«For professional wildlife protection»

Constitutional initiative in the form of an elaborated draft

Based on § 34 of the Constitution of the Canton of Schwyz of 24 November 2010 and on the Act on Elections and Votes

Submitted by the initiative committee [date of submission]

Initiative text

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

The Constitution of the Canton of Schwyz of 24 November 2010 is supplemented by the following paragraphs:

§ [new] Professional Wildlife Protection

1 The practice of hunting by private individuals (licensed hunting, hobby hunting) is prohibited throughout the entire territory of the Canton of Schwyz.

2 The protection, care and, where necessary, the regulation of wild animals is the exclusive responsibility of professionally trained wildlife managers in the service of the canton.

3 The culling of wild animals is permitted only as a last resort, when all other appropriate measures to prevent damage or avert danger have been exhausted or proven insufficient. It requires prior approval from the Wildlife Commission.

4 The canton shall establish an independent Wildlife Commission composed of representatives of animal and nature conservation organisations, the scientific community, and the relevant authorities. The Commission oversees wildlife management and decides on regulatory measures.

5 The canton promotes the natural regulation of wildlife populations, the connectivity of habitats, and the coexistence of humans and wildlife.

6 Further details shall be governed by law.

§ [new] Protection of Threatened and Protected Wild Animal Species

1 The canton refrains from submitting applications for preventive population regulation of protected wild animal species under the Federal Act on Hunting and the Protection of Wild Mammals and Birds, in particular wolf, lynx, bear, beaver, otter, golden jackal, golden eagle, goosander, and other species protected under federal law.

2 It relies on promoting the coexistence of humans and wildlife, passive damage prevention, the ecological enhancement of habitats, and the scientific monitoring of wildlife presence.

3 Measures against individual wild animals that pose an immediate and significant threat to humans remain reserved. They are to be kept to a minimum and carried out by the competent specialist authority of the canton.

4 The canton actively advocates for the protection and conservation of endangered wildlife species within the framework of intercantonal cooperation and vis-à-vis the federal government.

Transitional Provision

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

2 Existing hunting licenses shall expire upon the entry into force of the implementing provisions. License fees already paid for the current hunting season will be refunded on a pro rata basis.

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

Explanatory Notes

1. Background

In the canton of Schwyz, an Alpine canton in central Switzerland with approximately 160’000 residents covering an area of 908 km², today's recreational hunting is a system that serves neither species protection nor contemporary wildlife management. It is the practice of a bloody leisure pursuit at the expense of sentient beings, legitimized by outdated narratives that do not withstand scientific scrutiny. The claim that without recreational hunting the ecological balance would collapse has been empirically refuted for over 50 years by the Geneva model (cf. the comprehensive dossier on the Geneva hunting ban at wildbeimwild.com).

Recreational hunting in Schwyz is organized as a patent hunting system. Private individuals obtain a cantonal license and hunt without fixed territorial responsibility. Contrary to the widely held claim, license holders bear no ecological responsibility, but act within the framework of cantonal culling plans that are primarily aligned with the interests of forestry and agriculture (cf. the psychology of recreational hunting in the canton of Schwyz as well as the critical analysis of hunting education at wildbeimwild.com).

In parallel, an increasing number of protected wildlife species are coming under pressure at the federal level. The canton of Schwyz is at the center of the national wolf debate: in July 2025, the first wolf pack in the canton was confirmed via camera trap evidence. Barely five weeks later, the canton applied to the FOEN for regulation and received authorisation on 28 August 2025 to shoot two thirds of the pups. By the end of November 2025, three of five young wolves had been killed. The gap between initial confirmation and the shooting order illustrates how quickly a biological fact can be turned into a political killing decree. The beaver has been permitted to be shot on cantonal request since February 2025. The lynx is native to the canton (cf. the analysis of hunting policy on wildbeimwild.com and the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

The canton of Schwyz has the opportunity to send a clear signal here: not only in favor of professional wildlife management over hobby hunting, but also in favor of consistent protection of endangered wildlife species at the cantonal level.

