Hunters in Charente-Maritime have backtracked on the introduction of a "merit bonus" for those who will kill the most red foxes. A decision that follows an "unjustified controversy" according to the departmental federation of hunters.

A "bonus" of up to 500 euros, to kill foxes: by recently offering this competition to its members, the hunting federation of Charente-Maritime has caused an uproar and made Wednesday night, backwards.

"Given the incomprehension caused by the incentive to levy" and facing an "unjustified controversy" , the departmental federation of hunters announced that it "withdraw the implementation of the announced gratuity , " according to a statement.

A controversial initiative

A few days ago, the departmental federation offered to refund the hunting license and insurance "to all hunters who will individually bring back at least 35 tails of foxes captured during the season (July 1 to June 30)" .

To this reward were added "500 euros of vouchers for the hunter who reported the most fox tails, 350 euros for the second and 150 euros for the third" .

The initiative, as part of a "small game" plan that also targeted crows, had sparked an uproar, particularly among environmental groups.

400 000 foxes killed each year in France

For Patrick Picaud, president of Nature Environment 17, "crows are harmful to the agricultural world, and their regulation is not catastrophic because it is far from rarefaction. But the foxes ... The population is not encrypted and nobody knows how many are already slaughtered each year, " he told AFP.

The president of the group of organic farmers (Gab17) Vincent David said that "it is not by removing biodiversity that we will improve biodiversity," adding that the "real problem is the wild boar and deer, that hunters do not manage at all .

Both worried about the possible devastating effect that the race may have on the purchase vouchers if the 19,000 hunters from Charente-Maritime wanted to obtain them. According to a 2014-2015 study by the National Office for Hunting and Wildlife (ONCFS), 400,000 foxes are killed each year in France.

The Charente-Martime Federation of Hunters has nevertheless stated that it knew it could "still count" , premium or not premium, "on the commitment of hunters to regulate the population" foxes and crows, species classified harmful.