Cantonal popular initiative: Canton Ticino

«Per una gestione professionale della fauna selvatica» / «For professional wildlife protection»

Iniziativa costituzionale elaborata / Constitutional initiative in the form of a drafted proposal

Based on Art. 85 para. 2 and Art. 87 of the Constitution of the Republic and Canton of Ticino of 14 December 1997 and on the Act on the Exercise of Political Rights

Submitted by the initiative committee [date of submission]

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

Text of the initiative

The undersigned persons entitled to vote in Canton Ticino hereby submit the following constitutional initiative:

The Constitution of the Republic and Canton of Ticino of 14 December 1997 is supplemented by the following articles:

Art. [new] Professional wildlife protection

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

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

Explanatory notes

1. Starting position

In Canton Ticino, the only Italian-speaking canton in Switzerland, with around 350,000 inhabitants across an area of 2,812 km², today's recreational hunting is a system that serves neither species conservation nor modern wildlife management. It is the pursuit of a bloody leisure pastime 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 disproved for over 50 years by the Geneva model (see the comprehensive dossier on the Geneva hunting ban on wildbeimwild.com).

In Ticino, recreational hunting is organised as licence hunting. Private individuals purchase a cantonal licence and hunt without fixed responsibility for a hunting ground (see the The psychology of recreational hunting in the canton of Ticino as well as the critical analysis of hunting training on wildbeimwild.com).

In parallel, more and more protected wild animal species are coming under pressure at the federal level. The wolf is present in Ticino and migrates in across the Italian border. The lynx is native to the canton. Bears from Italy can also pass through Ticino. The golden eagle breeds in the Ticino Alps. Since February 2025, cantons have been able to authorise the kill of individual beavers that cause significant damage (Art. 9d JSV). Due to its southern location and proximity to Italy, Ticino is a key canton for the return of predators to Switzerland (see 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 favour of professional wildlife protection instead of recreational hunting, but also for the consistent protection of endangered wild animal species at the cantonal level. As the only Italian-speaking canton, this signal would carry particular cultural significance.

2. The role model: canton of Geneva

On 19 May 1974, a good 70 percent of voters in the canton of Geneva voted to abolish militia-style recreational hunting. Before the ban, big game in the canton had been practically wiped out.

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).

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. Experience from Geneva, from national parks and from numerous scientific Studies confirms that, in most cases, wildlife populations regulate themselves.

4. Why Ticino?

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

Gateway to southern Switzerland and Italy. Ticino is a key canton for the return of predators to Switzerland. Wolves migrate in across the Italian border. Bears from the Italian Alps can also pass through the canton. Professional wildlife management in Ticino would secure a cross-border corridor (see wildbeimwild.com on predators).

Wolf policy. The wolf is present in Ticino. The initiative offers a constitutional answer: professional wildlife management instead of politically motivated kills (see the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

Bear in transit. Ticino is a possible migration corridor for bears between the Italian and Swiss Alps. Professional wildlife management protects the bear during its return.

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

Lago Maggiore and Lago di Lugano. The two large lakes are waterbird areas of regional significance. The Geneva experience shows what happens when recreational hunting of waterbirds ceases.

10,000 signatures in 100 days. With 350,000 inhabitants, 10,000 signatures amount to just under 3 per cent of the population. Collecting signatures efficiently is possible in Lugano, Bellinzona, Locarno, Mendrisio and Chiasso.

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

Tourism canton. Lugano, Locarno, Ascona: Ticino is an important tourism canton. Professional wildlife protection is 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 of the hunting act. The three hunting systems are of equal standing. Geneva has been compliant with federal law since 1974.

Paragraph 2: Professional wildlife management

Instead of recreational hunters, professionally trained wildlife managers in cantonal service take on all tasks. In Geneva, this system has proven its worth for over 50 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 Consiglio di Stato from independently approving exceptions (cf. Hunting myths fact-checked).

Paragraph 5: Natural regulation and coexistence

In Ticino, promoting coexistence includes in particular securing the cross-border wildlife corridors to Italy, the ecological enhancement of chestnut forests and Insubric habitats, and raising public awareness.

Transitional provisions

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

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

The second article is particularly relevant for Ticino. The wolf migrates in across the Italian border. The bear can pass through the canton. The lynx is native. The golden eagle breeds in the Ticino Alps. The phrase "in particular" also protects future returning species, 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 around 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 results. This calculates generously and takes into account the alpine topography, the presence of predators and the build-up 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, and the bear can return to Switzerland via Ticino. 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 relations work in Italian.

Damage compensation: CHF 150,000 to 300,000 annually. Mainly wolf kill damages, browsing damage in protective forests and possible bear damages. The higher estimate takes into account the increasing presence of 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-off start-up investment in herd protection infrastructure is needed for the Ticino Alps (Leventina, Blenio, Maggia): livestock guardian dog programmes, mobile fencing, night enclosures, training of shepherds. This investment is non-recurring and is amortised over three to five years.

