Por Redaccion 
The Minister of Rural Affairs, Marcelino Marcos Líndez, reported on Monday the Government’s position regarding the assessment of the conservation status of the Iberian wolf as judged by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and specifically the State Secretariat. The Government «first of all expresses its rejection of the information provided by the State Secretariat for the Environment» and considers that the Ministry has made an «unjustified and contrary to scientific evidence» assessment.
He indicated that on July 11, a new commission will meet to address this issue and once this sectoral commission passes, a sectoral conference should be convened where all autonomous communities will vote on, among other things, this report.
«This is not because a counselor says it, it is because the law says so. It clearly states that before being sent to the European Commission, the opinion will require the approval of the sectoral conference on the environment,» the Minister emphasized.
The Minister reiterated that the Principality «reaffirms its commitment to a responsible, technical, and balanced management of the wolf» and rejects «the Ministry’s evaluation due to lack of rigor, as it was not consensual.» «We defend the validity of regional data that clearly show a favorable situation of the species in the northern Iberian Peninsula,» the Minister said.
He explained that the Ministry’s document estimates 333 wolf packs in Spain, with 94% of them concentrated in four autonomous communities: Galicia, Castilla y León, Cantabria, and Asturias. «We do not disagree with the data. What we do disagree with is the interpretation of the data,» the Minister insisted, emphasizing that the Ministry must explain and justify technically and scientifically the methodology applied in the same way that the rest of the autonomous communities do.
Marcos Líndez stated that it is important to consider the position of the Government of Asturias over the past years, «a balanced, rigorous position based on scientific criteria,» and added that they «strongly reject the information disseminated that suggests the conservation of the wolf in Spain is unfavorable.»
The Minister emphasized that «this information has not been discussed or validated in the Sectoral Commission on the Environment held last Friday, and in fact, the report sent by the Ministry the day before was removed from the agenda, as the point related to the 2019-2024 biannual report did not comply with the timely provision of sufficient information, as indicated by the regulations, nor had it been provided along with the agenda.»
PP CRITICISM
Regarding the criticisms from the Popular Party (PP), the Minister indicated that «the PP is in turmoil while the Government is focused on efficiency.» «That is the big difference. The PP is speculating while we are focused on something important, which is the implementation of the wolf management plan and, in this case, the population control program that runs until March 2026,» Marcelino Marcos said.
The Minister mentioned that extractions have occurred, but they will not «turn it into a circus or contribute to the turmoil or polarization that can arise when trying to report on a daily basis where the controls are carried out and how many controls have been conducted.»
«We are focused on effectiveness, on efficiency, which is important for good management and is truly relevant for all economic sectors concerned about the extent of the damage caused by a species like the wolf,» Marcos Líndez said.
The Minister also added that Asturias did not sign the petition letter sent by other autonomous communities governed by the Popular Party because they were not asked to sign it.
In this regard, he mentioned that they were unaware of its existence. «I believe that, from that point of view, any accusation that we did not intend or did not want to is completely false. I think the position of Asturias and the Government of Asturias is clear,» he said.
RECORD PAC FIGURE
Additionally, the Minister also informed the Council and later the media in a press conference that the Principality has reached a record figure with the payment of 91 million euros in aid from the Common Agricultural Policy for 2024.
«We are talking about 3.2 million more than a year ago. And this is important. It is important because in 2024, we reported that the Common Agricultural Policy and the aid to Asturian livestock farmers and farmers had reached a record figure. We confirm this a year later with the data as of June 30, 2025,» the Minister of rural affairs said.
The Minister also mentioned that this amount could be further increased once these aids are settled at the national level and there may be surpluses in basic income support among all autonomous communities, which could result in a new payment of this aid before October 15, when the financial year closes.