Cantonal popular initiative: Canton of Grisons

«For professional wildlife protection»

Constitutional initiative in the form of a drafted proposal

Pursuant to Art. 12 of the Constitution of the Canton of Grisons of 14 September 2003 and the Act on Political Rights in the Canton of Grisons

Submitted by the initiative committee [date of submission]

Text of the initiative

The undersigned, persons entitled to vote in the Canton of Grisons, hereby submit the following constitutional initiative:

The Constitution of the Canton of Grisons of 14 September 2003 shall be supplemented by the following article:

Art. [new] Professional wildlife protection

1 The practice of hunting by private individuals (licence hunting, recreational hunting) is prohibited throughout the entire territory of the Canton of Grisons.

2 The protection, care and, where necessary, regulation of wild animals shall be the exclusive responsibility of professionally trained wildlife managers employed by the canton.

3 The killing of wild animals is only permitted as a last resort, when all other suitable measures for preventing damage or averting danger have been exhausted or are insufficient. It requires prior approval by the Wildlife Commission.

4 The canton shall establish an independent Wildlife Commission, composed of representatives of animal welfare and nature conservation organisations, the scientific community and the authorities concerned. The commission shall oversee wildlife management and decide on regulatory measures.

5 The canton shall promote the natural regulation of wildlife populations, the connectivity of habitats and the coexistence of humans and wild animals.

6 Further details shall be regulated by law.

Art. [new] Protection of endangered and protected wild animal species

1 The canton refrains from regulating populations of protected wild animal species pursuant to Art. 7a of the Federal Act on Hunting and the Protection of Wild Mammals and Birds and does not grant kill permits for individual animals of protected species pursuant to Art. 12 para. 2 of this Act, in particular not for wolf, lynx, bear, beaver, otter, golden jackal, golden eagle, goosander and other species protected under federal law. Paragraph 3 remains reserved.

2 It relies on fostering coexistence between humans and wild animals, passive damage prevention, the ecological enhancement of habitats and the scientific monitoring of wild animal presence.

3 Measures against individual wild animals that pose an immediate and significant danger to humans remain reserved. They are to be limited to the minimum necessary and carried out by the canton's competent specialist authority.

4 The canton actively advocates for the protection and preservation of endangered wild animal species within the framework of inter-cantonal cooperation and towards the Confederation.

Transitional provision

1 The cantonal government shall enact the necessary implementing provisions within two years of the adoption of this constitutional amendment.

2 Existing hunting licences expire upon the entry into force of the implementing provisions. Patent fees already paid for the current hunting season will be reimbursed on a pro-rata basis.

3 The cantonal government shall ensure continuity of wildlife management during the transitional phase.

Explanatory notes

1. Starting position

In the Canton of Grisons, Switzerland's largest canton by surface area with around 200,000 inhabitants across 7,105 km², today's recreational hunting is a system that serves neither species conservation nor modern wildlife management. It is the exercise of a bloody leisure pursuit at the expense of sentient beings, legitimised by outdated narratives that do not withstand scientific scrutiny. The claim that the ecological balance would collapse without recreational hunting has been empirically refuted for over 50 years by the Geneva model (see the comprehensive dossier on the Geneva hunting ban on wildbeimwild.com).

In Grisons, recreational hunting is organised as licence hunting. The Grisons high hunt and the Grisons low hunt are deeply rooted in cantonal culture. Yet cultural tradition does not legitimise animal cruelty. Private individuals purchase a cantonal licence and hunt without fixed responsibility for a hunting ground (see the Psychology of recreational hunting in the canton of Grisons as well as the critical analysis of hunting training on wildbeimwild.com).

Grisons is the canton where the return of predators to Switzerland began: in 2012, the first wolf pack of modern Switzerland was confirmed on the Calanda above Chur. Further packs have since joined. The bear M13 was shot in Grisons in 2013. The lynx has been native there for decades. The golden eagle breeds throughout the canton. The bearded vulture is present in the Engadin. With the Swiss National Park in the Engadin, Grisons is home to the oldest national park in the Alps, where no hunting has taken place for over 100 years (see the analysis of hunting policy on wildbeimwild.com and the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

The canton of Grisons has the opportunity to set a clear example here: not only for professional wildlife protection instead of recreational hunting, but also for the consistent protection of endangered wild animal species at the cantonal level. As the largest canton in Switzerland, this would send a signal with an impact capable of transforming the entire national debate.