2. The model: Canton of Geneva

On 19 May 1974, approximately two thirds of voters in the canton of Geneva voted to abolish recreational hobby hunting. Before the ban, large game in the canton had been virtually eradicated: deer and wild boar had been absent for decades, and only a few dozen roe deer remained. Around 300 hobby hunters were releasing large numbers of pheasants, partridges and hares for recreational hunting.

The experience since the hobby hunting ban is unequivocal:

– Biodiversity has increased markedly. The number of overwintering waterfowl has multiplied from a few hundred to around 30’000. Geneva today is home to the largest hare population and one of the last partridge populations in Switzerland.

– The roe deer population has stabilised at a healthy level, with an annual selective cull by professional wildlife wardens of just 20 to 36 animals.

– In 2005, a renewed popular vote saw 90 percent of Geneva's electorate vote in favor of maintaining the hobby hunting ban. In 2009, a motion to reintroduce hunting was rejected in the cantonal parliament by 70 votes to 7.

– The total costs of professional wildlife management in Geneva amount to approximately 1.2 million francs annually, divided into approximately 600’000 francs for personnel (approx. three full-time positions, shared among around a dozen environmental officers), 250’000 francs for prevention and 350’000 francs for damage compensation. This corresponds to approximately 2.40 francs per resident per year.

Geneva's fauna inspector Gottlieb Dandliker, responsible for wildlife management since 2001, describes the ban on hobby hunting as the most financially affordable alternative for the canton. A detailed account can be found in the Dossier «Geneva and the Hunting Ban» on wildbeimwild.com.

The efficiency of the Geneva model is evident in direct comparison: a professional game warden in Geneva requires an average of 8 hours and a maximum of 2 rounds of ammunition for a sanitary cull of a wild boar. A hobby hunter in the canton of Zurich requires 60 to 80 hours and up to 15 rounds of ammunition for the same. The hare population density in Geneva is 17.7 animals per 100 hectares (the highest in Switzerland), while in the canton of Zurich it is only 1.0 per 100 hectares (cf. Fact Check Cantonal Council Zurich).

3. The Concept: Professional Wildlife Wardening Instead of Hobby Hunting

The initiative does not replace hobby 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 recreational pastime. Professional wildlife managers act on a scientific basis, with biological training and within the framework of a cantonal service mandate (cf. the critical analysis of hunting training on wildbeimwild.com).

Last-resort principle. A cull is only permissible when all non-lethal measures have been exhausted. These include electric fences, deterrence, habitat management, relocation, taste repellents and structural protective measures.

Democratic oversight through a wildlife commission. The independent commission prevents political pressure from diluting wildlife management. The initiative enshrines the requirement for approval in the constitution.

Natural self-regulation as a guiding principle. Experience from Geneva, from national parks and from numerous scientific studies demonstrates: wildlife populations regulate themselves independently in most cases. Hobby hunting disrupts this natural process.

4. Why Schwyz?

The canton of Schwyz is particularly well suited for the introduction of professional wildlife protection for several reasons:

Schwyz is at the center of the wolf debate. In July 2025, the first wolf pack in the canton was confirmed. Five weeks later, the shooting permit had been issued. By November 2025, three of five pups were dead. The interval between first confirmed sighting and culling illustrates how quickly a biological fact can become a politically motivated kill order — and why constitutional protection is needed before it comes to that. The initiative offers a constitutional response to the wolf debate: professional wildlife management instead of politically motivated culling (cf. the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

Mythen and Muotatal: Unique wilderness areas. The Muotatal and the Mythen region are home to some of the last remaining wilderness areas of central Switzerland. The lynx is native here; the ibex inhabits the rocky ridges. Professional wildlife management would protect these unique habitats more consistently than hobby hunting (cf. wildbeimwild.com on national parks and protected areas).

2’000 signatures. With 160’000 inhabitants, 2’000 signatures represent only 1.25 percent of the population. Signatures can be collected efficiently in Schwyz, Freienbach, Küssnacht, Einsiedeln and Wollerau (cf. wildbeimwild.com on wildlife in residential areas).

