The Prefecture of Ariège continues to harass bears on the Arreau summer pasture: a new petition for protection of fundamental liberties filed
A partial victory for the bears of the Ariège region
On 24 July 2025, the Administrative Court in Toulouse ruled in our favour and suspended an order by the Prefect of Ariège authorising scare shooting against bears in broad daylight. A few hours later, a new text was published, this time authorising shooting… until 10am. This hastily written document confirms the relentless persecution of these animals who are supposed to be protected in the region.
Once again, we urgently filed for protection of fundamental liberties to the same court. Once again, the court suspended the order, reiterating that these shootings cannot under any circumstances be carried out during the day, i.e. after 8am. This is a partial victory for the bears who will nevertheless continue to be subjected to these frightening shootings, which can have dramatic consequences for females and their young, during the night.
The exceptional presence of the Prefect coordinating the Bear Plan at the hearing illustrates the State’s commitment to making life increasingly difficult for these animals who are constantly in critical danger of extinction in France. We will remain vigilant and will challenge future authorisations whenever we can, so that the State finally understands the message: the importance of protecting nature and its inhabitants!
Although we obtained the suspension of the prefectural order authorising reinforced scare shooting against bears on the Arreau summer pasture in Ariège on 24 July, a new text was signed two days later to reauthorise it. We filed a new petition for protection of fundamental liberties this morning. The hearing will be held at the Administrative Court in Toulouse on 29 July at 3pm.
Suspension of shooting during daytime: the Prefect refuses to accept defeat…
The Prefecture of Ariège has taken its harassment of bears too far: it had authorised scare shooting in the daytime from 21 to 25 July on the Arreau mountain pasture. The Administrative Court in Toulouse, to which our lawyers from the law firm Gossement immediately referred the matter, ruled in our favour and suspended the shooting as a measure of interim relief.
The order was illegal, and as usual the prefecture had waited until the last minute to publish it. Although its manoeuvres were publicly denounced, it did not wait long and published a new order on Saturday, authorising operations from today until Friday, from 8pm to 10am. When it comes to persecuting bears, the State wastes no time!
… and issues a new order that we immediately counterattack
Admittedly, this time shooting is no longer permitted in the middle of the day, but according to this new authorisation it may last until 10am, which means three and a half hours more of traumatic detonations than the usual scare operations. The administration, completely insensitive, does not even take into consideration the case of mothers and their cubs who these attacks could separate. They are already in constant danger, like Caramelles who was killed by hunters.
The Prefecture of Ariège is stepping up its attacks to torment bears: it makes no secret of the pain it deliberately inflicts on them, like in the case of Barny. Every summer, we are there to challenge its scaring orders against animals that eight out of ten French people consider to play a key role in ecosystems (Ipsos/One Voice survey, November 2024).
We will therefore be present at the Administrative Court in Toulouse on Tuesday 29 July at 3pm to speak out on behalf of the bears and request the suspension of the planned scare shotings in the summer pasture of the Arreau pastoral unit until 1 August. Sign up to defend them with us.
A partial victory for the bears of the Ariège region
On 24 July 2025, the Administrative Court in Toulouse ruled in our favour and suspended an order by the Prefect of Ariège authorising scare shooting against bears in broad daylight. A few hours later, a new text was published, this time authorising shooting… until 10am. This hastily written document confirms the relentless persecution of these animals who are supposed to be protected in the region.
Once again, we urgently filed for protection of fundamental liberties to the same court. Once again, the court suspended the order, reiterating that these shootings cannot under any circumstances be carried out during the day, i.e. after 8am. This is a partial victory for the bears who will nevertheless continue to be subjected to these frightening shootings, which can have dramatic consequences for females and their young, during the night.
The exceptional presence of the Prefect coordinating the Bear Plan at the hearing illustrates the State’s commitment to making life increasingly difficult for these animals who are constantly in critical danger of extinction in France. We will remain vigilant and will challenge future authorisations whenever we can, so that the State finally understands the message: the importance of protecting nature and its inhabitants!