2. The role model: canton of Geneva

On 19 May 1974, a good 70 percent of voters in the canton of Geneva voted in favour of abolishing militia-style recreational hunting. Before the ban, large game in the canton had been practically wiped out. Over 400 recreational hunters released masses of pheasants, grey partridges and hares for recreational hunting.

The experience since the recreational hunting ban has been unequivocal:

Biodiversity has increased markedly. The number of overwintering waterfowl has multiplied from a few hundred to around 30,000. Geneva is now home to the largest brown hare population and one of the last grey partridge populations in Switzerland.
The roe deer population has settled at a healthy level, with an annual special cull by professional game wardens of just 20 to 36 animals.
The ban has been in force continuously for over 50 years. Geneva has never repealed it.
The total costs amount to around 1.2 million francs annually: around 600,000 francs for personnel, 250,000 francs for prevention and 350,000 francs for damage compensation. This corresponds to around 2.40 francs per inhabitant per year.

The long-standing Geneva fauna inspector Gottlieb Dandliker described the recreational hunting ban as the most cost-effective alternative. A detailed account can be found in the dossier «Geneva and the hunting ban» on wildbeimwild.com.

The efficiency of the Geneva model becomes clear in a direct comparison: a professional game warden in Geneva needs on average 8 hours and a maximum of 2 cartridges for a sanitary kill of a wild boar. A recreational hunter in the canton of Zurich needs 60 to 80 hours and up to 15 cartridges for the same task. The density of brown hares in Geneva is 17.7 animals per 100 hectares (the highest in Switzerland), whereas in the canton of Zurich it is only 1.0 per 100 hectares (cf. fact check by the Zurich Cantonal Council).

Since 1914, Grisons has had its own reference example with the Swiss National Park: no hunting has taken place in the National Park for over 100 years. The wildlife populations regulate themselves independently. The National Park proves that natural self-regulation also works in high mountain terrain (see wildbeimwild.com on national parks and protected areas).

3. The concept: professional wildlife wardens instead of recreational hunting

The initiative does not replace recreational hunting with a vacuum, but with professional wildlife management based on the game warden model. This model is founded on the following principles:

Professional expertise instead of leisure pursuit. Professional wildlife managers act on a scientific basis (cf. the critical analysis of hunting training on wildbeimwild.com).

Last-resort principle. A kill is only permissible once all non-lethal measures have been exhausted.

Democratic oversight through a wildlife commission. The independent commission prevents political pressure from diluting wildlife management.

Natural self-regulation as a guiding principle. The Swiss National Park has proven for over 100 years: wildlife populations regulate themselves independently in high mountain terrain. The experience from Geneva, from national parks and from numerous scientific Studies confirms this principle.

4. Why Grisons?

The canton of Grisons is suitable for introducing professional wildlife protection for several reasons:

The largest canton in Switzerland. At 7,105 km², Grisons is the largest canton in Switzerland by area. A success here would change the entire national debate. If professional wildlife management works in Grisons, it works everywhere.

Swiss National Park: 100 years of proof. The Swiss National Park in the Engadine has demonstrated since 1914 that wildlife populations in the high mountains regulate themselves without recreational hunting. The National Park is the Grisons' own Geneva model. No other canton has such a strong reference example of its own (cf. wildbeimwild.com on national parks and protected areas). In the Swiss National Park in the Engadine, there has been no hunting since 1914 — for over 100 years. The chamois population has remained constant at around 1,350 animals since 1920. The fox is not hunted, prey species have not been wiped out, and biodiversity has doubled. At the same time, the figures from the cantonal hunting administration document what recreational hunting is doing in the rest of the canton: between 2012 and 2016, over 1,000 reports and fines were issued against recreational hunters each year. In 2015, game wardens had to carry out 1,232 follow-up searches, with a success rate of only 57 percent. Over five years, around 3,836 animals were merely wounded by gunfire (cf. Hunting accidents dossier).

