«Per una gestione professionale della fauna selvatica» / «For Professional Wildlife Protection»

Elaborated constitutional initiative / Legislative initiative in the form of a drafted proposal

Based on Art. 37 of the Constitution of the Republic and Canton of Ticino of 14 December 1997 and on the Law on the Exercise of Political Rights

Submitted by the initiative committee [date of submission]

Note: The Canton of Ticino is Italian-speaking. For submission, the initiative text must be in Italian. The present German version serves for overview and strategic planning purposes.

Initiative Text

The undersigned persons eligible to vote in the Canton of Ticino submit the following legislative initiative:

The Constitution of the Republic and Canton of Ticino of 14 December 1997 shall be supplemented with the following articles:

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 Ticino.

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

3 The culling of wild animals is permissible only as a last resort, when all other suitable measures for damage prevention or hazard mitigation have been exhausted or proven insufficient. It requires prior approval by the Wildlife Commission.

4 The canton shall establish an independent Wildlife Commission composed of representatives from animal and nature conservation organisations, the scientific community, and the relevant authorities. 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 wildlife.

6 The details shall be regulated by law.

Art. [new] Protection of Endangered and Protected Wildlife Species

1 The canton shall refrain from submitting requests for preventive population regulation of protected wildlife species under the Federal Act on Hunting and the Protection of Wild Mammals and Birds, in particular concerning the wolf, lynx, bear, beaver, otter, golden jackal, golden eagle, common merganser, and other species protected under federal law.

2 It promotes 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 human safety remain reserved. Such measures must be limited to the absolute minimum and carried out by the competent cantonal specialist authority.

4 The canton actively advocates for the protection and conservation of endangered wildlife species within the framework of intercantonal cooperation and in its relations with the federal government.

Transitional Provision

1 The Consiglio di Stato shall enact the necessary implementing regulations within two years of the adoption of this constitutional amendment.

2 Existing hunting licenses shall expire upon the entry into force of the implementing regulations. Patent fees already paid for the current hunting season shall be reimbursed on a pro rata basis.

3 The Consiglio di Stato shall ensure the continuity of wildlife management during the transitional phase.

Explanatory Notes

1. Background

In the Canton of Ticino — the only Italian-speaking canton in Switzerland, with approximately 350,000 inhabitants across 2,812 km² — the current hobby hunting system serves neither species conservation nor contemporary wildlife management. It is the practice of a bloody recreational pastime at the expense of sentient beings, legitimized by outdated narratives that do not withstand scientific scrutiny. The claim that ecological balance would collapse without hobby hunting has been empirically refuted for over 50 years by the Geneva model (cf. the comprehensive dossier on the Geneva hunting ban at wildbeimwild.com).

Hobby hunting in Ticino is organized as a patent hunting system. Private individuals obtain a cantonal license and hunt without fixed territorial responsibility (cf. the psychology of hobby hunting in the Canton of Ticino as well as the critical analysis of hunting training at wildbeimwild.com).

In parallel, at the federal level, more and more protected wildlife species are coming under pressure. The wolf is present in Ticino and migrates across the Italian border. The lynx is native to the canton. The bear traverses Ticino on its way from Italy to Central Switzerland. The golden eagle breeds in the Ticino Alps. Since February 2025, the beaver may be shot upon cantonal request. Due to its southern location and proximity to Italy, Ticino is a key canton for the return of predators to Switzerland (cf. the analysis of hunting policy on wildbeimwild.com and the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

The Canton of Ticino has the opportunity to send a clear signal here: not only in favor of professional wildlife management instead of recreational hunting, but also for the consistent protection of endangered wildlife species at the cantonal level. As the only Italian-speaking canton, this signal would carry particular cultural significance.

2. The Model: Canton of Geneva

On May 19, 1974, approximately two-thirds of voters in the Canton of Geneva voted in favor of abolishing militia-based recreational hunting. Before the ban, large game in the canton had been virtually eradicated.

The experiences since the recreational hunting ban are unequivocal:

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

– The roe deer population has stabilized at a healthy level, with an annual special cull by professional game wardens of merely 20 to 36 animals.

– In 2005, 90 percent of Geneva's electorate voted in favor of maintaining the recreational hunting ban. In 2009, a motion to reintroduce hunting was rejected by a vote of 70 to 7.

– Total costs amount to approximately 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 approximately 2.40 francs per resident per year.

Geneva's fauna inspector Gottlieb Dandliker describes 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 is evident in a direct comparison: A professional game warden in Geneva needs an average of 8 hours and a maximum of 2 cartridges for a sanitary cull of a wild boar. A hobby hunter in the canton of Zurich needs 60 to 80 hours and up to 15 cartridges for the same task. The European hare 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 Zurich Cantonal Government).

