A warning sign in Sarthe, February 3, 2019. - GILE Michel / SIPA

  • The opening of the hunt for boars, deer and foxes soon advanced by several months?
  • On Twitter, Internet users denounce a draft government decree which would advance this date from August 15 to June 1 for hunting, taking up the alarm cry of the Bird Protection League.
  • 20 Minutes takes stock of the concrete change that would be introduced by this draft decree.

"Hunters who will be able to kill wild animals in June?" "," In the midst of the extinction crisis, the government plans to open the hunt ... EARLY JUNE. In the middle of the breeding season ”…

On social networks, many Internet users denounce the anticipated opening of the hunt which would be planned by the government. In so doing, they rely on a press release from the Bird Protection League (LPO), an environmental protection organization.

"After having recently extended the boar hunting period from the last day of February to March 31, the State is now preparing to simplify by decree the possibility of starting hunting from June 1, instead of August 15 today ”, affirms the environmental protection association, calling for leaving comments opposing this draft decree, which is open to public consultation.

Goodbye # étésanschasse 😥
The State wants to simplify the procedure to start hunting wild boars, deer and foxes from June 1 🐗🦊🦌
Read our news + link to the public consultation
▶ ️https: //t.co/7lYvttkW0y pic.twitter.com/UULiZ6BJa3

- LPO France (@LPOFrance) February 18, 2020

FAKE OFF

The draft of this decree "relating to the control of big game populations and their damage" is indeed available online. It is supposed to allow, according to the Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition, to help "control the populations of big game and especially wild boar", causing "increased agricultural damage", of an estimated value at 30 million euros per year.

However, if the LPO notes that certain measures of the decree "may be considered positive", it denounces the abolition of the individual authorization for early hunting for wild boar and deer provided for in article R.424-8 of the code of the environment.

Hunting possible at present, with authorization

At present, this article details the "specific conditions" under which it is possible to hunt deer and wild boar (and by extension the fox) "before the general opening" of the hunt. In practice, these two animals can therefore be hunted from June 1 and until August 14, "only on approach or on the lookout", on the sole condition of obtaining a "prefectural authorization".

A request which it is enough to address to its local prefecture, by filling the dedicated form. For example, the document in force in Vienna clearly indicates that in the absence of a response from the [departmental management of the territories of Vienna] within 5 days of its receipt ", this request" is validated and constitutes authorization ”.

"What would be deleted with this decree is the need to make individual requests for early hunting authorization. We therefore do not understand why the LPO claims that this is an advance date for the opening of the hunt since the idea here is to allow administrative simplification, by modifying article R424-8 of the Environment Code, which already details the possibility of hunting wild boars and deer from June 1. The goal is also to increase the samples of wild boars [the number of animals slaughtered], to avoid their damage, "said Nicolas Rivet, director general of the Federation of Hunters at 20 Minutes .

But for the LPO, allowing hunters to kill wild boars and deer from June 1 without having to request prefectural authorization will necessarily result in an increase in the number of hunters during this period.

An unknown number of advance hunting authorizations

An opinion shared by Pierre Rigaux, independent naturalist and administrator of the French Society for the Study and Protection of Mammals (SFEPM): "According to observations made in the field, there were far fewer hunters during this period than 'in August or September, when their number explodes. Either many early hunting permits are not issued, or hunters do not approach - the figures are difficult to obtain - but there are few hunters in June and July. This decree will lead to more beatings, and an increased presence of hunters, but it will not solve the problems of damage in crops. "

Contacted by 20 Minutes on the number of anticipated hunting authorizations issued each year, the Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition had not been able to answer us before publication of the article. For his part, Nicolas Rivet indicates that he does not know it: "The data are specific to each department but, for example, it was around 1,500 in Dordogne in 2018. We do not know if the hunters will be more many go there before summer [if the decree is validated], but this form of hunting is already very developed in certain regions, in the East in particular. "

What Pierre Rigaux confirms, underlines the facilities already in force in terms of hunting authorized before June 1 in certain geographical areas: “In Drôme, the issuance of individual authorization for early hunting is automatic via the prefecture because it is a black area, supposed to suffer a lot of damage from wild boars. And in the Haut-Rhin, wild boar hunting is open from April 15 and deer hunting from May 15 ”.

A draft decree to be submitted to the Council of State

In addition to criticizing the ineffectiveness of this strategy for hunting wild boars to avoid their damage, Yves Vérilhac, director of the LPO, denounces a measure "discovered thanks to our mere presence on the National Council for Hunting and wild fauna [CNCFS] ”and a text“ which had been prepared in advance with the hunters ”.

On its website, the Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition clearly indicates that the draft decree was submitted, according to the regulatory process, to the opinion of the CNCFS in January before receiving a favorable opinion on February 5. "It was validated by 15 votes for, 6 absences and 2 votes against - including that of the LPO", specifies Yves Vérilhac, while the draft decree must still be submitted for the opinion of the Council of State after 3 March.

By the Web

"Assassins", "dirty barbarians" ... The poster of the Gironde Hunting Federation outraged Internet users

World

Fires in Australia: No, these photos do not show camels shot this week

  • Boar
  • Nature
  • Fake Off
  • Hunt
  • LPO