Calanda wolf pack: cradle of the Swiss wolf packs. On the Calanda above Chur, the first wolf pack of modern Switzerland was confirmed in 2012. Grisons is the cradle of the wolf's return. The initiative offers a constitutional answer: professional wildlife management instead of politically motivated kills (cf. the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

Bear in Grisons. Grisons is the canton with the most confirmed bear sightings in Switzerland (bear M13 was shot in 2013). The ‘in particular’ wording in the second article protects the bear upon its return (cf. wildbeimwild.com on predators).

Trilingualism. Grisons is the only trilingual canton in Switzerland (German, Romansh, Italian). The initiative must be communicated in three languages.

4,000 signatures. With 200,000 inhabitants, 4,000 signatures represent 2.00 percent of the population. Signatures can be collected in Chur, Davos, St. Moritz, Ilanz, Landquart and Thusis.

Licence hunting = a simple change of system. No lease agreements, no compensation for municipalities.

Tourism canton. Davos, St. Moritz, Lenzerheide, Arosa, Flims/Laax: Grisons is one of Switzerland's most important tourism cantons. Professional wildlife protection and coexistence with predators are an argument for sustainable tourism.

5. On the text of the initiative

Paragraph 1: Ban on recreational hunting

The ban on licence hunting by private individuals corresponds to the Geneva model. Cantonal competence is undisputed: Art. 3 para. 1 and 2 JSG. The three hunting systems are equivalent in status. Geneva has been compliant with federal law since 1974. The Grisons high hunt and the Grisons low hunt are cultural traditions, but cultural tradition legitimises neither animal cruelty nor an ecologically outdated system.

Paragraph 2: Professional wildlife management

Instead of recreational hunters, professionally trained wildlife managers employed by the canton take over all tasks. In Geneva, this system has proven itself for over 50 years. In the Swiss National Park, for over 100 years.

Paragraph 3: Kill as a last resort

A kill is the exception, not the rule. Passive measures take priority.

Paragraph 4: Wildlife commission

The independent wildlife commission is modelled on the Geneva model. It prevents the government from independently approving exceptions. The kills of the bear M13 and numerous wolves show how quickly political pressure leads to killing orders (cf. Hunting myths fact-checked).

Paragraph 5: Natural regulation and coexistence

In Grisons, fostering coexistence includes, in particular, extending the National Park principle to the entire canton, connecting alpine habitats, professional herd protection, and raising awareness among the population and tourists.

Transitional provisions

The two-year deadline gives the government sufficient time. The existing Office for Hunting and Fishing (AJF) can serve as an institutional basis. The AJF already employs professional game wardens.

6. On the second article: protection of endangered and protected wild animal species

The second article is of the highest relevance for Grisons. The Calanda wolf pack was the first in modern Switzerland in 2012. The bear M13 was shot in 2013. The lynx is native. The golden eagle and the bearded vulture breed in the canton. Grisons is home to the Swiss National Park. The phrase “in particular” also protects future returnees, especially the bear and the otter (cf. the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

7. Cost implications: Concrete budget for Grisons

The Geneva reference budget

In Geneva, total costs amount to around 1.2 million francs annually.

Conservative projection for Grisons

For Grisons, with an area of 7,105 km² and around 200,000 inhabitants, the following deliberately conservative cost estimate applies. This calculates generously and takes into account additional alpine costs, the red deer problem, and the build-up of herd protection:

Personnel costs: 1,800,000 to 2,800,000 francs annually. What is required is 15 to 20 full-time positions. Grisons is twenty-five times larger than Geneva and topographically extremely challenging: high mountains, remote side valleys, extensive alpine farming. The existing Office for Hunting and Fishing (AJF) already employs professional game wardens, whose positions can partly be repurposed. The higher number of positions takes into account the red deer transition management.

Material costs: 400,000 to 700,000 francs annually. In the high mountains, material costs are higher than in the lowlands: off-road vehicles, alpine equipment, herd protection materials, monitoring infrastructure (camera traps, GPS transmitters, drones), structural protection measures and public relations work in three languages.