3. The Concept: Professional Wildlife Management 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 amusement. Professional wildlife managers act on a scientific basis (cf. the critical analysis of hunter training on wildbeimwild.com).

Ultima ratio principle. A cull is only permissible when 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. Experience from Geneva, from national parks and from numerous scientific studies demonstrates: wildlife populations regulate themselves in most cases.

4. Why Ticino?

The canton of Ticino is suited for the introduction of professional wildlife protection for several reasons:

Gateway to southern Switzerland and Italy. Ticino is the key canton for the return of predators to Switzerland. Wolves migrate across the Italian border. Bears traverse the canton on their way from the Italian Alps to central Switzerland. Professional wildlife management in Ticino would secure a cross-border corridor (cf. wildbeimwild.com on predators).

Wolf policy. The wolf is present in Ticino. The initiative offers a constitutional response: professional wildlife management instead of politically motivated culls (cf. wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

Bear in transit. Ticino is the most important transition corridor for bears between the Italian and Swiss Alps. Professional wildlife management protects bears during their return.

Unique Insubrian climate. Thanks to its Insubrian climate, Ticino boasts a unique fauna and flora that differs from the rest of Switzerland. Chestnut forests, Mediterranean vegetation, and alpine high mountains converge. Professional wildlife management would protect these unique habitats more consistently.

Lago Maggiore and Lago di Lugano. The two large lakes are waterfowl areas of regional importance. The Geneva experience demonstrates what happens when recreational hunting of waterfowl ceases.

7’000 signatures. With 350’000 inhabitants, 7’000 signatures represent 2 percent of the population. Signatures can be collected efficiently in Lugano, Bellinzona, Locarno, Mendrisio, and Chiasso (cf. wildbeimwild.com on wildlife in urban areas).

Patent hunting = simpler system change. No lease contracts, no municipal compensation.

Tourism canton. Lugano, Locarno, Ascona: Ticino is a major tourism canton. Professional wildlife protection is an argument for sustainable tourism.

5. On the initiative text

Paragraph 1 – Ban on hobby hunting

The ban on patent hunting by private individuals corresponds to the Geneva model. Cantonal authority is undisputed: Art. 3 para. 1 of the Federal Hunting Act. The three hunting systems are equivalent. Geneva has been in compliance with federal law since 1974.

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 effective for over 50 years.

Paragraph 3 – Culling as ultima ratio

Culling is the exception, not the rule. Passive measures take priority.

Paragraph 4 – Wildlife commission

The independent wildlife commission is modeled on the Geneva system. It prevents the Consiglio di Stato from independently authorizing exceptions (cf. wildbeimwild.com/jagd-fakten).

Paragraph 5 – Natural regulation and coexistence

The promotion of coexistence in Ticino encompasses in particular the safeguarding of cross-border wildlife corridors to Italy, the ecological enhancement of chestnut forests and Insubrian habitats, and public education (cf. wildbeimwild.com on wildlife in urban areas).

Transitional provisions

The two-year deadline gives the Consiglio di Stato sufficient time. The existing Ufficio della caccia e della pesca can serve as an institutional foundation.

6. On the second article: Protection of endangered and protected wildlife species

The second article is particularly relevant for Ticino. The wolf migrates across the Italian border. The bear traverses the canton. The lynx is native. The golden eagle breeds in the Ticino Alps. The "in particular" formulation also protects future returnees, especially the bear and the otter (cf. the Wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

7. Cost implications: Concrete budget for Ticino

The Geneva reference budget

In Geneva, which at 282 km² is roughly ten times smaller than Ticino and has around 500,000 inhabitants, total costs amount to approximately 1.2 million francs annually.

Conservative projection for Ticino

For Ticino, with an area of 2,812 km² and around 350,000 inhabitants, the following deliberately conservative cost estimate applies. It calculates generously and takes into account the alpine topography, the presence of large predators, and the development of herd protection:

Personnel costs: 1,080,000 to 1,820,000 francs annually. 9 to 13 full-time positions are required. Ticino is ten times larger than Geneva and topographically diverse: Alps in the north (Leventina, Blenio, Maggia), Pre-Alps, and the lake basins of Lugano and Locarno. The wolf is documented in Ticino, the bear returns to Switzerland via Ticino (bear M29 in the Misox in 2019). In addition, there is the transitional management of red deer.

Material costs: 250,000 to 400,000 francs annually. Alpine equipment, off-road vehicles, monitoring infrastructure, herd protection materials, and public outreach in Italian.

Damage compensation: 150,000 to 300,000 francs annually. Primarily wolf predation damage, browsing damage in protective forests, and potential bear damage. The higher estimate accounts for the increasing presence of large predators.

