River pollution and dead fish: One Voice takes a stand

River pollution and dead fish: One Voice takes a stand
14.10.2025
France
River pollution and dead fish: One Voice takes a stand
Wildlife

From the regions of Haut-Rhin to Maine-et-Loire via Loiret, numerous cases of river pollution have been recorded this year. Illegal dumping and toxic waste are contaminating French rivers. These phenomena alter the oxygen levels, leading to the inevitable death of fish. Though the causes are still unknown, One Voice is filing a complaint and calling on the authorities to put an end to these pollutions that have been swept under the carpet.

Thousands of fish asphyxiated

In Saint-Cyr-en-Val, in June 2025, chemical pollution caused the Morchêne stream to turn an intense blue colour. An investigation opened by the French Office for Biodiversity detected a significant drop in the water’s oxygen level. The consequences were immediate: in the days that followed, around a hundred fish were found floating belly-up, having died silently.

In the Haut-Rhin region, downstream from Colmar, polluting discharges reached the Ill river, again leading to a drop in oxygen levels. Over several kilometres nearly 1,000 fish were found dead. More recently, on 15 September, in the Moine river in Cholet, a foul smell led a passer-by to discover the corpses of chub, roach, carp and bream.

Complaint filed to identify the culprits and alert the authorities

The sources of these discharges have not yet been identified. It could be nearby factories or leaks from the pipes of sewage treatment plants. One Voice is filing a complaint to make the voices of these sentient beings with fins heard.

With various cases of pollution reported –no fewer than five waterways were affected in the Grand-Est region alone in May– and studies showing high and widespread contamination of freshwater fish with PFAS (1), it is high time to take action.

We are filing a complaint to hold the perpetrators accountable and to shed light on the origin of these illegal discharges. More than ever, in the face of political inaction, we are calling on the State, prefects and mayors to protect the fish and their natural habitats.

 

1. PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” because of their extreme persistence in the environment, are several thousand chemical compounds used in a wide range of consumer products (frying pans, etc.).

All over France, hunters are terrorising animals and humans with complete impunity

All over France, hunters are terrorising animals and humans with complete impunity
09.10.2025
All over France, hunters are terrorising animals and humans with complete impunity
Wildlife

Hunters shooting near homes, trespassing on private land, risking injuring or even killing humans and domestic animals, in addition to the 45 million of their wild counterparts killed each year? This is the reality faced by many citizens living in the countryside. Where they should be able to enjoy peace and nature, they suffer the violence of trigger-happy hunters and the indifference of the authorities. One Voice calls for an end to these shameful privileges.

Horses under pressure in the Jura mountains

Imagine: you have a private forest in the Jura region, where domestic and wild animals live peacefully side by side, enclosed by a fence and signs clearly saying “No hunting” and “Do not approach the horses”. The property is adjacent to that of your family, who own pastures where horses graze. This is the living environment of the president of the association 4 Pattes et Nature, and it could be idyllic… if bullets weren’t constantly whizzing through the air.

For years, hunters have regularly trespassed on both properties, allowing their dogs to roam the pastures where horses and foals graze, not to mention shooting indiscriminately, including in the direction of homes and the local road. It is a real nightmare that would drive anyone crazy with worry… but the authorities are turning a blind eye. Numerous letters sent to the town council, the community of municipalities, the Departmental Directorate for Territories (DDT) and the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) have gone unanswered. Despite several complaints filed with the gendarmerie, nothing has been done to ensure the safety of residents and their animals.

A no-hunting zone targeted in the Gers

In the Gers region, hunts at the authorities’ initiative are on the increase in a sanctuary where hunting is prohibited. In a partly wooded district of 405 hectares, they have clearly found nothing better to do than to target this 17-hectare property on the pretext that it is a “hotbed” for wild boar, although the latter are merely passing through… The officially appointed huntmasters give the owner of the land no chance to defend himself against this relentless persecution. Each time, the orders for the hunts are published at the last minute, preventing any appeal… when they are not simply non-existent.

