After the flames, bullets? Calling for a ban on hunting in the Aude region

After the flames, bullets? Calling for a ban on hunting in the Aude region
02.09.2025
Aude
After the flames, bullets? Calling for a ban on hunting in the Aude region
Wildlife

The year 2025 was marked by record-breaking fires. In the Aude region, a woman lost her life. Thousands of hectares of vegetation were reduced to ashes. And how many animals, trapped by the flames, lost their lives? Yet, as if nothing had happened, hunting season is about to open in the region. One Voice is officially asking the prefect to take action by suspending hunting for the coming season.

Year after year, a veritable massacre

They are already bearing the brunt of the effects of heat waves, climate change, agriculture, and rampant urbanization. Now they must also face massive fires that recur year after year, such as those that ravaged the Aude region this summer. Birds, mammals, batrachians, insects… Disoriented by the smoke, they are unable to flee and suffer the unbearable assault of the fire.

Those that do not die will have no shelter in which to recover and heal their wounds. No more water or food, only dead tree trunks as far as the eye can see. Despite this heartbreaking situation, and while volunteers on site are trying to rescue them, hunters are preparing their guns, just a few days before the opening of the 2025-2026 season.

Sign to ban hunting in disaster areas!

We do not accept that bullets should follow flames. Nearly nine out of ten French people (87%) are in favor of banning this activity in forests affected by drought (Ipsos/One Voice survey, October 2023), a common-sense measure that is nevertheless opposed by the authorities, who are too busy defending the interests of trigger-happy people.

To demand an immediate halt to shooting and give the animals a little respite, we invite you to sign the petitions launched by Futur Asso and a committed citizen calling for a truce. And we are writing to the Prefect of the Aude region: Mr. Prefect: ban hunting this year!

Bird trapping with glue, illegal possession and release of wild animals… Two men brought to justice

Bird trapping with glue, illegal possession and release of wild animals… Two men brought to justice
01.09.2025
Var
Bird trapping with glue, illegal possession and release of wild animals… Two men brought to justice
Wildlife

In Carcès (Var), two men were questioned for possessing about twenty turtles and wild birds, some of which belonged to protected species, without any authorization. In addition to keeping these animals in captivity, several of which were seized in a worrying condition, they are accused of capturing them in the wild, in particular using glue traps, and of releasing individuals of invasive alien species. We hope for an exemplary verdict at the end of the hearing, which will be held at the Draguignan legal tribunal on September 4 at 8:45 a.m.

Just as others collect stamps, these residents of Carcès kept around twenty wild animals in their home. A complaint from the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Bird Protection League (LPO) prompted the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) to launch an investigation into what was going on in this house. The search carried out on site in November 2024 speaks for itself: no fewer than 22 Hermann’s tortoises, two Asian rose-ringed parakeets, a grosbeak, a European greenfinch, and a song thrush were seized. And they are not the only ones to have fallen into the hands of these individuals.

Abuse and irresponsibility

How did all these animals end up in their captivity? Although the defendants deny having captured any birds in the wild, explaining that they “found them […] on the ground, injured or in poor condition” and took them in to care for them, the findings of the investigation formally contradict their statements. Traces of glue were found on the birds’ feathers, an undeniable sign that they had struggled in birdlime, an extremely cruel hunting technique which, in addition to injuring its targets, is completely non-selective. One might also question the so-called care they were supposedly given, given their dire condition at the time of the search. One had wounds above its beak, a second had a locked up shoulder and a large bruise, and a third had all the quills on its right wing broken, among other injuries. This calls into question the qualities of their “caretakers”…

Did they also think they were doing the right thing by releasing rose-ringed parakeets and red-eared sliders, classified as invasive alien species, into the wild, which is strictly prohibited? What became of them, left to fend for themselves in an environment that was not their own and whose ecosystem they would inevitably disrupt?

These are sentient beings, not trophies or commodities!

For more than ten years, one of the defendants had been posting photos of himself on social media with a kite, squirrels, falcons, and many others. Once again, humans have messed around by subjugating wild animals on a whim, like Akilla‘s “owner”, and at the risk of their lives. While the birds and turtles locked up in Carcès over the years do not appear to have been victims of trafficking in addition to everything else, this is far from always being the case in these dark affairs. Wildlife trafficking is one of the most lucrative illegal trades, along with drugs and weapons. And it is the animals that pay the price. We will not tolerate them continuing to suffer this fate with impunity.

We will be present as a civil party at the hearing to be held at the Draguignan legal tribunal September 4 at 8:45 a.m. We expect the judges to defend all wild animals that have been illegally captured, transported, confined, and released.

Traditional wood pigeon hunting has been criticized by the European Commission and must be abolished!

