Viltvård

Viltvård, or wildlife management, is the systematic work to maintain viable populations of wild animals and healthy ecosystems, while promoting sustainable use and reducing conflicts between wildlife, agriculture and people. In the Swedish context, viltvård covers population regulation, habitat management, disease surveillance, and welfare considerations across game species such as moose, roe deer, red deer, wild boar, and various upland birds.

The aims include preserving genetic diversity, ensuring long-term viability of species, maintaining ecological processes, and enabling sustainable hunting and recreation.

Practice is typically organized through cooperation between regional authorities, landowners, and hunting organizations. Management decisions on harvest quotas are based on population surveys, damage reports, ecological knowledge, and legal frameworks that set rules at national and regional levels.

Key tools include population monitoring (pellet counts, camera surveys, harvest statistics), habitat restoration and management (forestry practices, meadow and wetland restoration), disease surveillance and biosecurity, and, where appropriate, changes in predator and prey dynamics. Supplemental feeding is debated and tightly regulated.

Overall, viltvård seeks a balance between conservation, animal welfare, and the social and economic benefits of hunting and nature observation, while adapting to changing conditions such as climate change and agricultural practices.