According to major media reports, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) has proposed a new list of species for protection, adding the hedgehog and the European eel. The list includes 234 species, with the eel assessed as acutely threatened and the hedgehog as vulnerable. The proposal marks a significant update to Sweden's conservation efforts.
Since autumn, the agency has changed the assessment for 45 species, removing 27 from the list. Nine species have been added, and another nine have had their protection category changed. Among the additions are some mosses, such as blue glossy moss, while some fungi, like the scaly stalked puffball, have been removed. Well-known species such as hepatica and lily of the valley are now considered to be doing well and no longer need protection.
Concerns have been raised about a couple of butterfly species proposed for protection, which may already be extinct. The exact species and their status remain unclear. The timeline for a final decision on the proposed list has not been announced, and the criteria for changing a species' protection status have not been detailed.