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Badger digging: One Voice launches a legal attack

Badger digging: One Voice launches a legal attack

Badger digging: One Voice launches a legal attack
03.05.2023
Badger digging: One Voice launches a legal attack
Hunting

After an initial victory at the Dijon Administrative Tribunal, One Voice remains fully against badger digging, particularly in the spring when badger cubs are present in the setts. From Charente-Maritime in Oise to Lot-et-Garonne in Meuse, we are launching an extensive legal attack against this type of cruel hunting. The first interim hearings are in Limoges and Toulouse on 3 May, and in Poitiers, Amiens, and Caen on 9 May.

Spring 2023 promises to be particularly dreadful for female badgers and their families. Dozens of prefectural decrees are in the process of being passed, everywhere in France, tosubject them to the hell of underground hunting with hounds right in the middle of the reproduction period. The warnings that we issue as part of the numerous public consultation proceedings and decisions by administrative tribunals in our favour mean nothing: prefectures, hand in hand with hunters, continue their campaign to authorise this type of hunting despite its illegality.

In the face of widespread aggression against badgers by the State and by hunters…

This huge attack has a goal: badgers, including their young, are wrongly accused of all evils to satisfy the morbid passions of diggers.

Like all decrees passed on the subject of hunting, they are subject to public participation procedures. And, in most departments, they are biased: the prefects do not communicate any data on the number of badgers living in the department or any figures on the number of individuals killed by hunters each year.

Yet, digging out in the spring threatens the very existence of these individuals in our countryside. There is a solid scientific consensus on the fact that the young are present in the setts during this period of the year and that killing them is detrimental to the balance of the species. But, preferring to rely on studies led by hunters themselves, the prefects ignore the scientific data and de facto authorise hunters to kill the young, in clear violation of the Environmental Code.

Not to mention animals from protected species such as bats, otters, or even wild cats, who sometimes also live in the burrows of these social architects.

…a pedagogical and legal counter-offensive by One Voice for these animals

Following our investigation revealing the horrors of digging out, we have supported the petition to obtain a ban on this practice on the Senate’s site. But the resulting report ‘revealed’ once again (as we suspected…) that our political representatives will not act without huge mobilisation from everyone. After the success of the first International Day for Badgers, One Voice and its partners are rallying again this year. On 15 May, we are organising numerous actions to raise awareness to rehabilitate these wrongly singled out and martyred animals, and to demand, once again, a pure and simple ban on underground hunting with hounds.

On the legal front, we will systematically attack any decree opening an additional digging out period in the spring. The decrees have already been passed: in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, we have filed an appeal as part of a united front with our partners (FNE Aura, LPO, ASPAS, and AVES).
In the departments of Manche, Oise, Orne, Charente-Maritime and even Haute-Vienne, we have urgently referred to the administrative tribunals to obtain a suspension on these decrees: urgent hearings have thus already been set on 3 May at 2:30pm in Toulouse (in the context of a joint referral with FNE 82, ASPAS, and Aves France, at which the Géo Avocats law firm will represent us) and at 3:30pm in Limoges on the same day, as well as on 9 May at 3:30pm in Poitiers, at 1:30 in Caen, and at 2pm in Amiens

To win this fight, we need you! Join us on the weekend before 15 May, throughout France, and sign the petition specifically demanding a protected species status for badgers!

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

No respite for wolves, slaughtered even during the cubs’ feeding period

No respite for wolves, slaughtered even during the cubs’ feeding period

No respite for wolves, slaughtered even during the cubs’ feeding period
25.04.2023
No respite for wolves, slaughtered even during the cubs’ feeding period
Wildlife

In France, it is possible to kill wolves all year round, with no consideration for reproduction and cubs’ feeding periods, even though they are considered a protected species. Every year, a quota of individuals to be slaughtered is set. This year, 174 could therefore be killed under the context of overriding shots for their protection. On 21 April 2023, 27 had already been killed, of which 3 were poached. However, several scientific studies agree that shots are not the solution to protect herds. Effective protection measures exist; our European neighbours apply them successfully even though the number of wolves is much higher in their area than in France.

Wolves are sociable animals. They generally live in packs, established by a couple who will be the only ones to reproduce, only once per year. After birth, the female wolf spends the majority of the time in their lair close to the young for six to eight weeks. During this whole period, the other members of the group, and in particular her partner, take care of her and feed her. The birth and upbringing of the wolf cubs is truly a family affair. Each individual has a crucial role to play, whether it be the preparation of the lair before birth, games to teach them the rules, providing them with solid food once they are weaned, or even looking after them while their mother moves around. The loss of a member therefore unbalances the whole structure and organisation of the pack.

Shots that put the survival and diversity of the species in danger

However, in France, wolves can be slaughtered all year round, even during the birthing period. Contrary to the opinion of the French National Council for the Protection of Wildlife [Conseil national de protection de la nature], who in December 2019 stated:

«The fact that there is no longer a period when shooting is prohibited, in particular during the reproduction period, seems inconsistent with the protected status of a species for which the conservation status remains vulnerable.»

During the consultation, the Council added:

«The long-term regulation of the wolf population seems to us to be contrary to national and common law, and the biology of conservation.»

According to them, failing banning them, shots should at a minimum be done “mainly between July and December” and be “accompanied by qualitative and quantitative expertise on predation”.