Beavers along the Sihl and the southern shore of Lake Zurich. The beaver is documented in the canton. Since February 2025, it may be culled across Switzerland upon cantonal request. The initiative protects the beaver (cf. wildbeimwild.com on predators).

Patent hunting system = straightforward change of system. No lease agreements, no municipal compensation. Existing permits expire and fees already paid are reimbursed on a pro-rata basis.

Urban base on Lake Zurich. The municipalities of Freienbach, Wollerau and Küssnacht belong to the greater Zurich catchment area and are predominantly urban in character. Together with the cantonal capital Schwyz and Einsiedeln, a considerable share of the canton’s population lives in agglomeration areas.

Signal effect for central Switzerland. A success in Schwyz would send a signal to the entire region of central Switzerland (LU, OW, NW, UR, ZG). Schwyz is the canton that has come to symbolise the wolf debate.

5. On the initiative text

Paragraph 1 – Ban on hobby hunting

The prohibition of patent hunting by private individuals is the core of the initiative. It corresponds to the Geneva model. Cantonal competence in this regard is undisputed: the federal hunting act (JSG) expressly leaves the organisation of hunting operations to the cantons (Art. 3 Para. 1 JSG). The three hunting systems in Switzerland – patent hunting, territory hunting and state or government-managed hunting – are of equal standing. The canton of Geneva has practised government-managed hunting since 1974 in conformity with federal law.

Paragraph 2 – Professional Wildlife Management

Instead of hobby hunters, professionally trained wildlife managers in cantonal service assume all responsibilities. In Geneva, this system has proven itself for over 50 years.

Paragraph 3 – Culling as a Last Resort

A cull is not the rule but the exception. Passive measures take priority. In Geneva, approximately 250 wild boar are culled annually by game wardens (according to FOEN hunting statistics), primarily juveniles, with lead animals explicitly spared.

Paragraph 4 – Wildlife Commission

The independent wildlife commission is modeled on the Geneva system. It ensures that animal and nature protection organisations have a say and prevents the cantonal government from independently granting exceptions. The inclusion of science guarantees evidence-based decisions (cf. wildbeimwild.com/jagd-fakten). The wolf debate in Schwyz demonstrated how quickly political pressure leads to culling permits: five weeks between first confirmed sighting and permit approval. A constitutionally anchored wildlife commission would have prevented this automatism.

Paragraph 5 – Natural Regulation and Coexistence

The promotion of coexistence in Schwyz encompasses in particular the preservation and interconnection of wilderness areas in the Muotatal and the Mythen region, the protective forest on steep slopes, and public education on behavior towards wildlife (cf. wildbeimwild.com on wildlife in residential areas).

Transitional Provisions

The two-year deadline gives the cantonal government sufficient time to develop implementing legislation. The existing Office for Forest and Nature can serve as an institutional basis. The system transition from patent hunting to government-managed hunting is administratively straightforward.

6. On the Second Paragraph: Protection of Endangered and Protected Wildlife Species

The second paragraph is of the utmost relevance for Schwyz. The case of the first Schwyz wolf pack in 2025 illustrates exemplarily why constitutional protection is necessary: five weeks between the first confirmed sighting and the culling permit. Three out of five pups dead within a few months. Without democratic oversight by a wildlife commission, every wolf sighting automatically becomes a culling order. The lynx is native to the canton. The beaver has colonised the Sihl and the southern shore of Lake Zurich. The “in particular” formulation also protects future returnees (cf. the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

7. Cost implications: A concrete budget for Schwyz

The Geneva reference budget

In Geneva, which at 282 km² is roughly three times smaller than Schwyz and has approximately 500’000 inhabitants, total annual costs amount to around 1.2 million francs: approximately 600’000 francs for personnel, approximately 250’000 francs for prevention, and approximately 350’000 francs for damage compensation.

