No, Bovine Tuberculosis does not spread more when we spare badgers’ lives

No, Bovine Tuberculosis does not spread more when we spare badgers’ lives
22.07.2021
France
No, Bovine Tuberculosis does not spread more when we spare badgers’ lives
Wildlife

While it is true that badgers feature among wild animals that are susceptible to being a host for Bovine Tuberculosis, incidentally in the same way as wild boar or deer for example, it is indeed a disease which originates from cattle herds. Therefore, when farmers and hunters claim in the media that sparing the lives of badgers is the cause of the disease spreading, and that the withdrawal of the decree that we criticised contributes to it, we can only counter them with the facts. We cannot let them say whatever they like to the public and trick them with their deceptive arguments.

Digging out: a dangerous hunt for dogs who can catch diseases

Underground hunting with hounds is a dangerous practice in terms of Bovine Tuberculosis because it puts hunting dogs in contact with badgers and with tunnels where badger urine can be found, which increases the risk of Tuberculosis spreading. Incidentally, this is the reason for the ministerial ruling of 7 December 2016 which orders that, in areas at risk, the Prefect can forbid the practice of underground hunting with hounds for all species for which hunting is permitted, owing to the risk of contamination for the teams of dogs. The Prefect knows this all the more since he actually had it banned in one part of this area precisely for that reason!

It is therefore completely contradictory and counter-productive to practice digging out to fight against Bovine Tuberculosis! We have highlighted this in the plea that we won against the Prefect of Lot-et-Garonne’s decree.

Divide and rule: when hunters make a game out of Bovine Tuberculosis

Unfortunately, killing badgers remains permitted from September to mid-January, in particular for hunting with guns. Now, many scientific studies have shown that indistinguishable badger culling results in an increase of Tuberculosis in bovines and the risk of transmission into adjoining areas owing to spreading machinery and the social and territorial reorganisation of surviving individuals.

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) has produced two reports on this issue, in 2011 and 2019, in which they consider that culling is not justified as a preventative measure in badger populations that are not yet affected by Tuberculosis. Indeed, this seems logical: you don’t cull individuals in good health to avoid transmitting a disease!

The withdrawal of the decree that we contested does not mean the disease will spread!

The diggers actually complained about the cancellation of their favourite summer hobby for completely disingenuous reasons. On one hand, they pinned the blame of bovine herd culling – destined for the slaughterhouse by farmers, need I remind you? – on badgers and on us, their advocates, while it is these farms that are the source of the transmission of the disease to wild animals.

On the other hand, the hunt isn’t used to fighting against the spread of Bovine Tuberculosis. Specific administrative demolition decrees have been issued for this within the framework of the Sylvatub system. The withdrawal of the decree that we obtained changes nothing on this point.

Equally, concerning the damage attributable to badgers and duly observed in farming, it is possible to put alternative (repulsive: filling in the setts so that the badgers “move out”, as the case may be) solutions in place. And the Prefect, unfortunately, has the possibility year-round and every time he deems it necessary to order these administrative badger “demolitions”. Even then, the withdrawal of the Lot-et Garonne Prefect’s decree that we contested doesn’t change anything.

Therefore, badger culling largely remains possible (something which we deplore); the misleading argument of hunter-farmers doesn’t hold up for a minute. We have obtained the withdrawal of the decree because the Prefect hadn’t carried out a public consultation beforehand. But he also allows the practise of a hobby that either way isn’t linked to the presence of damage or to a health risk.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Coitus interruptus for badger diggers in Lot-et-Garonne

Coitus interruptus for badger diggers in Lot-et-Garonne
19.07.2021
Lot-et-Garonne
Coitus interruptus for badger diggers in Lot-et-Garonne
Wildlife

The hearing at the Administrative Court in Bordeaux concerning our appeal to defend badgers took place on 29 June 2021. For the rapporteur public, the decree ordered by the Prefect of Lot-et-Garonne on 11 December 2021 that permits the allowed period of underground badger hunting with hounds to be kept from mid-May to Mid-September 2021 should be totally or partially withdrawn. We were therefore optimistic, and the good news broke this evening on 19 July 2021: the decree has been withdrawn!

Amongst the grievances that we have against this decree, there was the fact that the Prefect hadn’t preceded the publication with a public consultation.

For us, the decree was equally “tarnished by an obvious error of judgement”, it “was/is unaware of the precautionary approach” and was “tarnished by misuse of power”.