Damage compensation: 300,000 to 600,000 francs annually. Mainly wolf kill damage to livestock, browsing damage in protective forests and possible bear damage. The higher estimate takes into account the wolf presence throughout the canton.

Herd protection start-up investment: 800,000 to 1,500,000 francs. In the first three to five years after the system change, a one-off start-up investment in herd protection infrastructure is needed for the entire Grisons alpine area: livestock guardian dog programmes, mobile fencing, night enclosures, training of herders. This investment is not recurring and is amortised over three to five years.

Total costs: 2,500,000 to 4,100,000 francs annually (gross). That corresponds to roughly 12.50 to 20.50 francs per inhabitant per year.

Transitional management of red deer

Grisons has the largest red deer populations in Switzerland. Despite thousands of recreational hunters and an annual high hunt, the populations are not being sustainably reduced. On the contrary: recreational hunting produces more births through compensatory reproduction than it removes animals. The scientific literature clearly demonstrates this effect: high hunting pressure leads to earlier sexual maturity, larger litters and higher survival rates among young animals. After the system change, the first three to five years will require targeted transitional red deer management by professional specialists who regulate the population on a science-based and selective basis, not broadly and seasonally as recreational hunting does. The higher number of positions reflects this transitional management. The Swiss National Park has proven for over 100 years that wildlife populations can regulate themselves even in high mountain terrain without recreational hunting. The professional wildlife wardens will extend this principle to the entire canton (cf. studies on wildbeimwild.com).

Savings and counter-financing

This is offset by considerable savings: no hunting examinations, no licence administration for thousands of licences (Grisons has one of the largest recreational hunting communities in Switzerland), no kill quota planning, no hunting supervision. On top of this come the enormous costs for wolf kills: a single pointlessly killed wolf costs the public around 35,000 francs (helicopter deployments, coordination, legal proceedings). With dozens of kills per year, this adds up to hundreds of thousands.

Lost revenue

With the abolition of recreational hunting, the licence fees of an estimated 4 to 5 million francs annually will no longer apply. However, this is offset by the never-calculated external costs of militia hunting (wildlife-vehicle collisions, hunting-related browsing damage in protective forests, administrative expenses, police and court proceedings), which amount to a multiple of this revenue. In the canton of Geneva, this revenue has been absent since 1974 without any financial problems: before the hunting ban, over 400 recreational hunters were active; today, three full-time positions do the same work better. Sanitary and therapeutic kills carried out by professional game wardens are not the same as regulatory hunting based on hunters' lore or a misunderstood “experience of nature” among recreational hunters. A full cost accounting shows that militia hunting costs the taxpayer considerably more than it brings in (cf. «What recreational hunting really costs Switzerland» on wildbeimwild.com).

Recreational hunters in politics vote against nature conservation. The recreational hunting lobby systematically opposes biodiversity and species protection concerns. In 2024, it fought against the Biodiversity Initiative (63 per cent No). In 2020, the hunting act it had helped shape failed at the ballot box (51.9 per cent No). In 2016, the Ticino hunting association torpedoed the Parc Adula national park. During the 2015–2019 legislative period, recreational hunters in parliament voted predominantly against environmental concerns. Anyone who claims that recreational hunters are nature conservationists is ignoring their voting behaviour (cf. Ticino Hunting Association: 30 Years of Nonsense and Cost dossier).

The Net additional costs are likely to be between CHF 1,500,000 and 3,000,000 annually, which corresponds to aroundCHF 7.50 to 15.00 per resident. In an extremely large, alpine canton with only 200,000 residents, the per-capita costs are naturally higher than in more densely populated cantons. But even calculated generously: that is less than 0.15 per cent of the cantonal budget of around CHF 2.8 billion (State Accounts 2024, FFA). Or put another way: less than the price of a coffee per person per year, for professional wildlife protection in the largest canton in Switzerland (cf. Hunting myths fact check on wildbeimwild.com).

