Abolition of Earth Dog Hunting in the Canton of Bern
The SVP and EDU parliamentary groups opposed the motion, as did parts of the FDP and Centre Party groups. Their spokespersons argued that the current regulations are sufficient and that earth dog hunting takes place only rarely.
Earth dog hunting is to be largely banned in the Canton of Bern because it is often cruel.
The cantonal government recommends acceptance
The cantonal government shares this view and therefore recommends acceptance of a broadly supported motion.
Green Liberal Casimir von Arx is calling for the legislative amendments together with members of the cantonal parliament from the SVP, EVP, FDP, SP, Greens, and Centre Party.
In earth dog hunting, a so-called earth dog is sent into the burrow of a fox or badger to drive the animals out. Hobby hunters wait at the entrance of the burrow to shoot the foxes or badgers as they emerge.
When a fox flees from the burrow, there is, among other risks, the danger that it is only wounded rather than killed outright. Earth dog hunting can therefore be described as an ethically questionable and often cruel hunting method.
Conducting earth dog hunts is generally unnecessary. Nor can a lasting regulatory effect on fox or badger populations be demonstrated..
Following the cantons of Geneva, Zurich, Thurgau, and Basel-Landschaft, the Canton of Bern is another canton putting a stop to the animal cruelty practised by hobby hunters.
Update 15.9.2021: Motion referred
With 79 votes to 64, the Grand Council on Monday, 13 September 2021, referred a motion by Green Liberal Casimir von Arx — in line with the government's recommendation.
Exceptional permits should, however, remain possible, as the motion's authors had envisaged.
Schliefenanlage Schwadernau
In 2019, the pointing dog hunters' association of the Canton of Bern sought to build an artificial fox burrow — known as a Schliefe — on its grounds near Schwadernau, to serve as a training facility for hunting dogs. Approximately one fifth of all red foxes shot in Switzerland are killed in the Canton of Bern, even though experts see no justification for this.
This hunters' tall tale however, this is diametrically at odds with years of experience in the canton of Geneva or, for example, in Luxembourg, where fox hunting has been banned for several years!
This would appear to have definitively buried this form of animal cruelty designed around perversion, which the IG Wild beim Wild fought against with a petition.
