Spain's wolf-hunting ban sparks bitter debate in rural north

An Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) exercises at Basondo Animal Refuge, in Kortezubi, Spain, February 8, 2021. Picture taken February 8, 2021. REUTERS/Vincent West

ERRIGOITI, Spain (Reuters) - A ban on wolf hunting in Spain's rural north is ratcheting up tension between agriculture and conservation, pitting farmers who fear for their livelihood against environmentalists who applaud the move.

Following a decision by the Environment Ministry last Thursday, protections for the Iberian wolf in the south of Spain will be extended north of the Douro river, where controlled hunting had still been allowed.