Conservative projection for Schwyz

For Schwyz, with an area of 908 km² and approximately 160’000 inhabitants, the following deliberately conservative cost estimate emerges:

Personnel costs: 480’000 to 840’000 francs annually. Between 4 and 6 full-time positions are required. Schwyz is three times larger than Geneva and topographically diverse: urban along Lake Zurich, alpine in the Muotatal and the Mythen region.

Operating costs: 100’000 to 180’000 francs annually.

Damage compensation: 60’000 to 150’000 francs annually.

Herd protection start-up investment: 400’000 to 700’000 francs. A one-time investment in herd protection infrastructure for the Mythen region and the Muotatal over three to five years.

Total costs: 640’000 to 1’170’000 francs annually (gross). This corresponds to approximately 4.00 to 7.30 francs per inhabitant per year.

Compensatory reproduction and transitional management

Compensatory reproduction driven by hunting pressure also affects the canton of Schwyz. Recreational hunting generates more births through hunting pressure than it removes. Following the transition to a new system, targeted transitional management will be required in the initial years, which is already factored into the higher staffing figures (cf. studies on wildbeimwild.com).

Savings and counter-financing

Savings offset these costs: no hunting exams, no license administration, no culling plans, no hunting supervision. A single senselessly killed wolf costs the public around 35’000 francs. In 2025, three young wolves in Schwyz were shot within just a few months of the pack's first confirmed sighting — costs that would not arise under professional wildlife management aimed at coexistence.

Lost Revenue

With the abolition of hobby hunting, license fees estimated at 400’000 to 600’000 francs per year would be lost. However, these must be weighed against the never-audited external costs of militia hunting — wildlife accidents, hunting-related browsing damage in protective forests, administrative burden, police and court operations — which amount to many times that revenue. In the canton of Geneva, these revenues have been absent since 1974 — without financial problems: before the hunting ban, more than 400 hobby hunters were active; today, three full-time positions do the same work better. Sanitary and therapeutic culls by professional wildlife wardens are not the same as regulatory hunting based on hunters' lore or the misunderstood “nature experience” of hobby hunters. A full-cost accounting shows: militia hunting costs the taxpayer significantly more than it generates (cf. «What Hobby Hunting Really Costs Switzerland» on wildbeimwild.com).

Hobby hunters in politics vote against nature conservation. The hobby hunting lobby systematically opposes biodiversity and species protection concerns. In 2024, it fought the Biodiversity Initiative (63 percent no). In 2020, the hunting law it helped shape was rejected at the ballot box (51.9 percent no). In 2016, the Ticino hunters' association torpedoed the Parc Adula national park. During the 2015 to 2019 legislative term, hobby hunters in parliament voted predominantly against environmental concerns. Anyone claiming that hobby hunters are conservationists ignores their voting record (cf. Ticino Hunters' Association: 30 Years of Nonsense and Cost Dossier).

The net additional costs are likely to amount to 350’000 to 800’000 francs per year, corresponding to approximately 2.20 to 5.00 francs per inhabitant. Even by generous estimates: that is less than 0.05 percent of the cantonal budget of around 1.6 billion francs (state accounts 2024, FFA). Less than one coffee per person per year — for professional wildlife protection in the canton that has come to symbolise the wolf debate (cf. Hunting myths fact-check on wildbeimwild.com).

8. Compatibility with superior law

First paragraph: Abolition of hobby hunting

Compliant with federal law. Art. 3 para. 1 JSG. Three equivalent hunting systems. Geneva unblemished since 1974.

Second paragraph: Protection of protected species

Art. 7a JSG enables preventive regulation but does not mandate it. Refraining from it violates neither federal law nor the Bern Convention.

Unity of subject matter

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

9. Anticipating foreseeable objections

«Schwyz is an Alpine canton – the Geneva model does not apply»

The facts: Schwyz is topographically diverse: the municipalities on Lake Zurich (Freienbach, Wollerau, Küssnacht) are urban. The valley basin of Schwyz and the catchment area of Einsiedeln are similar to the Mittelland. The Alpine areas (Muotatal, Mythen region) are sparsely populated with fewer conflict zones. In the urban part, the situation is directly comparable to Geneva. In the Alpine part there are fewer people and thus fewer conflicts – not more (cf. the Psychology of hobby hunting in the canton of Schwyz).

