http://www.rfi.fr/en/europe/20200307-france-considers-extending-boar-hunting-season
Issued on: Modified:
The government is preparing a decree which, if passed, will extend the boar hunting season. According to the government the aim of the law is to limit the significant damage caused by big game on farmland every year. Animal rights activists, however, are not happy.
Public consultation on the law finished during the week.
Hunting organisations, in their defense, say that they pay €30 million to farms every year to compensate for any damage caused mainly by wild boar.
Among the proposals, is one which will extend the hunting period, thus enabling hunters to start hunting in June.
As the season ends at the end of March this means hunting boar will be allowed for most of the year. It will also extend the hunting season for deer and fox.
n that is already tense
“Obviously there’s a risk of tension,” says its director-general, Yves Verilhac. “We have more and more people testifying, telling us that there were problems because they were denied access to a road [because of an ongoing hunt].
“France is the country that hunts the most species over the greatest period of the year. And we want to be champions of biodiversity! There is a problem”
Hunters say that they are not all going to take their rifle out as early as June even though the law would give them the opportunity to do so.
The derogations already existed previously. This public consultation process was highly subscribed. More than 25,000 comments were submitted and received.
Exposing the Big Game 