Wednesday 23 November 2022 | 7

One Voice will be at the Montpellier Tribunal on 30 November to enforce the law on protecting wolves

One Voice will be at the Montpellier Tribunal on 30 November to enforce the law on protecting wolves

Mis à jour le 03 January 2023

For one flock located in a non-protected zone, the Hérault Prefect has immediately authorised reinforced defensive shots on wolves without going through simple scaring and defence shots first. A measure implemented without respecting the obligatory steady increase written in law, a sine qua non condition to derogate from various wolf protection regimes. For One Voice, systematic shooting is not a sustainable or acceptable solution for happy cohabitation with nature and mountain inhabitants.

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Wolves are sensitive, reserved, social animals who all have their place in our ecosystem. Their species has returned naturally to national areas; proof, if any is needed, that the conditions for their presence have been met.

We, humans, have to learn to live wisely with wild animals, without systematically using lethal solutions. We praise the inventiveness of our species, our innovation. Why then, in an ecological place and faced with other inhabitants of the planet, are we so uninventive? They, like us, deserve better than systematically resorting to the easiest solution: massacring. We are more creative than that. Let’s prove it.

The Canis lupus species is protected by the Bern Convention and the 1992 ‘Habitats’ Directive. The latter has imposed the implementation of strict protection for wolves within the member states, and France has therefore included them in their Code of the Environment. The only possible exemptions to this protection system are gradual and are, legally speaking, much led by the ministerial decree of 23 October 2020. This authorises prefects to sporadically implement scaring measures, simple defence shots, reinforced defence shots, and finally test shots.

For the herd in Fraisse-sur-Agout, admittedly declared as being un-protectable, no simple defence shots had been authorised beforehand, and above all, there had not been any attacks for a year! For One Voice, the prefectural decree does not fulfil the conditions allowing this authorisation to be legally granted. We have therefore filed an emergency interim suspension which will go to a hearing at 2:30pm on 30 November at the Montpellier Administrative Tribunal. This will allow us, if we win the case, to immediately prevent an application for the decree. At the same time, we have also filed a cancellation plea, to be judged later, which will decide on the legality of the decree.

On a European level, the coalition that we are part of, the European Environmental Bureau, has written to MEPs for them to join and commit in favour of large carnivores and wolves in particular with the resolution being voted on on 24 November.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Julia Mothé
Hr blog

In the subject

Let’s rally for the wolves: we are participating in great numbers in the ministry’s public consultations! Persecution of animals’ bodies: but how far will they go?

Comments 7

I accept that publication of my comments is subject to the code of conduct.

Mme Loup | Sunday 25 December 2022

LE LOUP A LA TETE DE LA CHAINE ALIMENTAIRE ! SI L'ON SE MET A ANEANTIR UNE MEUTE DE LOUPS, ALORS IL Y AURA DEREGLEMENT ! CEUX QUI APPLIQUENT BETEMENT LES CONSIGNES SONT DES ETRES PRIMAIRES ! SAUVONS LE LOUP !

Mme Loup | Tuesday 13 December 2022

LES PREFETS PREFERENT AVOIR LA PAIX, TUER EN FRANCE PARAIT ETRE COURANT VOIR MEME NATUREL, OU SOMMES NOUS, CE PAYS SE DEGRADE, ET ON NE RESPECTE PLUS RIEN NI PERSONNE ! MERCI A ONE VOICE DE DEFENDRE CEUX QUI NE PEUVENT PAS LE FAIRE !

Isabelle | Thursday 24 November 2022

Merci One voice.
Quand vont-ils laisser tranquilles nos frères les loups ?

trochu | Thursday 24 November 2022

Scandaleux de telles mesures prises par ce préfet pour protéger des troupeaux qui partiront à un moment donné, dans l'enfer et l'horreur que sont les abattoirs, et là, ni ces éleveurs chasseurs et préfet ne s'indigneront et ne seront attristés. Les loups sont des animaux merveilleux, sensibles, très intelligents et pacifiques. Ils sont à leurs places dans ce pays, et n'ont pas à être traqués et tués à la moindre occasion, tout cela relève de sadisme et d'acharnement envers les loups et autres animaux, et nous ne devons le tolérer.