For Muriel Arnal, founding president of One Voice: « Badgers are peaceful animals who are protected in most European countries. And for a reason! Their population remains relatively stable and they don’t cause any damage. The only reason for authorising allowed periods for digging them out is simply for hunters’ pleasure! »

The Bordeaux Administrative Court has now decided to agree with the rapporteur public’s outcome. This is great news for badgers in Lot-et-Garonne. Effectively, badger diggers, who are allowed to carry out their sinister task from autumn to spring, will no longer be able to do so this summer. So, admittedly, from mid-May to now, it had been possible for them to kill badgers by digging the soft soil of the setts but that is where their gruesome game ends. We are extremely happy with this positive conclusion.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Hunting with glue: the State Council has ruled, victory for birds

Hunting with glue: the State Council has ruled, victory for birds
28.06.2021
France
Chasse à la glu: le Conseil d’État a tranché, victoire pour les oiseaux
Wildlife

On May 28, 2021, the State Council examined the merits of the petition filed by One Voice and others against the 2018 and 2019 decrees authorizing glue-trap hunting. A positive decision had been handed down by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), so there was cause for optimism.

The decision of France’s highest public jurisdiction has just arrived: the State Council rules that glue-trap hunting is illegal.

In addition, the five decrees of September 24, 2018 by the Minister of State, Ecological and Solidarity Transition, relating to the use of birdlime for the capture of thrushes and blackbirds meant to be used as decoys, respectively, in the regions of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse and Var, for the 2018-2019 campaign, have been annulled.

What a great victory for birds, who will no longer be caught in glue in France! For four years now, One Voice has also been fighting before the State Council against all the other forms of traditional hunting. For these little birds, we’ll go all the way. Muriel Arnal President and Founder of One Voice

Below is the press release issued by the State Council

The State Council rules that glue-trap hunting is illegal

The State Council has ruled that glue-trap hunting cannot be authorized as it stands, after animal protection associations called for it to be banned and hunting federations called for it to be maintained. After referring the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union, the State Council has annulled the French regulation authorizing the glue-trap hunting of thrushes and blackbirds, on the grounds that it is contrary to European law. In fact, it has not been demonstrated that the other birds accidentally caught using this method are caught in small numbers and without serious consequences. Furthermore, the fact that this is a “traditional” hunting method is not sufficient to justify a derogation.

A “traditional” hunting technique in five regions of south-eastern France (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse and Var), hunting with glue or birdlime involves coating sticks (“gluaux”) with glue in order to capture live birds of certain species who land on them, for use as decoys. Other birds caught using this technique must be released.

The European Birds Directive of November 30, 20091 prohibits the use of mass or non-selective capture methods, and lists glue-trap hunting as one of the prohibited practices. The directive does, however, provide for a derogation to be granted, “if there is no other satisfactory solution”, to capture certain birds in small quantities, “under strictly controlled conditions and on a selective basis”.

After asking the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to clarify its interpretation of these provisions of the Birds Directive, the State Council took the Court’s response into account and today annulled the ministerial decrees setting the maximum number of thrush and blackbird catches by glue-trap hunting in France. The three rulings were issued in response to appeals from the association One Voice and the French League for the Protection of Birds, which had called for the technique to be banned, and from the National Hunting Federation (FNC), which had called for it to be maintained.

The State Council noted that neither the government nor the hunters’ federation had provided sufficient evidence to assert that glue-trap hunting only led to the capture of small numbers of birds belonging to species other than those sought. Nor can it be claimed that accidentally captured birds would only suffer negligible damage once released and cleaned, particularly to their plumage.

Furthermore, it points out that while traditional hunting methods may be authorized under the Birds Directive, the sole aim of preserving these traditions is not sufficient to justify a derogation from the prohibitions of principle laid down in the Directive. Finally, it notes that it has not been demonstrated that there is no other satisfactory solution to the practice of glue-trap hunting.

Timeline

• September 2018 and September 2019: The Government authorizes by decree the glue-trap hunting of thrushes and blackbirds in five regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur for the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 hunting seasons.
• November 2019: Referred to by the association One Voice and the French League for the Protection of Birds, the State Council asks the CJEU to clarify the interpretation of the Birds Directive (see decision).
• August 2020: Pending a response from the CJEU, the Government refuses to authorize glue-trap hunting for the 2020-2021 campaign.
• September 2020: The National Hunting Federation refers to the State Council to order the Government to reauthorize glue hunting.
• March 17, 2021: The CJEU responds to the State Council (see decision).
• June 28, 2021: The State Council annuls the orders setting the number of birds that may be captured in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, and validates the Minister’s refusal to authorize such captures in 2020.

1Directive 2009/147/EC of November 30, 2009 on the conservation of wild birds

Read the press release

Download decisions n°443849, 434365 and 425519