Communicative shorthand: «Freienbach and Küssnacht are as urban as Geneva. And in the Muotatal, professional wildlife protection is needed, not hobby hunting.»

«The wolf must be regulated»

The facts: Five weeks between first confirmed sighting and shooting permit. Three dead cubs. That is not regulation – that is political activism with a rifle. Professional wildlife management would use the wolf as a natural regulator and protect livestock herds through professional prevention – not through reflexive culling. The wolf reduces browsing pressure in protective forests, which is ecologically and economically significant, particularly in a canton with steep slopes.

Communicative shorthand: «Five weeks from first sighting to the kill. Three dead cubs. That is not regulation – that is political killing.»

«The costs are too high for a small canton»

The facts: Even by generous estimates: approximately CHF 2.20 to 5.00 per resident per year. Less than a coffee per person per year. Less than 0.1 percent of the cantonal budget. Schwyz also has one of the highest tax capacities of all cantons.

Communicative shorthand: «Less than the price of a coffee per person per year. Less than 0.1 percent of the cantonal budget. Affordable for one of the most financially robust cantons in Switzerland.»

10. Summary

This initiative gives the population of Schwyz the opportunity to express their support for modern, evidence-based wildlife management and comprehensive protection of endangered wildlife species. The first paragraph follows the Geneva model, which has proven itself over more than 50 years. The second paragraph is a direct response to the case of the Schwyz wolf pack in 2025: it prevents every wolf sighting from automatically resulting in a shooting order, and also protects lynx, beavers, and future returning species. As a canton at the center of the wolf debate, a successful outcome in Schwyz would send a signal that resonates far beyond its cantonal borders.

Initiative Committee «For Professional Wildlife Protection»

[Name 1], [Name 2], [Name 3] …

(Committee members in accordance with cantonal law, resident in the canton of Schwyz)

Contact address: [Committee address]

Appendix: Further Documentation

The following dossiers and sources support the arguments presented in this initiative:

The Geneva Model in detail: wildbeimwild.com/dossiers/genf-und-das-jagdverbot – Comprehensive overview of Geneva’s wildlife management since 1974.

Scientific studies: wildbeimwild.com/studien – A collection of scientific studies on the self-regulation of wildlife populations.

Hunting in Switzerland: wildbeimwild.com/jagd-in-der-schweiz – Continuously updated overview of Swiss hunting policy.

Psychology of hobby hunting in the canton of Schwyz: wildbeimwild.com – Psychologie der Hobby-Jagd im Kanton SZ – Canton-specific analysis.

Psychology of hobby hunting: wildbeimwild.com/category/psychologie-jagd – Cross-cutting contributions.

Wildlife in residential areas: wildbeimwild.com/category/wildtiere-im-siedlungsgebiet – Coexistence of humans and wildlife.

National parks and protected areas: wildbeimwild.com/category/nationalpark – Natural self-regulation in protected areas.

Hunting myths: wildbeimwild.com/dossiers/jagdmythen – Fact check.

Cantonal popular initiative Basel-Stadt: Template text of the initiative in the canton of Basel-Stadt – The model for the entire initiative series.

Note on procedure

The initiative committee submits the initiative text to the State Chancellery of the Canton of Schwyz for preliminary review before the start of the signature collection. 2’000 valid signatures are required for the initiative to be successful. The submission modalities are governed by the Law on Elections and Referendums.

Strategic briefing for activists

People's initiative «For professional wildlife protection» – Canton of Schwyz Internal working document – Status March 2026

Summary

Schwyz is the canton of the wolf debate. The first wolf pack was confirmed in July 2025, five weeks later the shooting permit was issued, and by November three of five cubs were dead. The initiative is a direct response to this. 2’000 signatures from 160’000 residents is achievable. The urban base on Lake Zurich (Freienbach, Wollerau, Küssnacht) provides the mobilisation potential. The Mythen region and the Muotatal are unique wilderness areas that deserve professional protection.

