Hundreds of wild boars targeted in the Gard region: One Voice challenges the order for hunts at the authorities' initiative
Wild boars at the mercy of hunters…
The Administrative Court in Nîmes has rejected our request for interim relief against the order giving the officially appointed huntmasters carte blanche to organise up to 900 hunts at the authorities’ initiative in 45 municipalities until 31 December 2025.
This decision, for which the judge gave no reasons, is even more incomprehensible since the Ministry of Ecology itself expressly prohibits prefects from acting in this way in a note dated 2019, which states: “You cannot prescribe hunts on a permanent basis or authorise a large number of successive hunts by a single order, which would amount to delegating power to the officially appointed huntmasters”.
Pending a decision on the merits of the case –which will take several months– we will continue to fight to denounce the unacceptable behaviour of the prefectures which are simply delegating their powers to hunters, and the harassment of wild boars, victims of a short-sighted approach that solves no problems.
The Prefect of the Gard region has authorised the mass culling of wild boars in 45 municipalities in the region until 31 December 2025. The officially appointed huntmasters will be free to choose when and where to intervene, including at night, and they may be accompanied by between one and 50 hunters. To prevent a complete massacre and put a stop to these abuses, One Voice is calling for the immediate suspension of this order. See you at the hearing on 1 August at 10am at the Administrative Court in Nîmes.
Wild boars being hunted everywhere, all the time
Accused of all kinds of wrongdoing and sometimes described as “harmful” by the authorities, wild boars and their young are killed by the hundreds of thousands every year. In the Gard region, the season for hunting them lasts not five months, as for most species, but twelve. And as if that weren’t enough, they are classified as a “species likely to cause damage”: anyone requesting it can kill them or have them killed, in particular by trappers, who bait them in cages before coming to slaughter them at point-blank range.
This time, the Prefect of Gard has gone even further. He has just authorised sworn hunters to organise their own hunts in 45 municipalities in the region, whenever they see fit, until 31 December. Up to 900 operations in total, including at night, in which up to 50 hand-picked hunters, selected by the officially appointed huntmaster himself, will be able to participate. A true bloodbath is in prospect.
Massacres that solve no problems
Hunts, drives and repeated killings will not change anything: as long as we continue to grow massive amounts of corn to feed animals, who are being exploited for slaughter, on huge plots of land that are far too large to be protected, wild boars will continue to thrive. Rather than asking the real questions, the authorities continue to align themselves with the wishes of the hunters who are rubbing their hands with glee.
Of course, there is no question of them denouncing the breeding of wild boars for private hunting inside enclosures, during which they are cornered against the fence before being killed with knives, as we showed in our undercover investigation.
We will be present at the Administrative Court in Nîmes on 1 August at 10am. In the meantime, call on your elected representatives to demand the closure of farms breeding wild boars intended for hunts. Sign and share our petitions for a radical reform of hunting and a ban on hunting in enclosures, on farms and with spears!
Wild boars at the mercy of hunters…
The Administrative Court in Nîmes has rejected our request for interim relief against the order giving the officially appointed huntmasters carte blanche to organise up to 900 hunts at the authorities’ initiative in 45 municipalities until 31 December 2025.
This decision, for which the judge gave no reasons, is even more incomprehensible since the Ministry of Ecology itself expressly prohibits prefects from acting in this way in a note dated 2019, which states: “You cannot prescribe hunts on a permanent basis or authorise a large number of successive hunts by a single order, which would amount to delegating power to the officially appointed huntmasters”.
Pending a decision on the merits of the case –which will take several months– we will continue to fight to denounce the unacceptable behaviour of the prefectures which are simply delegating their powers to hunters, and the harassment of wild boars, victims of a short-sighted approach that solves no problems.