Traditional hunting in Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, and Ardennes: the legal system suspends shameful trials!
Tribunals are suspending decrees for “traditional” hunting trials in Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, and Ardennes.
We have just learnt that the Bordeaux and Châlons-en-Champagne Administrative Tribunals, which we referred to, have urgently suspended the decrees authorising the capture of thousands of birds using so-called ‘traditional’ methods in Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, and Ardennes – for the latter department, the LPO has also filed an emergency interim proceeding.
It is a huge victory for the 3000 field larks (2000 in Gironde and 1000 in Lot-et-Garonne), the 500 lapwings, and 15 golden plovers in Ardennes who will not be trapped in hunters’ nets and cages! Under the cover of ‘scientific research’ the government was looking to revive traditional hunting in any way possible, despite overwhelming repeated victories at the State Council since 2018, with the support of the European Court of Justice who had criticised France.
Thanks to these decisions, we can hope more than ever that these types of cruel hunting will soon be nothing but a distant memory.
The Ministry for the Ecological Transition would be well advised to no longer try to revive these hunting methods. Instead of giving special favours to obtain a few votes or sending out scratch cards to save ‘wildlife’, they should be worrying about truly protecting the animals that live in our country.
Translated from the French by Joely Justice