The government is considering an application to ensure hunting
The ban on hunting on Sundays will be lifted and the government is set to announce a program to locate hunters, several media outlets claim – especially Le Figaro and Parisian.
The government has been working on the plan for several months “ zero accidents » hunting to ensure the practice of this hobby. On Monday, January 9, during a visit to the Loire, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Bérangère Couillard, must announce the measures that the government intends to implement in six months.
Insecurity in the forest
This information shocked the Bird Conservation League (LPO) and the collective Un jour, un chasseur. During the 2021-22 season, 90 hunting accidents, including eight deaths, were recorded by the French Biodiversity Office.OFB). Two of these fatal blows were inflicted on non-hunters. The proportion of non-hunters injured the previous year had more than doubled, fueling French anger and fear. According to the Ifop survey, only 30 The percentage of French people who feel safe walking in nature is 16 points lower than in 2009.
“ I do not mean to suggest that banning hunting on Sundays solves the problem of the other six days of the week. »justified the source in the government Parisian. But about 80 A percentage of the French are in favor of this measure. Instead, the government will rely on an app where hunters have to locate themselves so hikers can get real-time information about the presence of hunters nearby.
“ Again, he spits in the face of his victims »
“ We are getting used to the government not moving forward. But it is still spitting in the face of the victimssays Mila Sanchez, from the association A day with the hunter Reporter. Deploying software is not a security measure. He once again asks the walker to avoid the bullets. »
The activist reminds that hunters’ weapons are deadly at a distance of several kilometers. In 2020, his friend Morgan Keene was murdered in his garden. In 2021, 60-year-old Joel Viard was fatally shot by a hunter while driving on the highway. “ This does not solve the problem of the dead »he says.
Without forgetting the dead ends of this measure: from the lack of nets in certain campaigns to the lack of space for isolated hunters, through retired hunters, less comfortable with such equipment – it should begin. “ Feedback does not work in areas where this app is already in use »condemns the activist.
one” gadget “optional
Same story on the side of the Birds Conservation League. “ This is a gadget, it smokesits president Allain Bougrain reacted to Dubourg Reporter. This is a dangerous joke. First, it will be optional. Since there is no compulsion, everyone will deal with it in their own way and it will not solve the problem. »
Moreover, following a journey to the information provided by a program calls into question the connections we make with our environment. “ Hikers, mountain bikers, hikers, horseback riders, families on nature walks should go with this program to create a trail that fits the needs and desires of hunters. The world is upside down », still judging.
Finally, what legal framework could support such a measure? ? What liability applies to injured hikers who cannot be bound ? “ Will they be guilty? », Allain Bougrain Dubourg asks.
Widespread ban in Europe
In early December, the MEP for Écologie-Les Verts (EELV) Charles Fournier introduced a bill proposing to ban hunting on weekends, holidays and public holidays, as well as traditional hunting (with hounds, indoors).
“ I am not banning hunting with this suggestion. I’m just saying that for safety reasons, hunting should be prohibited on days when hikers use nature. These are incompatible hobbies »– the deputy explained about BFM television. This event exists in many European countries: Italy, Portugal, Spain, England, Switzerland, Holland chose a day or two without hunting. “ France is far behind at this level. Hunting on Sundays has been prohibited in Great Britain since 1831. »Mila Sanchez explains.
Fear of sparks
And the numbers are clear: of the 80 cases published in the press since September 2022 and listed by the collective Un jour, un chasseur39 of them were on Sunday, and 57 of them were on the weekend. “ That’s when families go out and problems inevitably arise. »Mila Sanchez explains.
The National Hunting Federation strongly opposed the proposal, particularly the Sunday hunting ban. Its president Willy Schraen warned: “ This will set whole villages on fire. » A remark to which the government apparently did not fall on deaf ears. “ Now is not the time to create unnecessary sparks with people who might demonstrate as the grounds for protest are gathered. »a source in the government emphasized Figaro.
What a rest for nature ?
What’s more, the Federation seems happy with the announcements coming on Monday morning, January 9. according to Shippinghe should “ publish a letter in support of the twenty proposals the government will present on Monday [le 9 janvier] ».
If this waiver of the Sunday ban is approved, “ Although this would be an effective measure, very broadly consensual and conciliatory, it would mean a major rejection by the executive. »guesses LPO. France is the European country with the highest number of bird species hunted: 64 bird species compared to an average of 39 species in the rest of Europe. 20 million animals are bred for hunting. 15 hunted species are on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). “ Nature would also agree to take a breather on a Sunday. This is the reality »Allain Bougrain Dubourg concludes.