For us, no shooting is justifiable. But the State, who authorise the slaughtering of wolves all year round, could at least follow these minimum recommendations… Owing to malnutrition, diseases, or even climatic conditions, the survival rate for wolf cubs is just 60% during the year following their birth. Due to perpetual shooting, the survivors can subsequently find themselves without their mother or a member of their family, putting their learning and survival in danger once more.

As well as being slaughtered, wolves are also regularly victims of road accidents, as was the case already for several of them this year. They must also face the traps placed in the wild, which take numerous victims each year. Last March, a female wolf was found strangled to death in a fox neck snare. We have filed a complaint for her.

Help us to push this fight forward: sign our petition to put a stop to the persecution of wolves.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

New Ipsos/One Voice survey: French people are largely against animal testing

New Ipsos/One Voice survey: French people are largely against animal testing

New Ipsos/One Voice survey: French people are largely against animal testing
18.04.2023
New Ipsos/One Voice survey: French people are largely against animal testing
Animal testing

The results of the Ipsos/One Voice survey from April 2023 that we are publishing are indisputable: French people are calling for an end to animal testing. In more detail, the results all go along the same lines. One Voice is delighted with such enthusiasm in favour of animals on the occasion of World Day for Animals in Laboratories (on 24 April). This shared opinion by French people gives hope to the idea of the European regulations being revised currently, and, with our daily commitment, we offer support to obtain true transparency on testing and on developments by non-animal methods industries.

Not only are the vast majority of French people against animal testing (three in four), but they are against it no matter what the products tested may be (medications, drugs, or even chemical products – such as household products or cosmetics), as well as the species of animals concerned. French people also support the development and exclusive use, when they exist, of non-animal testing methods. Finally, they are clearly calling for more transparency. More precisely still:

A strong opposition to the principle of animal testing

French people are very largely (74%) unfavourable towards even the principle of animal testing, 43% of those state that they are even completely against it. This opposition is not only a majority, but it is also growing strongly. In 20 years, it increased from 10 percent (comparison of results with those from a survey carried out by IPSOS for One Voice, by telephone, from 31 January to 1 February 2003, compared with a representative sample of the French population aged 15 and above).

A significant perception gap is shown between men and women. A higher proportion of women are generally against animal testing compared with men (85% versus 63%).

Beyond opposing the principle, clear support for a ban on certain practices linked with animal testing

In more depth, we see support for a ban on animal testing intended to test different types of products. This is the case for chemical ingredients or products (66% +11 percent vs 2003), harmful products consumed by humans such as tobacco or drugs (66%), or even still for medications (65%). Whatever the type of product on which they are questioned, French people support a ban on animal testing.

French people are also very widely in favour of an end to capturing and breeding animals destined for testing. The majority of respondents support the closure of breeding farms in France and for those destined for laboratories, whether it be dog breeding farms (85% support their closure) or primate breeding farms (80%). The capture of wild animals is also the subject of a significant rejection: 81% of French people support a ban on capturing primates in the wild in Asia and sending them to France to conduct experiments.

Support for a ban on animal testing which varies according to animal species, but which systematically remains a majority

The desire for a ban on animal testing varies according to the species on which the testing is carried out. Domestic animals elicit more desire for a ban (85% for dogs, 84% for cats), just like horses (84%) or primates (81%).

If the support for a ban on animal testing is lower for other animal species, this is still the case for a majority of respondents for insects (55%) or rodents (65%).

Whatever the species of animal, we note that women are systematically more favourable towards a ban on experiments than men, each time with a deviation of more than 10 percent (91% of women are also favourable of a ban on testing on dogs, versus 80% of men).

French people vote for the development of alternative methods in animal testing

Generally speaking, French people support the idea that we must look to develop alternative methods to animal testing so that we no longer have to inflict it upon animals (81% support this position versus only 19% who consider these experiments to be a necessity for human health). We note once again that women are the most critical of animal testing: 86% of them support the development of alternative methods while only 14% prioritise experiments for human health purposes.

When alternative methods exist, French people also want animal testing to be banned. 87% are in favour of this, of which 59% are even completely in favour. They also show great support (83%, of which 52% are completely in favour, up 12% versus 2003) for the implementation of an independent authority aiming to carry out checks that tests on animals are necessary and cannot be replaced with other methods.

In order to develop these alternative methods, they massively support a progressive transfer of public funds allocated for animal testing to scientific bodies who are developing research methods without animals (89% of French people are in favour, of which 54% are completely in favour).

In favour of alternative methods, French people support the authorisation of putting medication having been tested according to alternative methods to animal testing on the market (84% are in favour, of which 46% are completely favourable).

A call for transparency within animal testing

Almost 9 in 10 French people think that it is important that the consumer is informed on the existence of animal testing, when it took place, on products that they buy. 56% of them even consider this information to be very significant.

As well as this survey, One Voice is organising action to raise awareness throughout France and is publishing a very densely sourced report on the use of primates in laboratories, after their capture, breeding, and transport, and France’s major role in this international trade. A petition has also been made available
to the public to put a stop to this trade of long-tailed macaques, an endangered species that is particularly used in testing.

Download the graph results of the surveyDownload the results overview

Translated from the French by Joely Justice