Night-time poaching in the Alpes-Maritimes region

In Breil-sur-Roya, at night, when hunting is prohibited, poachers resort to every possible stratagem to make use of their weapons. Often accompanied by their dogs, they do not hesitate to force their way onto private land by opening gates and cutting electric fencing wire. For nine years, one resident has been firmly opposed to hunting on her property. In retaliation, her plots of land are targeted by individuals who relentlessly hunt deer, wild boar, foxes and badgers that venture onto her property. As the material damage mounts, she feels completely powerless in the face of the authorities’ inaction which is giving free rein to a minority who are taking over every square inch of nature.

Collateral victims

In Roquefort in the Lot-et-Garonne region, a tragedy was narrowly averted on 25 September. In the middle of a hunt, a bullet lodged in the wall of the house of a childminder who was looking after three young children. The presence of hunters in the area was known, so the children had been forced to remain indoors… Adapting to the murderous impulses of armed individuals and still being in danger in their own homes is what citizens are reduced to in the name of a minority’s leisure activity.

In another municipality in the region, another person lives in fear for their life and that of their horses, having suffered intrusions and damage during the hunting season for five long years…

These fears are far from unfounded, and we have been denouncing their causes for years. In 2024-2025, eleven people died as a result of hunting, more than double the number in previous years. Victims of traps such as Collier Rouge, Cooky and Tigrou, or stray bullets such as Koukou, Memphis and Connemara, dogs, cats and horses are also among the dead and injured. Whether on foot or in 4x4s, during a hunt, a battue or a completely illegal outing, the slaughter of animals must stop.

We call on the prefectures of Jura, Gers, Lot-et-Garonne and Alpes-Maritimes, as well as the relevant town councils, to immediately withdraw the licence of the hunter involved in the shootings in Roquefort and to impose a total and permanent ban on hunting in residential areas. To put an end to these situations of terror, whose sole purpose is to slaughter for pure pleasure, sign our petition calling for a radical reform of hunting!

Illegal fishing of bluefin tuna: the offenders convicted in Narbonne

Illegal fishing of bluefin tuna: the offenders convicted in Narbonne
03.10.2025
Narbonne, Aude
Illegal fishing of bluefin tuna: the offenders convicted in Narbonne
Wildlife

In Narbonne, the Narbonne Big-game Fishing Association (ANPG) and the French Sea Fishing Federation (FFPM) cast their nets and illegally fished a large number of bluefin tuna. The court has handed down exemplary sentences for the illegal killing of thousands of fish and their equally illegal resale. A further hearing is scheduled for 9 December at 2 p.m. at the Court in Narbonne to determine the damages suffered by the victims. With this initial success, One Voice continues its fight to protect the inhabitants of the oceans.

An inaudible suffering: stop the massacre of bluefin tuna

Between 2017 and 2020, a proper system of organised fraud was devised by the Narbonne Big-game Fishing Association and the French Sea Fishing Federation. Following an investigation by the French Office for Biodiversity, the results are clear and the offences numerous: failure to declare catches, illegal sales of tuna, cutting up before measurement and weighing, tampering with identification tags, etc.

In reality, the quotas set by annual decree were not respected. Ingenious schemes were secretly devised to allow unlimited fishing and resale, even though the species is threatened with extinction. And yet the defendants refuse to acknowledge their responsibility. The hearing highlighted their disconcerting lack of awareness of the consequences of their actions.

Penalties for illegal fishing: stop repeat offences

The Court in Narbonne handed down severe sentences commensurate with the offences committed. The licences of these clandestine fishermen have now been suspended or completely withdrawn for a period of one year. The sentence will be published in the local press to highlight the seriousness of such behaviour. For twelve months, bluefin tuna will be safe from their nets.

