Friday, August 29, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

“Sweden – trading biodiversity for trophies”

Biodiversity

It is becoming a sore pill to swallow for most Swedish citizens, seeing how the country with one hand portrays itself as a nature-preserving country and with the other hand literally sells out the country’s biodiversity, writes wildlife expert Misha Istratov.

Published 28 April 2025
4 minute read
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

While most Swedes were recovering after their New Year’s celebration, a few hundred were instead preparing for an adventure. On dark parking lots around five wolf territories, masked men in snow-white camouflage were adjusting silencers on their rifles and baiting their specially bred hunting dogs for a pursuit of a lifetime. The second day of the year bore promises of skins and furs from an endangered species, namely the Swedish wolf. Around 4,000 hunters had submitted interest in being chosen for killing one of the 30 wolves, out of which almost 400 were foreign trophy hunters. In the end, 25 wolves were killed, while the remaining five were not present in their territory. The only feasible explanation is illegal hunting, meaning that they had already been shot, but without permission.

The barrels had barely gotten cold before it was time for another next fauna execution. In February, practice is yearly allowed on the iconic lynx, where loose dogs are set loose in order to train the pursuers to find the mysterious cat. The practice is called “treeing” since the lynx has developed a defence against larger carnivores where it most aptly finds refuge in a tree. Unfortunately, this protection does not help against humans, whose rifles easily end the felines lives, after which they fall from the tree. The real hunt started on the first of March, and during the last two years, over 350 lynxes (roughly 13 percent yearly of the endangered population) have been shot to death, with over ten thousand hunters filing for the exclusive right to kill a lynx.

This “right” is delegated by the Swedish Environment Protection Agency to the counties to issue, and it is called “licensed hunting” or simply, culling. Most experts on European law agree that these practices violate the EU’s Habitats Directive since both the lynx and the wolf (as well as the bear and the wolverine, who are both also hunted yearly) are protected animals. Sweden has been under supervision by the EU for an infringement case in 2010 concerning the wolf hunt and this year a new submission will be opened because of the lynx culling.

Swedes are generally eager in shaming trophy hunters that go abroad to kill rhinos and other endangered animals and return with interior design items fashioned from the remains of their kills. Nor does the Swedish public brace itself in antipathy for killers of large African cats such as Cecil the lion. But when it comes to the rare cats in their own forests, such as the endangered lynx, the trophy hunt is met with surprisingly dispassionate reactions from the general public.

Just like African trophy hunters create myths like the ones that trophy hunting helps preserve species, boosts local economies, and is directed towards older individuals (all of which are scientifically inaccurate according to a large number of studies), Nordic trophy hunters have created their own fallacies to pawn in order to sway less knowledgeable politicians and civilians. Here, a myth has been fabricated that licensed hunting reduces illegal hunting, after a paper’s result was distorted by the hunting interest.

Several international studies, as well as a Swedish study, point in the direct opposite, and this is hardly surprising—if the authorities themselves allow the killing of wolves, how wrong can it be if private citizens take matters into their own hands? Since only three people have been convicted for illegal wolf killing in over ten years in Sweden, while hundreds of wolves have gone “missing”, the reward seems to outweigh the risk for certain individuals.

The propagators of these cullings, namely the two large hunting organisations, are receiving millions of governmental funds yearly. Meanwhile, nature protection organisations survive on scraps, and their funding is being cut by half this year. All this despite the fact that we are in the middle of a species crisis where 73 percent of global wildlife populations have disappeared in the last 50 years, according to WWF’s Living Planet Report.

In Sweden, red-listed species among mammals and birds have increased 50 percent in only twenty years. While the four large carnivores are on the Swedish red list, as well as 131 other species, one would expect the government to issue resolute action.

Instead, the authorities do all they can to enable the trophy hunt. It reaches such extents that they do not only allow the shooters to keep the furs of the killed red-listed animals, but the Swedish Veterinary Agency offers all the shooters the service of boiling and preparing the skull to keep as a keepsake for a symbolic cost.

Meanwhile, it is becoming a sore pill to swallow for most Swedish citizens, seeing how the country with one hand portrays itself as a nature-preserving country and with the other hand literally sells out the country’s biodiversity, encouraging trophy hunting of endangered animals.