8. Compatibility with superior law

First article: Abolition of recreational hunting

Compliant with federal law. Art. 3 para. 1 and 2 JSG. Three equivalent hunting systems. Unchallenged in Geneva since 1974.

Second article: Protection of protected species

Art. 7a JSG permits preventive regulation but does not require it. The same applies to kill authorisations for individual animals under Art. 12 para. 2 JSG. Refraining from this violates neither federal law nor the Bern Convention.

Unity of subject matter

Ensured, as all provisions relate to cantonal wildlife management and the protection of wild animals.

9. Anticipating foreseeable objections

«Grisons is twenty-five times larger than Geneva, the Geneva model does not work here»

The facts: Grisons has its own reference example with the Swiss National Park: no recreational hunting for over 100 years, stable wildlife populations. What works in the National Park also works outside it. Settlement is concentrated in the valleys. Most of the area is high mountains without permanent settlement. The absolute costs (CHF 1,500,000 to 3,000,000) are less than 0.15 per cent of the cantonal budget (cf. the Psychology of recreational hunting in the canton of Grisons).

Short communicative formula: «The Swiss National Park has been proving it for 100 years: no recreational hunting, stable populations. What works in the National Park also works outside it.»

«Grisons hunting is a tradition»

The facts: Tradition does not legitimise animal cruelty. Bullfighting in Spain is also a tradition. The question is not whether something has a tradition, but whether it is ecologically and ethically justifiable. The Swiss National Park has a longer tradition than the Grisons licence hunting system in its current form, and it proves that wildlife management works without recreational hunting.

Short communicative formula: «Tradition does not legitimise animal cruelty. The National Park has a longer tradition and proves it is possible without it.»

«The costs are too high»

The facts: Even with a generous, conservative calculation: CHF 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 in absolute terms. Less than 0.15 per cent of the cantonal budget of around CHF 2.8 billion (State Accounts 2024, FFA). Less than the price of a coffee per person per year. The savings in licence administration and wolf kills are considerable.

Short communicative formula: «Less than 0.15 per cent of the cantonal budget. Less than the price of a coffee per person per year.»

10. Summary

This initiative gives the people of Grisons the opportunity to vote in favour of a modern, evidence-based approach to wildlife management and comprehensive protection for endangered wild animal species. The first article follows the Geneva model, proven over more than 50 years, and the national park principle, proven over more than 100 years. The second article specifically protects the wolf (Calanda), the bear, the lynx, the golden eagle and the bearded vulture. As the largest canton in Switzerland and the cradle of Switzerland's wolf packs, a success in Grisons would send a national signal that would transform the entire debate.

Initiative committee “For professional wildlife protection”

[Name 1], [Name 2], [Name 3] …

(Committee members in accordance with cantonal law, resident in the Canton of Grisons)

Contact address: [Committee address]

Appendix: Further documentation

The Geneva model in detail: wildbeimwild.com/dossiers/genf-und-das-jagdverbot

Scientific studies: wildbeimwild.com/studien

Hunting in Switzerland: wildbeimwild.com/jagd-in-der-schweiz

The psychology of recreational hunting in the Canton of Grisons: wildbeimwild.com: Psychology of recreational hunting in Grisons

Psychology of recreational hunting: wildbeimwild.com/category/psychologie-jagd

National parks and protected areas: wildbeimwild.com/tag/schweizerischer-nationalpark

Wild animals in settlement areas: wildbeimwild.com/tag/stadtwildtiere

Hunting myths: wildbeimwild.com/dossiers/jagdmythen

Cantonal popular initiative Basel-Stadt: Template text of the initiative in the canton of Basel-Stadt

Note on the procedure

The initiative committee submits the initiative text to the Chancellery of the Canton of Grisons for preliminary review before signature collection begins. 4,000 valid signatures are required for the initiative to be successful. The collection period is 1 year from official publication in the cantonal gazette. The submission modalities are governed by the Act on Political Rights of the Canton of Grisons.