Individuals face fines of up to €15,000, of which €7,000 suspended. A new hearing is scheduled for 9 December at 2 p.m. at the Court in Narbonne to rule on the damages suffered by the victims.

This decision marks a first victory against these sea poachers. We are intensifying our efforts to protect all fish present in the vicinity of these areas. Whatever the issues at stake –experimentation, existing fish farms, future intensive farming or the destruction of their habitat – the fight has only just begun!

Mountain galliformes: in 2025, a first victory, and hearings to come!

Mountain galliformes: in 2025, a first victory, and hearings to come!
02.10.2025
Alpes, Pyrénées, France
Mountain galliformes: in 2025, a first victory, and hearings to come!
Wildlife

In 2025, mountain galliformes are once again being targeted in the Alps and the Pyrenees. Despite the alarming state of their populations, prefects persist in wanting to place these birds, who only aspire to live in peace, before the hunters’ guns. Since 2021, One Voice has been stepping up its efforts to put an end to this archaic practice. On 22 September 2025, the Administrative Court of Appeal in Marseille ruled in our favour in a landmark decision. This sends a clear message to the prefects, that we will take to court again this year to obtain an emergency suspension of the shootings. The first hearings will be held on 7 October 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at the Administrative Court in Marseille for the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region, on 14 October at 10:00 a.m. at the Administrative Court in Grenoble for the Savoie and Haute-Savoie regions and for black grouse and rock partridges in the Isère region, and on 15 October at 9 a.m. for hazel grouse in the Isère region.

Hunted… to the last?

Adapted to extreme conditions, galliformes are animals that are emblematic of our mountain peaks. From black grouse to rock partridges and hazel grouse, these discreet birds are bearing the brunt of climate change, human disturbance and the increasing scarcity of their habitat. As if that weren’t enough, every year when autumn arrives, hunters take out their guns and proceed to methodically kill them.

From the Alps to the Pyrenees, prefects continue to authorise their killing by the hundreds, even thousands. We do not and never will accept that a small, ultra-minority group may appropriate nature and arrogate to itself the right of life and death over all animals that wish to live there in peace.

In 2025, already a major victory

In 2023 and 2024, our actions saved thousands of individuals. Victories are multiplying, and yet the message does not seem to be getting through to the authorities. In the Savoie region, the prefect is planning to cull up to 617 rock partridges this year, based on reproduction rates. When will we stop giving hunters these undeserved privileges?

On 22 September 2025, the Administrative Court of Appeal in Marseille once again ruled in our favour in a landmark decision, once more dismissing the hunters’ arguments. No, birds on the brink of extinction cannot be killed for pleasure! Once again, we will be taking this message to the courts in the coming weeks.

Faced with the hunters’ underhand strategies, hearings to come

This year, hunters are not hesitating to use underhand strategies. In the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes and Alpes-Maritimes regions, the presidents of the regional federations have simply chosen not to publish the decisions by which they allocate hunting quotas in their regions. This is an obvious strategy to prevent us from taking action, but it will not stop us.

The first hearings will be held on 7 October 2025 at 10:00 a.m. for the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence at the Administrative Court in Marseille, on 14 October 2025 at 10:00 a.m. for Savoie, at 10:15 a.m. for Haute-Savoie and then at 11:00 a.m. for Isère (black grouse and rock partridge), and on 15 October at 9:00 a.m. for hazel grouse in Isère, at the Administrative Court in Grenoble. In the meantime, sign our petition to demand a clear and definitive ban on hunting species with a poor conservation status.