1. Why Schwyz specifically?

Center of the wolf debate. First wolf pack in 2025. Five weeks from confirmation to culling. Three dead cubs. The species protection clause is a direct response.

Mythen and Muotatal. Unique wilderness areas of Central Switzerland. Lynx, ibex, eagle.

2’000 signatures from 160’000 residents. 1.25 percent. Achievable.

Urban base on Lake Zurich. Freienbach, Wollerau, Küssnacht are predominantly urban.

Patent hunting = straightforward system change. No lease agreements, no municipal compensation.

Signal effect for Central Switzerland. Schwyz symbolises the wolf debate.

2. The lessons from Zurich: What we will do differently

Positive title. «For professional wildlife protection» instead of «Wildlife wardens instead of hunters».

Concrete budget calculation. Approximately 2.20 to 5.00 Swiss francs per capita. Less than a coffee per person per year.

Wolf debate as a mobilisation topic. The Schwyz wolf pack of 2025 is the most emotionally charged argument in the series.

Secure party support early. Involve SP, Greens, GLP early. In Schwyz the base is smaller, but so is the hurdle (only 2’000 signatures).

3. Analysis of opposition and prepared responses

Counter-argument 1: «Schwyz is an Alpine canton»

The facts: Freienbach and Küssnacht are as urban as Geneva. In the Muotatal: fewer people, fewer conflicts.

Short communicative formula: «Freienbach is as urban as Geneva. And in the Muotatal, professional wildlife protection is needed — not hobby hunting.»

Counterargument 2: «The wolf must be regulated»

The facts: Five weeks from first confirmed sighting to shooting. Three dead wolf pups. This is not regulation — this is political activism with a rifle.

Key message in brief: «Five weeks from first confirmed sighting to shooting. Three dead wolf pups. That is not regulation.»

Counterargument 3: «The costs are too high»

The facts: Approximately CHF 2.20 to 5.00 per resident per year. Less than a cup of coffee. Schwyz has one of the highest tax revenues of all cantons.

Key message in brief: «Around 2 to 3 francs. Manageable for one of the most fiscally strong cantons.»

4. Communication strategy: The three core messages

«Five weeks from first confirmed sighting to shooting. This cannot continue.» The wolf debate — emotionally and factually.

«Geneva has been showing the way for 50 years.» 90 percent approval, stable populations, minimal costs.

«Professional rather than recreational.» Specialists rather than hobby hunters.

5. Timeline and next steps

Phase	Content	Timeframe
Committee formation & preliminary text review	Engage a legal expert; recruit committee members with residence in SZ	Month 1–3
Submission for preliminary review	State Chancellery of Schwyz	Month 3–4
Publication & start of signature collection	Goal: 2’500+ signatures as a buffer	Month 4
Party contacts & coalition building	SP, Greens, GLP; Pro Natura Schwyz; BirdLife; Wolf Friends	Month 1–12
Submission of signatures	State Chancellery, official verification	After collection period
Cantonal council debate	Parliamentary anchoring; media work	Subsequent months
Referendum campaign	Final mobilisation, wolf argument, Muotatal as a visual element	Before the vote

6. Campaign materials

• The Geneva dossier on wildbeimwild.com as the central body of arguments.
• The Psychology of hobby hunting in the canton of Schwyz as background material.
• Local media: Bote der Urschweiz, Einsiedler Anzeiger, March-Anzeiger, Höfner Volksblatt, Tele 1.
• Infographic: Timeline «July–November 2025: From first confirmed sighting to shooting». Muotatal and Mythen region as a visual element. Cost comparison SZ vs. GE.

7. Further sources

• The Geneva hunting ban in detail
• Scientific studies
• Hunting in Switzerland
• Psychology of hobby hunting in the canton of Schwyz
• Hunting myths — fact check
• National parks and protected areas
• Federal hunting statistics (BAFU)
• Cantonal popular initiative Basel-Stadt

This document is a template text by IG Wild beim Wild. It may be freely used by activists, organizations, or initiative committees and adapted to the conditions in the canton of Schwyz.

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