Two prefectures abandon night shootings of red foxes
Two draft prefectural decrees authorizing night firing on red foxes were abandoned following numerous participations in public consultations led by One Voice.
Two draft prefectural decrees, in Meurthe-et-Moselle and Aube, to allow night shooting of red foxes has been abandoned. The numerous participations concerning public consultations has paid off and the developed arguments have won the battle! Several hundred foxes and their young have been saved. This is one more step towards the rehabilitation of this animal so intelligent and sensitive, victim of a terrible reputation.
In February, several public consultations were launched by prefectures in eastern France, with a view to adopting orders authorizing night shooting of red foxes. We had asked you to stop such orders of the planned “levy”, in other words the stalking and hunting of more than 500 foxes in the departments concerned.
Yet these small canines feel emotions, are sentient beings, and intelligent. They live in families, and have a very rich subjective life, we witness the place they have taken over time in our stories for children and in our imaginations. Their ingenuity and liveliness has been remarkable to be hold in the eyes of humans for centuries.
The false arguments of hunters revealed in the light of day
The Renard Grand Est Collective, of which One Voice is a part of, had raised contradictions and false arguments in the reports of the federations of hunters that prompted the writing of these decrees. A solid and reliable argument had been prepared on the basis of the legitimate criticisms raised by these draft orders.
In Meurthe-et-Moselle, the hunters had convinced the prefecture that the hares were in danger because of the foxes, and required the shooting of 500 of them. Not a contradiction, the same federation of hunters required the “levy” in parallel with 1500 hares in the same order. The figures in their report were very questionable.
In Meurthe-et-Moselle as in the Aube, the fox still crystallized all the irrational fears around illnesses, whereas its presence prevents in particular that the Lyme disease – of which voles are carriers – spreads at high speed, likewise for alveolar echinococcosis …
We are still waiting for the summaries and analyses of the Moselle and Ardennes consultations, but the renouncement of the Aube and Meurthe-et-Moselle prefectures is very encouraging! In Meurthe-et-Moselle, 62% of the opinions filed were against the draft order, they were 96% in Aube!
The red fox indicative of irrational fears
What our contributions to all of this has shown is that the red fox is once again considered as the source of all evils, the scapegoat of humans …
If the partridge and hare populations need to be “restored”, it would be much more effective to remove them from the list of huntable animals. Protect their habitat by ceasing to cut back ever more forests to put in place intensive agriculture with the application of pesticides or the building of shopping centres.
Foxes regulate their population in accordance with their habitat and the presence of food available, so it is useless to hunt or trap endlessly! These poor animals are considered during the entire hunting season as game and the rest of the year they are considered as likely to cause damage. This allows for their trapping and even their unearthing, regardless of their age, which means that babies too can be slaughtered!
Opinions matter, let’s keep taking action!
Thank you for your mobilization!
If sometimes the opinions of the public and animal advocates are swept away, this time the two consultations were taken into account as they should. The arguments of the public were based on a scientific, technical and very precise basis, in addition to highlighting the highly sensitsive nature of these wonderful beings.
So, let’s always be vigilant, and let’s get ready to write at the next opportunity, to defend the foxes! To make them disappear from the list of species likely to cause damage, please continue to sign our petition!