The courts have recognised that ravens and crows in Jura were illegally massacred in summer 2022
One Voice has obtained a cancellation of the 2022 prefectural decree authorising ravens and crows to be killed in Jura.
On 13 June, the Besançon Administrative Tribunal ruled in One Voice’s favour by cancelling the prefectural decree of 24 March 2022 allowing the trapping and killing of carrion crows and rooks in Jura up to 31 July. The birds massacred during this time were done so illegally. Strengthened by this decision going in our favour, we will continue to fight for them as for all animals classified as species likely to cause damage.
In March 2022, when the Jura Prefecture once again authorised the unlimited trapping and killing of carrion crows and rooks living in their area in accordance with them being classified as a species likely to cause damage, we attacked this decision immediately. Our request for an urgent suspension was refused, condemning these birds to be killed relentlessly for an additional four months. As though the famine due to the spreading of pesticidesor growing urbanisation does not already affect them enough, the sixth mass extinction of animals currently happening hits birds particularly hard…
A conveniently forgotten public consultation
This law was in fact illegal, and not only a little. By cancelling our request of 13 June, the Besançon Administrative Tribunal recognised that the Prefect’s decree had not undergone public consultation before being passed. A serious error: citizens must be consulted for any decision that has an impact on the environment. And who would believe that the massacre of carrion crows and rooks, who play a fundamental role for biodiversity, has no impact on the environment?
Action against the list of species likely to cause damage by the Ministry
This persecution against animals that are victims of being classified as species likely to cause damage must stop. For crows and ravens, but also for foxes, martens, jays, and many others, we have been preparing to counter the new ministerial decree that will sentence them to death from the end of the summer for months. From 15 June, this bill is open to public opinion. There have been so many people wishing to participate in the consultation that the Ministry’s website has been full since its launch! Our rallying started months ago with the request to each prefecture for statements of the presumed damage. We found some gems: foxes attacking cows in a group, requests for the cost of eggs valued at the price of gold…
We are preparing our plea to the State Council to challenge this ministerial list of animals still wrongly considered as pests despite their change in name thanks to the associations’ insistence, and given that, in the wild, good and evil do not exist…
Refuse this absurd classification of sensitive and intelligent beings along with us by participating in the public consultation until 6 July. To help you to defend animals, you can refer to our substantive article on the subject.
Translated from the French by Joely Justice