Traditional wood pigeon hunting has been criticized by the European Commission and must be abolished!
12.08.2025
Traditional wood pigeon hunting has been criticized by the European Commission and must be abolished!
Wildlife

On February 12, 2025, the European Commission referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The reason? In the South of France, hunters persist in killing wood pigeons with non-selective “pantes” and “pantières” (nets), the use of which is prohibited by the Birds Directive. We are once again taking a stand and calling for the repeal of the ministerial decrees authorizing these practices in five departments.

In the Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Gers, Gironde, and Pyrénées-Atlantiques regions, wood pigeons, attracted by the cries of other wood pigeons used as decoys, find themselves trapped in nets. When the trap reopens, it is only to allow their tormentors to finish them off. This “traditional” form of hunting is, however, banned throughout the European Union. So much so that every year since 2021, we have obtained from the Council of State the cancellation of the decrees authorizing capture using “pantes” and “matoles” (cages) in the region. The court rulings are clear: these methods are not selective and there are satisfactory alternatives. There is therefore no reason for them to be exempt. The European Commission, which had already issued a formal notice to France in 2019, has just reiterated this by taking further action against wood pigeon hunting.

The State and hunters are swimming against the flow…

Hunting with glue was declared illegal by the Council of State in 2021, and the use of “tendelles” (stone traps) was definitively banned in 2023… Thanks to the dozens of legal actions we have taken, traditional hunting practices are in the hot seat more than they ever were before. Much to the chagrin of trigger-happy hunters, who never tire of crying foul. Trapping wood pigeons, at the risk of injuring other birds, whatever they may say, is “in their DNA”, no less! And their cruel hobby should take precedence over everything else… These whims are supported by the State, which prefers gun owners and their hobby to nature, to the point of inventing the most absurd pretexts to revive these practices from another time…

… against animals already in decline 

Birds are threatened on all sides: pesticides, insect increasing scarcity, urbanization, habitat loss… In nearly forty years, a quarter of these animals have disappeared from Europe. In November 2024, we even learned of the first extinction of a continental bird in the geographical area covering Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia: that of the slender-billed curlew. The collapse of biodiversity has never been so tangible. And those who have only one desire, to empty the sky of its survivors, dare to proclaim themselves defenders of nature! This deadly cynicism must stop.

For wood pigeons, which are now the only birds still captured using “pantes” and “pantières” in France, we are asking the ministry to put an end to this practice. If they refuse, we will take the matter to the Council of State. Join your voice to ours by signing our petition for a radical reform of hunting!

Rare birth of wolf cubs on the Millevaches plateau: a living treasure threatened by poaching

Rare birth of wolf cubs on the Millevaches plateau: a living treasure threatened by poaching
04.08.2025
Corrèze
Rare birth of wolf cubs on the Millevaches plateau: a living treasure threatened by poaching
Wildlife

Last May, the wolf couple Milo and Mina gave birth to four cubs on the Millevaches plateau. Their genetic heritage is unique in France. This piece of news is an exceptional opportunity for nature. But this is no time for celebration: despite their protected status, the threat of poaching looms and decrees authorizing shooting have been issued even though the breeding season is underway. One Voice has written to the prefects of the Corrèze, Nouvelle Aquitaine, Rhône, and Auvergne-Rhône Alpes regions, as well as to the prefect responsible for the wolf plan, asking them to take urgent action and demanding concrete measures to protect livestock rather than killing these parents. The association is even offering financial assistance to implement effective protection measures.

generics.video.play There is no doubt that Mina, Milo, and their cubs are in imminent danger, between the lieutenants of louveterie and pests being on the lookout and the poachers emboldened by the prefecture’s decrees to kill wolves. Their very existence bothers those who want to take over nature and “clean it up,” as they repeat ad nauseam.

We will stop at nothing to defend these wonders and our ecosystems, which wolves take such good care of. Reaching out to our opponents is not a problem when it comes to preserving our fragile common good and working to find solutions that benefit everyone. Muriel Arnal President of One Voice

An exceptional and threatened litter

According to our partner Carduelis, from whom we have obtained this information, four cubs were born to this biologically remarkable couple. The prefecture has just confirmed this in the press. Their lineage is unparalleled in our country. This is an invaluable opportunity for wolves in particular and wild animals in general.

However, this promise of renewal is already compromised. The climate of tension and the shooting authorized by the prefecture through no less than 30 decrees are jeopardizing their existence. Tonight, more than 15 decrees authorizing shooting until December (here and there) have just been adopted, adding to the previous ones. We are currently analyzing their content with a view to taking action against them if need be.

That is why this piece of news, however good it may be, had not been announced until now. This is an absurd situation, given that the law requires them to be preserved.