Herd protection start-up investment: 500,000 to 900,000 francs. In the first three to five years after the system change, a one-time start-up investment in herd protection infrastructure for the Ticino Alps (Leventina, Blenio, Maggia) is needed: livestock guardian dog programs, mobile fences, night enclosures, shepherd training. This investment is non-recurring and will be amortized over three to five years.

Total costs: 1,480,000 to 2,520,000 francs annually (gross). This corresponds to approximately 4.25 to 7.20 francs per inhabitant per year.

Red deer transitional management

Red deer populations in Ticino are substantial and are not sustainably regulated by recreational hunting. Compensatory reproduction – the artificially elevated reproduction rate caused by hunting pressure – prevents any sustainable reduction. The scientific literature clearly documents this effect. Following the system change, targeted transitional management will be needed during the first three to five years, which is already factored into the higher staffing figures (cf. Studies on wildbeimwild.com).

Savings and counter-financing

Substantial savings offset these costs: no hunting examinations, no license administration, no kill quotas, no hunting supervision. A single senselessly killed wolf costs the public around 35,000 francs (helicopter deployments, coordination, legal proceedings). The costs for wolf and bear culls are eliminated entirely.

Lost revenue

With the abolition of recreational hunting, license fees estimated at 1 to 1.5 million francs annually would cease. However, these are offset by the never-accounted-for external costs of the militia hunting system – wildlife-vehicle collisions, hunting-induced browsing damage in protective forests, administrative overhead, police and court interventions – which amount to many times these revenues. In the Canton of Geneva, these revenues have been absent since 1974 – without any financial problems: before the hunting ban, over 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 hunter folklore or the hobby hunters' misunderstood “nature experience.” A full-cost analysis shows: the militia hunting system costs taxpayers significantly more than it generates (cf. “What recreational hunting really costs Switzerland” on wildbeimwild.com).

Hobby hunters in politics vote against nature conservation. The recreational 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. In the 2015–2019 legislative period, hobby hunters in parliament predominantly voted against environmental concerns. Anyone who claims hobby hunters are conservationists is ignoring their voting record (cf. Ticino Hunters' Association: 30 Years of Mischief and Cost Dossier).

The net additional costs are likely to amount to CHF 900,000 to 1,700,000 annually, which corresponds to approximately CHF 2.55 to 4.85 per resident. Even with generous calculations: that is less than one coffee per person per year. For a canton with a total budget of approximately CHF 4.5 billion (2024 state accounts, FFA), this amounts to less than 0.05 percent (cf. Hunting myths fact-check on wildbeimwild.com).

8. Compatibility with Superior Law

First Article: Abolition of Hobby Hunting

Compliant with federal law. Art. 3 para. 1 HuntA. Three equivalent hunting systems. Geneva has operated unchallenged since 1974.

Second Article: Protection of Protected Species

Art. 7a HuntA enables preventive regulation but does not mandate it. Refraining from regulation 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. Anticipation of Foreseeable Objections

“Ticino is ten times larger than Geneva and alpine – the system won’t work here”

The facts: Settlement is concentrated in the Sottoceneri (Lugano, Mendrisio) and the Sopraceneri (Bellinzona, Locarno). The side valleys and high mountains are sparsely populated with fewer conflict zones. The lake basins of Lago Maggiore and Lago di Lugano are similar to the Lake Geneva basin. The per capita costs are in the range of Geneva’s level (cf. The Psychology of Hobby Hunting in the Canton of Ticino).

Communicative short formula: «Le rive dei laghi sono come Ginevra. E nelle valli laterali ci sono meno conflitti, non di più.» / “The lakeshores are like Geneva. In the side valleys, there are fewer conflicts, not more.”

“The wolf and the bear must be regulated”

The facts: The wolf regulates. Hobby hunting disrupts. Geneva has proven this for 50 years. The bear is a rare transient, not a “problem.” Professional wildlife management accompanies the bear scientifically rather than shooting it.

Communicative short formula: «Il lupo regola. La caccia di svago disturba. Ginevra lo dimostra da 50 anni.» / “The wolf regulates. Hobby hunting disrupts. Geneva has proven this for 50 years.”

“The costs are too high”

The facts: CHF 2.55 to 4.85 per resident per year. In the range of Geneva’s level. Geneva has been doing it for 50 years, and 90 percent want to keep it.

Communicative short formula: «Circa 3–5 franchi per abitante all'anno. Meno di un caffè.» / «Approximately 3 to 5 francs per resident per year. Less than a cup of coffee.»