Strategic briefing for activists

Popular initiative «For professional wildlife protection», Canton of Grisons Internal working document, as of March 2026

Summary

Grisons is the largest canton in Switzerland and the cradle of Switzerland's wolf packs (Calanda 2012). No other canton has such a strong reference example of its own: the Swiss National Park has proven for over 100 years that natural self-regulation works in the high mountains. 4,000 signatures out of a population of 200,000 is achievable. The absolute costs (1,500,000 to 3,000,000 francs) amount to less than 0.15 per cent of the cantonal budget. A success here would transform the entire national debate.

1. Why Grisons, of all places?

Largest canton. 7,105 km². National signal effect.

Swiss National Park. 100 years of proof: no recreational hunting, stable populations.

Calanda wolf pack. Cradle of Switzerland's wolf packs (2012).

Bear. The canton with the most confirmed bear sightings. Bear M13 shot dead in 2013.

4,000 signatures. 2.00 percent. Achievable.

Licence hunting = a simple change of system. No lease agreements.

2. Lessons from Zurich: What we are doing differently

Positive title. “For professional wildlife protection”.

National park as the Grisons reference. Instead of merely pointing to Geneva, GR points to its own national park: 100 years of proof in the high mountains.

Absolute costs. 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 francs. Less than 0.15 percent of the cantonal budget.

Proactively refute the tradition argument. «The national park has a longer tradition than licence hunting in its current form.»

3. Particular challenges

Hunting culture. Hunting in Grisons is deeply rooted in culture. The campaign must work with facts and the national park argument.

Trilingualism. Materials in German, Romansh and Italian.

Large area, sparse population. Focus the signature collection on the cities (Chur, Davos, St. Moritz).

4. Analysis of opponents and prepared responses

Counter-argument 1: «Grisons is too big»

Short communicative formula: «The national park has proven it for 100 years: no recreational hunting, stable populations. What works in the national park also works outside it.»

Counter-argument 2: «Hunting in Grisons is tradition»

Short communicative formula: «Tradition does not legitimise animal cruelty. The national park has a longer tradition.»

Counter-argument 3: “The costs are too high”

Short communicative formula: «Less than 0.15 per cent of the cantonal budget. Less than the price of a coffee per person per year.»

5. Communication strategy: the three core messages

«The national park has proven it for 100 years.» The strongest Grisons argument.

«Geneva has been demonstrating it for 50 years.» Never repealed since 1974.

«Professional instead of hobby.» Qualified professionals instead of recreational shooters.

6. Timetable and next steps

Phase	Content	Timeframe
Committee formation & preliminary text review	Bring in a lawyer; committee members with residence in GR from all three language regions	Month 1–4
Submission for preliminary review	Chancellery of the Canton of Grisons	Month 4–5
Publication & start of signature collection	Goal: 5,000+ signatures as a buffer	Month 5
Party contacts & coalition building	SP, Greens, GLP; Pro Natura GR; BirdLife GR; WWF GR; National Park Association	Month 1–12
Submission of signatures	Cantonal Chancellery, official verification	After the collection period
Grand Council debate	Parliamentary anchoring; media work	Following months
Voting campaign	National park argument, Calanda wolf, proactively refute tradition	Before the vote

7. Campaign material

Geneva dossier on wildbeimwild.com as the central set of arguments.
The Psychology of recreational hunting in the canton of Grisons as background material.
Local media: Südostschweiz, Bündner Zeitung, Engadiner Post, La Quotidiana, Tele Südostschweiz.
Infographic: the Swiss National Park as leitmotif («100 years without recreational hunting»). Calanda wolf. Cost comparison GR vs. GE.
Trilingual materials (DE/RM/IT) for the respective regions.

8. Further sources

This document is a template text from IG Wild beim Wild. It may be freely used by activists, organisations or initiative committees and adapted to the circumstances in the Canton of Grisons.

Fact check: The claims of the recreational hunting lobby

The brochure «Die Jagd in der Schweiz schützt und nützt» ("Hunting in Switzerland protects and benefits") published by JagdSchweiz reads like a promotional pamphlet, yet its central claims do not hold up to a fact check. Ten narratives put to the test, from «statutory duty» to «biodiversity» to «80% approval»: Dossier: Fact check on the JagdSchweiz brochure →