 

Misha Istratov, entrepreneur, wildlife ambassador and writer

About the commentator

Misha Istratov is the CEO of Elithus and an independent commentator on sustainability in general, specializing in wildlife management.

TNT is truly independent!

We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.

Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…

New study of national park: Wolves helped nature recover

Biodiversity

Published 17 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
A wolf in Yellowstone National Park during 2016.
2 minute read

The return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park has contributed to an ecological recovery after decades of damage to plant and animal life. Now a new study shows that the park’s aspen populations are finally beginning to reestablish themselves – apparently thanks to the predator’s impact on the ecosystem.

During the 1930s, wolves were completely eradicated from Yellowstone National Park in the Rocky Mountains of the United States. This had major consequences for the ecosystem – as the deer population increased dramatically and began grazing intensively in the park. This led to a sharp decline in trees like aspens. Aspen is considered a keystone species in the park, and its decline affected other species that depend on the deciduous trees, including beavers, insects and birds.

In the 1990s, wolves were reintroduced to the park, which immediately changed the deer’s behavior – not only by taking some as prey, but primarily by causing the deer to stop grazing for long periods in the same places. The result was that vegetation recovered, which has had a major effect on biodiversity.

Remarkable change

Now researchers have documented the first new generation of aspens in the park. In the study, which was published in Forest Ecology and Management, researchers argue that the wolf’s return has contributed to the species’ recovery.

The reintroduction of large carnivores has initiated a recovery process that had been shut down for decades, says the study’s lead author Luke Painter, who teaches ecology and conservation at OSU College of Agricultural Sciences, in a press release. About a third of the 87 aspen stands we examined had large numbers of tall saplings throughout, a remarkable change from the 1990s when surveys found none at all.

Another third of the examined stands had areas with tall saplings that were growing up to become new trees in the canopy layer, while the rest were still being held back by grazing. Researchers believe this may be due to bison increasing in certain parts of the park. The fact that stands with many tall saplings have low levels of grazing, while others continue to be held back, suggests that aspen recovery depends on an ecological chain reaction where predators affect plant life by reducing the number of grazing animals – rather than on factors like climate or soil fertility.

This is a remarkable case of ecological restoration, says Painter. Wolf reintroduction is yielding long-term ecological changes contributing to increased biodiversity and habitat diversity.

Radioactive method ready for use against poaching

Biodiversity

Published 11 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Rhinos are being injected with radioactive material.
2 minute read

After an extended testing period, the Rhisotope project in South Africa is now in full operation. The technology, which makes rhino horns both traceable and unattractive to poachers, can now be used on a large scale.

It was in June last year that researchers injected radioactive material into the horns of 20 rhinos in South Africa. The project, called the Rhisotope Project and led by the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) in South Africa, began six years ago with the idea of stopping poaching of the endangered rhinos. The concept was that the radioactive material should be detectable at border controls, but also becomes toxic to consume. Furthermore, the radioactive material should be harmless to the rhinos.

Now the project has been thoroughly tested and reached full operational status, writes Wits University in a press release.

We have demonstrated, beyond scientific doubt, that the process is completely safe for the animal and effective in making the horn detectable through international customs nuclear security systems, says James Larkin, professor at Wits University and scientific director of the Rhisotope Project.

Sold as “medicine”

Rhino poaching is a recurring problem, particularly in South Africa. Last year, 420 rhinos were killed illegally in the country, where the horns often end up on the black market. They are often sold as medicine and can be worth more than gold. The treatment is carried out by sedating the rhino and then drilling a small hole in its horn. Two small isotopes with radioactive material are then inserted.

This means in practice that private and public rhino owners, non-governmental organizations and conservation authorities can contact the Rhisotope Project to treat their rhinos with the radioactive material.

Our goal is to deploy the Rhisotope technology at scale to help protect one of Africa’s most iconic and threatened species. By doing so, we safeguard not just rhinos but a vital part of our natural heritage, says Jessica Babich, CEO of the Rhisotope Project.

Swedish crayfish threatened with extinction

Biodiversity

Published 10 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
From 30,000 population to under 600 – the noble crayfish is critically endangered.
2 minute read

Crayfish plague continues to devastate Sweden’s native noble crayfish. In just a few decades, populations have plummeted from around 30,000 to fewer than 600 – and the trend continues downward.