10. Summary

This initiative gives the population of Ticino the opportunity to vote in favor of modern, evidence-based wildlife management and comprehensive protection of endangered wildlife species. The first article follows the Geneva model, which has proven successful for over 50 years. The second article specifically protects the wolf, the bear on the transit corridor, the lynx, and the golden eagle. As the only Italian-speaking canton and gateway to southern Switzerland, a success in Ticino would hold particular cultural and strategic significance.

Initiative Committee «Per una gestione professionale della fauna selvatica» / «For Professional Wildlife Protection»

[Name 1], [Name 2], [Name 3] …

(Committee members in accordance with cantonal law, domiciled in the Canton of Ticino)

Contact address: [Committee address]

Appendix: Supplementary Documentation

The Geneva Model in detail: wildbeimwild.com/genf-jagdverbot

Scientific studies: wildbeimwild.com/studien

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

Psychology of hobby hunting in the Canton of Ticino: wildbeimwild.com – Psychology of hobby hunting in the Canton of TI

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

National parks and protected areas: wildbeimwild.com/category/nationalpark

Wildlife in residential areas: wildbeimwild.com/category/wildtiere-im-siedlungsgebiet

Hunting myths: wildbeimwild.com/dossiers/jagdmythen

Cantonal popular initiative Basel-Stadt: Model text of the initiative in the Canton of Basel-Stadt

Procedural note

The initiative committee submits the initiative text in Italian to the Cancelleria dello Stato of the Canton of Ticino for preliminary review before the signature collection begins. A total of 7’000 valid signatures are required for the initiative to qualify. The submission procedures are governed by the law on the exercise of political rights.

Strategic Briefing for Activists

Popular Initiative «Per una gestione professionale della fauna selvatica» – Canton of Ticino Internal working document – As of March 2026

Summary

Ticino is the only Italian-speaking canton in Switzerland and the gateway for the return of predators from Italy. Wolves and bears migrate across the border. 7’000 signatures among 350’000 residents are achievable. The per capita costs are in the range of Geneva's level. Italian-language core messages: «Il lupo regola. La caccia di svago disturba. Ginevra lo dimostra da 50 anni.»

1. Why Ticino in particular?

Gateway to southern Switzerland. Key canton for the return of wolves and bears from Italy.

Only Italian-speaking canton. Unique cultural position.

Insubrian climate. Unique fauna and flora.

7’000 signatures. 2 percent. Achievable.

Patent hunting system = simpler system change. No lease contracts.

2. Opponent analysis and prepared responses

Counterargument 1: «Ticino is too large»

Communicative short formula: «The lakeshores are like Geneva. In the side valleys there are fewer conflicts.»

Counterargument 2: «The wolf and the bear must be regulated»

Communicative short formula: «Il lupo regola. La caccia di svago disturba.»

Counterargument 3: «The costs are too high»

Communicative short formula: «Circa 3–5 franchi per abitante all’anno. Meno di un caffè.»

3. Communication strategy: The three core messages

«Ginevra lo fa da 50 anni.» / «Geneva has been doing it for 50 years.»

«Professionale invece che hobby.» / «Professional instead of hobby.»

«Circa 3–5 franchi per persona all’anno. Meno di un caffè.» / «Around 3–5 francs per person per year. Less than a coffee.»

4. Timeline and next steps

Phase	Content	Timeframe
Committee formation & preliminary text review	Engage legal counsel; prepare Italian version; committee members with TI residence	Month 1–4
Submission for preliminary review	Cancelleria dello Stato (Italian text)	Month 4–5
Publication & start of signature collection	Target: 8’500+ signatures as a buffer	Month 5
Party contacts & coalition building	PS, Verdi, Verdi liberali; Pro Natura Ticino; BirdLife Ticino; WWF Svizzera italiana	Month 1–12
Submission of signatures	Cancelleria dello Stato, official verification	After collection deadline
Gran Consiglio debate	Parliamentary anchoring; media work	Subsequent months
Referendum campaign	Gateway to southern Switzerland, bear argument, Geneva experience, Italian-speaking	Before vote

5. Campaign material

• The Geneva dossier on wildbeimwild.com as the central compendium of arguments.
• The Psychology of hobby hunting in the canton of Ticino as background material.
• Local media: Corriere del Ticino, la Regione, RSI (Radiotelevisione svizzera), Ticinonews.
• Infographic: Cross-border corridor Italy–Ticino–Central Switzerland. Lago Maggiore/Lugano. Bear transit. Cost comparison TI vs. GE.
• All campaign materials in Italian.

6. Further Sources

• Geneva Hunting Ban in Detail
• Scientific Studies
• Hunting in Switzerland
• Psychology of Hobby Hunting in the Canton of Ticino
• Hunting Myths Fact-Check
• Federal Hunting Statistics (FOEN)
• 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 conditions in the Canton of Ticino.

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