosystems."

The researchers, who looked at forest ecosystems in Northern Europe, North America and Asia concluded that, in addition to the cultural values of such predators, their presence keeps numbers of large herbivores in check. When predators are persecuted, herbivore populations increase, which has implications for the growth of young trees and can reduce biodiversity and even affect the biome’s ability to sequester carbon. 

Oregon State University researchers concluded that "New analysis makes clear that the potential beneficial ecosystem effects of large predators is far more pervasive, over much larger areas, than has often been appreciated."

On Wednesday, the French government elected not to proceed with further reintroductions of bears into the Pyrenees in the near future. Ecology minister Batho said the decision had been made in light of evidence suggesting bear populations are already increasing at a healthy rate.

Though there are only around 25 bears living in the Pyrenees, this represents a five-fold increase in population since 1995. Environmentalists suggested on Thursday that the government's decision could have implications for bears' genetic diversity. In response, the government said it would commission studies in the area.