Mobilization in the streets of Tulle and Brive-la-Gaillarde

Faced with this emergency, committed citizens have gathered on several occasions at our call. In Tulle on March 19 and on May 14, as well as in Brive-la-Gaillarde last Thursday, activists from One Voice and its partners sought to raise awareness among the population and remind them that the presence of wolves in the area is a natural right. Through these visible actions, we denounce the inaction of public authorities who systematically choose shooting over a genuine policy of coexistence that respects all living beings, as is practiced in other countries.

A clear request, concrete support

One Voice is sending a letter to the prefects concerned to put an end to the culling as soon as possible. At the same time, the association is calling for immediate action to enable farmers to protect their herds, considering the State is supposed to provide them assistance. This is the only way to prevent illegal acts against wolves.

The lives of Milo and Mina’s cubs are a national treasure. Their protection is a collective responsibility. One Voice calls for a suspension of all shooting and for the law to be enforced in favor of a species that, today more than ever, needs our commitment. In this fight, support us so that wolves can finally be treated with respect!

Sign to end the persecution of wolves! Sign to end the persecution of wolves! Sign to end the persecution of wolves! Sign to end the persecution of wolves! Sign to end the persecution of wolves! Sign to end the persecution of wolves! Sign to end the persecution of wolves! Sign to end the persecution of wolves! Sign to end the persecution of wolves! Sign to end the persecution of wolves!

Birds at risk: the French government backs down, we call for an urgent ban on hunting

Birds at risk: the French government backs down, we call for an urgent ban on hunting
29.07.2025
France
Birds at risk: the French government backs down, we call for an urgent ban on hunting
Wildlife

At a time when bird populations are plummeting in France and elsewhere, the government, ordered to act by the European Commission, is timidly considering restrictions on the killing of several endangered bird species. An initially more ambitious plan was abandoned under the weight of lobbies, whereas the situation today calls for a strong response: an immediate ban on the hunting of endangered migratory birds, and the programmed end of this so-called “leisure” practice. Let’s participate massively in the consultation on the draft ministerial decree to make the voice of birds heard!

Killing for entertainment, in the era of the sixth species mass extinction? No!

France holds a sad record: 65 species of birds can still be hunted there, generally without any justification other than the pleasure of killing. This is particularly true for mountain galliformes and skylarks, which are targeted every year and for which we take legal action. The arguments usually put forward to justify shooting fall flat when it comes to these animals, which, for the most part, cause neither damage nor disturbance.

Among the bird families reviewed by the Commission, all show signs of extreme fragility: intensive farming and pesticide spraying, habitat reduction… threats are everywhere. Emergency measures were therefore recommended, ranging from a moratorium (i.e. a temporary ban on culling) for common pochards, Eurasian wigeons, common quails, redwings, to a drastic reduction in quotas for pintails, shovelers and Eurasian green-winged teals. But, in the face of the pressure from gun-toting fanatics, the French government gave in yet again.

The government and hunters make little arrangements

As soon as the restrictions were announced, the hunting lobbies cried foul and boycotted the meetings. Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher was quick to knock on their door to reassure them… and to back down. When it comes to satisfying their demands, the government is always there, as demonstrated by its determination to authorize cruel traditional trapping, made illegal by our repeated legal actions.

The moratorium initially envisaged for common pochards has been abandoned, and the ban on the shooting of turtle doves, renewed from year to year since 2021 following our legal action, would be lifted. All this is to be replaced by “adaptive management”: in short, shooting is still happening, but the pace is a little adjusted. Only common eiders, black-tailed godwits and Eurasian curlews would be subject to a new temporary ban, while they are close to extinction in France. As with capercaillies, they are waiting until it’s too late to act.

What the French want and what we demand: an end to slaughter

The opinion of the French is clear: the majority want an end to this deadly pastime and greater protection for wild animals (IPSOS/One Voice 2023 survey). It’s time for politicians to stop bowing down to a few occult but ultra-minority advisors and finally protect these sentient beings and biodiversity as a whole.

The procrastination must stop! Birds are in danger

From now on, take part in the consultation on the draft decree on the hunting of certain birds and the draft decree on “adaptive management”, to say no to the policy of small steps and demand a moratorium on all species in decline! And sign our petition to demand an immediate five-year suspension of hunting for 20 endangered bird species*, and, ultimately, an outright ban.

* Black-tailed godwits; Common snipes; Pintails; Eurasian wigeons; Shovelers; Common whimbrels; Common curlews; Common eiders; Common pochards; hazel grouses; rock ptarmigans; Pyrenean partridge; rock partridges; garganeys; Eurasian teals; black grouses; turtle doves; lapwings; skylarks.