Traditional hunting: thousands of birds will be trapped in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques and in Landes
In the Southwest, shameful experiments involving hunting panties were illegal.
A few weeks ago, the government reauthorized the hunting of 100,000 skylarks in several departments in southwestern France. Within a few days, we obtained the immediate suspension of this decree before the Council of State. The fact that it is “traditional” does not change anything; this method of hunting, in addition to being cruel, is completely illegal.
The state and hunters justified their actions by citing “experiments” conducted in 2023 and 2024 (by the hunters themselves, of course), which were supposed to prove to the judges that they had been wrong until then…
Once again, the courts have ruled in our favor. The Pau Administrative Court has just overturned the experiments carried out in 2023 in the Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques regions. These captures were illegal and should never have taken place.
While the judges in Châlons-en-Champagne took the same position on the experiment conducted the same year in the Ardennes, we are now awaiting the decisions of those in Bordeaux concerning the Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne departments.
To the government and hunters: this relentless pursuit cannot continue. But if you continue to defy the birds, common sense, and justice, you will always find us standing in your way.
The Pau Administrative Tribunal has just rejected our two pleas and those by the LPO. Even though the State Council already considered the use of these devices to be illegal, shameful experiments paving the way for the return of hunting field larks with cages and nets was therefore able to continue in Landes and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Hunters’ vociferations before the Tribunal, after the suspension of the first three decrees in Ardennes, Lot-et-Garonne, and Gironde, were heard. Pathetic!
Whatever the result of these experiments may be, the government takes it for granted: if they once again authorise hunting next year, we will be there, as we have always been since 2018, to ensure that the law is being followed and, above all, to protect birds from hunters, who impatiently wait to be able to capture and kill thousands of field larks with their bare hands once again.
Translated from the French by Joely Justice
In the Southwest, shameful experiments involving hunting panties were illegal.
A few weeks ago, the government reauthorized the hunting of 100,000 skylarks in several departments in southwestern France. Within a few days, we obtained the immediate suspension of this decree before the Council of State. The fact that it is “traditional” does not change anything; this method of hunting, in addition to being cruel, is completely illegal.
The state and hunters justified their actions by citing “experiments” conducted in 2023 and 2024 (by the hunters themselves, of course), which were supposed to prove to the judges that they had been wrong until then…
Once again, the courts have ruled in our favor. The Pau Administrative Court has just overturned the experiments carried out in 2023 in the Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques regions. These captures were illegal and should never have taken place.
While the judges in Châlons-en-Champagne took the same position on the experiment conducted the same year in the Ardennes, we are now awaiting the decisions of those in Bordeaux concerning the Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne departments.
To the government and hunters: this relentless pursuit cannot continue. But if you continue to defy the birds, common sense, and justice, you will always find us standing in your way.