The capture of these birds "using pairs of horizontal nets ("pantes") constitutes a judicious exploitation of small quantities of birds", indicates a first decree.

"It is only authorized in the departments of Gironde, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne and Pyrénées-Atlantiques from October 1 to November 20," he adds.

A second decree specifies the number of captures authorized with pantes for the 2022-2023 season, i.e. up to 56,672 in the Landes.

Another text this time authorizes hunting using trap cages ("matoles"): "It is only authorized, under strictly controlled conditions, in the departments of Landes and Lot-et-Garonne from October 1 to November 20.

Finally, an order specifies the number of larks that can be captured in this way, ie a few thousand for the hunting season.

"The government is choosing to repeat the offense by taking up orders that it knows are illegal," immediately denounced the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) in a press release.

"And, as usual, he publishes them the day before they are applied in order to let thousands of birds be killed while the Council of State decides on the summary appeal that the LPO will file immediately to request the suspension of these decrees", she continues.

The European "birds" directive of 2009 prohibits techniques for the mass capture of birds without distinction of species.

A derogation is possible "provided that it is duly motivated and provided + that there is no other satisfactory solution + to capture certain birds".

In October 2021, the judge in chambers of the Council of State, seized urgently by the defenders of nature, had suspended government decrees authorizing traditional bird hunts.

A decision is now awaited on the merits.

After a first cancellation in August 2021 by the highest administrative court in the country of several hunting authorizations (thrushes, blackbirds, lapwings, golden plovers, skylarks with nets or cages), the judge considered that the government had taken these new decrees on the same basis, risking contravening European law, and that there was thus "a serious doubt as to their legality".

The Minister for Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, declared at the end of September that he would await the decision on the merits of the Council of State before authorizing certain traditional hunts again.

"I do not have control of the Council of State's calendar but I think that this way of proceeding is respectful of everyone", justified the minister in front of parliamentarians.

Allain Bougrain Dubourg, president of the LPO, frontally criticized President Emmanuel Macron on Friday following the publication of the decrees.

"His decision to restore medieval practices affecting a fragile species goes against his claims and disavows his own minister who had guaranteed to wait for the judgment of the Council of State before any decision", considers the official.

"In addition, it invites the manipulation of wild birds in the midst of avian flu, which is irresponsible," he judges.

© 2022 AFP