The biggest culprit is illegal releases of non-native signal crayfish, which are themselves heavily fished and can also be affected by the disease.

The signal crayfish, which spreads the disease, has increased dramatically and today exists in between 10,000 and 15,000 populations. In Värmland, a province in western Sweden, illegal releases have been documented in as many as 239 bodies of water between 2000 and 2024.

— Noble crayfish populations in Värmland and Dalsland were 430 in the early 2000s; today only 60 remain, says Lennart Edsman, crayfish expert and researcher at the Freshwater Laboratory at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), to Swedish news agency TT.

When August and crayfish season arrives, the question arises of which species the environmentally conscious consumer should choose for their crayfish party.

— You should eat noble crayfish if you can afford it. That gives them value that makes them worth protecting. And you should eat signal crayfish too, but absolutely not spread them, Edsman believes.

Imports worth hundreds of millions

Swedes eat far more crayfish than the country can produce. Between 70 and 80 percent of the crayfish on tables are imported. In 2023, imports amounted to a value of €40 million, while Swedish crayfish were sold for €27 million.

Previously, the largest portion of imports came from China, but today Spain, Turkey and also Egypt dominate the Swedish market.

Most Swedish-caught crayfish are signal crayfish, with a large share coming from lakes Vättern and Hjälmaren in central Sweden. Recently, however, many consumers have complained that the crayfish have become smaller.

— This is partly because fishing has been too intensive. There is great demand for crayfish in this country. Sweden is quite extreme when it comes to crayfish consumption, Edsman explains.

The signal crayfish originates from western North America, as does crayfish plague – a parasitic algae fungus. Although the species is more resistant than the noble crayfish, it is not immune to the disease.

How the signal crayfish took over

The signal crayfish originally comes from western North America and was introduced to Sweden in the 1960s as a way to replace the noble crayfish, which had been severely affected by crayfish plague at the time. The idea was to preserve crayfish fishing and its economic benefits, since the signal crayfish is more resistant to the disease than the noble crayfish.

The problem is that the signal crayfish carries the very crayfish plague – a parasitic water mold – that is deadly to the noble crayfish. Although the invasive species itself can be affected, it is significantly more resilient, which means it functions as a disease carrier and accelerates the decline of the noble crayfish.

Since its introduction, the signal crayfish has spread rapidly and is now found in between 10,000 and 15,000 populations across Sweden. Many of these have resulted from illegal releases. The consequence is that the noble crayfish has declined from around 30,000 populations to fewer than 600 throughout the country.

New giant insect discovered in Australia

Biodiversity

Published 5 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Acrophylla alta lives in a very limited area of high-altitude rainforest.
2 minute read

Researchers have discovered a new species of stick insect. The insect, which can grow to almost half a meter long, is said to potentially be Australia’s heaviest.

It was at high altitude in the Atherton Tablelands in northern Queensland, Australia, that the stick insect was found. Researchers at James Cook University helped identify the new species, which they call Acrophylla alta. The most remarkable thing about the insect is its length and especially its weight: It can grow 40 centimeters long and weigh about 44 grams, which is slightly less than the weight of a golf ball.

There are longer stick insects out there [in the region], but they’re fairly light bodied, says Professor Angus Emmott in a press release. From what we know to date, this is Australia’s heaviest insect.

It was through the eggs that researchers were able to identify that it was a new species, since no species of stick insects have identical eggs.

They’ve all got different surfaces and different textures and pitting, and they can be different shapes, he says.

It is not uncommon for new insect species to be discovered, but the reason this heavy insect has gone unnoticed is likely due to its habitat. These insects live in a limited area of high-altitude rainforest and live high up in the tree canopy. Emmott also believes it is precisely their living environment that has made them so large.

It’s a cool, wet environment where they live, he says. Their body mass likely helps them survive the colder conditions, and that’s why they’ve developed into this large insect over millions of years.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
Consider a donation.

You can donate any amount of your choosing, one-time payment or even monthly.
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Dont miss another article!

Sign up for our newsletter today!

Take part of uncensored news – free from industry interests and political correctness from the Polaris of Enlightenment – every week.