No to illegal hunts in the Corrèze region! Let’s save the wolves, victims of criminal calls for poaching

No to illegal hunts in the Corrèze region! Let’s save the wolves, victims of criminal calls for poaching
30.09.2025
Corrèze, France
No to illegal hunts in the Corrèze region! Let’s save the wolves, victims of criminal calls for poaching
Wildlife

The Corrèze FDSEA (Departmental Federation of Farmers’ Unions) is calling for a “wolf hunt” to be organized on October 1 near the Millevaches plateau. This incitement to poaching is a frontal and totally illegal attack on a protected species. With their cubs just born, Milo and Mina are once again at risk of being hunted down by agricultural unions. They have the support of hunters who are rubbing their hands with glee and lobbying for the species to be made huntable. With wolves under constant attack, we will not let this pass: we are urgently alerting the authorities and will not hesitate to file a complaint.

An illegal “hunt”: a clear incitement to poaching

The FDSEA Corrèze and several other organizations have publicly announced that a “wolf hunt” will take place in the Corrèze region on Wednesday, October 1. This is a serious provocation and a direct violation of the law: wolves are a protected species, and killing them is a severely punishable offense.

This strategy is nothing new. At the beginning of the year, we had the Coordination Rurale 87 convicted for similar calls. Each time, the same agricultural lobbies attempt to trivialize the illegal killing of wolves and circumvent the law. These repeated maneuvers demonstrate a relentless desire to remove legal protections for the species and rule out any progress toward the only viable solution: coexistence.

Their goal: to make wolves huntable

Despite massive public mobilization, wolves are no longer “strictly protected” but simply “protected”. The French government is even considering allowing farmers to kill them on simple declaration, without any controls. We invite you to participate in the public consultation on the draft decree that lays the groundwork for this dramatic change. In this climate of hostility, hunters are lobbying behind the scenes to make wolves huntable without any restrictions. 

The authors of this call for poaching despise animals and living creatures, and their sole objective is to defend a dying system that is keeping them artificially alive by infusions of public money” Muriel Arnal President of One Voice

We refuse to accept this relentless persecution. We are writing to the prefect and the French Office for Biodiversity to demand that they immediately ban this illegal “hunt” by the FDSEA. If it takes place despite everything, we will take legal action. Wolves are not targets: they must be defended with strength and determination.

Traditional hunting: the Council of State suspends new authorisations, saving 100,000 larks

Traditional hunting: the Council of State suspends new authorisations, saving 100,000 larks
24.09.2025
France
Traditional hunting: the Council of State suspends new authorisations, saving 100,000 larks
Wildlife

Once again, the government has attempted to authorise traditional lark hunting in the south-west of France, bowing to the constant pressure from the hunting lobby. And once again, the courts have upheld the law by suspending these decrees just a few days before the start of the hunting season. Thanks to requests made by One Voice and the LPO, nearly 100,000 skylarks have escaped this planned massacre. This is a victory for the law, but above all for these animals who are victims of archaic traditions.

Once again, the message is clear: traditional hunting is unacceptable!

It is a battle that is being repeated year after year, despite our victories and despite the opposition of the French people, and one that we will continue to fight relentlessly so that skylarks are no longer captured in nets by the tens of thousands before being killed by hand.

This is gratuitous cruelty, passed down from another age, with nothing to justify it, especially at a time when their populations are plummeting everywhere.

For years, the courts, following cases brought by One Voice and the LPO, have been revoking these authorisations, whether they be attempts at “experiments” or orders setting quotas for catches using nets, glue or stone-crush traps.

But a few weeks ago, the government, always ready to bestow gifts upon the hunters, authorised them to kill nearly 100,000 larks in the autumn of 2025. Once again, the Council of State said stop.

If it perseveres, the government will always find us standing in its way

By persisting in reintroducing these practices, the government is trampling on animal life, court decisions and the public interest. It is time to put an end to this pointless, costly and undignified standoff, given that 83% of French people are opposed to these methods (Ipsos/One Voice, October 2022).

Thanks to this victory, 100,000 lives will be spared this year. But we will remain vigilant. Because we know that without particularly strong public pressure, they will regroup and reattack. While our request against the capture of wood pigeons with nets is ongoing, we remain fully mobilised to speak out on behalf of all these birds slaughtered for the deadly pleasure of a small minority.