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

Transitional management of red deer

The red deer populations in Ticino are considerable and are not sustainably regulated by recreational hunting. Compensatory reproduction (i.e. the reproduction rate artificially increased by hunting pressure) prevents a sustainable reduction. The scientific literature clearly documents this effect. After the system change, a targeted transition management is needed in the first three to five years, which is factored into the higher staff numbers (cf. studies on wildbeimwild.com).

Savings and counter-financing

This is offset by considerable savings: no hunting examinations, no licence administration, no kill quota planning, no hunting supervision. A single pointlessly killed wolf costs the public around CHF 35,000 (helicopter deployments, coordination, legal proceedings). The costs for wolf and bear kills are eliminated entirely.

Lost revenue

With the abolition of recreational hunting, the licence fees of an estimated CHF 1 to 1.5 million annually are eliminated. However, this is offset by the never-balanced external costs of militia hunting (wildlife accidents, hunting-related browsing damage in protective forests, administrative expenses, police and court deployments), which amount to many times these revenues. In the canton of Geneva, these revenues have been eliminated since 1974 without 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" on the part of recreational hunters. A full-cost accounting shows: 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 900,000 and CHF 1,700,000 annually, which corresponds to aroundCHF 2.55 to 4.85 per resident This corresponds to. Even calculated generously: that is less than a coffee per person per year. For a canton with a total budget of around CHF 4.5 billion (2024 state accounts, FFA), this is less than 0.05 per cent (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

«Ticino is ten times bigger than Geneva and alpine, the system does not work here»

The facts: Settlement is concentrated in the Sottoceneri (Lugano, Mendrisio) and Sopraceneri (Bellinzona, Locarno) regions. The side valleys and high mountains are sparsely populated with fewer conflict zones. The basins of Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano are similar to the Lake Geneva basin. The per-capita costs are in the range of the Geneva level (cf. the The psychology of recreational hunting in the canton of Ticino).

Short communicative 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. Recreational hunting disrupts. Geneva has proven this for 50 years. The bear is a rare transient visitor, not a «problem». Professional wildlife management accompanies the bear scientifically, instead of shooting it.

Short communicative formula: «Il lupo regola. La caccia di svago disturba. Ginevra lo dimostra da 50 anni.» / «The wolf regulates. Recreational 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 the Geneva level. Geneva has been doing it for 50 years and has never lifted the ban.

Short communicative formula:«Circa 3–5 franchi per abitante all’anno. Meno di un caffè.» / «Around CHF 3 to 5 per resident per year. Less than a coffee.»

10. Summary

This initiative gives the population of Ticino the opportunity to vote in favour of modern, evidence-based wildlife management and comprehensive protection for endangered wild animal species. The first article follows the Geneva model, which has proven itself for over 50 years. The second article specifically protects the wolf, the bear on its possible migration corridor, the lynx and the golden eagle. As the only Italian-speaking canton and gateway to southern Switzerland, a success in Ticino would have 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 according to cantonal law, resident in the Canton of Ticino)

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

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

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 text of the initiative in Italian for preliminary examination by the Cancelleria dello Stato of the Canton of Ticino before the signature-collection period begins. For the initiative to be valid, 10,000 valid signatures are required. They must be collected within 100 days of publication in the Foglio ufficiale (Art. 85 para. 4 KV TI). The submission procedures are governed by the Act 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 can migrate across the border. 10,000 signatures in 100 days means around 100 per day. This requires a collection organisation that is fully in place before the launch. The per-capita costs are in the range of the Geneva level. Core messages in Italian: «Il lupo regola. La caccia di svago disturba. Ginevra lo dimostra da 50 anni.»

1. Why Ticino of all places?

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

The only Italian-speaking canton. A special cultural position.

Insubrian climate. Unique fauna and flora.

10,000 signatures in 100 days. Around 100 per day. Demanding, but feasible with preparation.

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

2. Opponent analysis and prepared responses

Counter-argument 1: "Ticino is too big"

Short communicative formula: "The lakeshores are like Geneva. In the side valleys there are fewer conflicts."

Counter-argument 2: "The wolf and the bear must be regulated"

Short communicative formula: «The wolf regulates. Recreational hunting disturbs.»

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

Short communicative formula: «About 3–5 francs per inhabitant per year. Less than a coffee.»

3. Communication strategy: the three core messages

«Geneva has been doing it for 50 years.» / "Geneva has been doing it for 50 years."

«Professional rather than recreational.» / «Professional instead of recreational.»

«About 3–5 francs per person per year. Less than a coffee.» / "Around 3 to 5 francs per person per year. Less than a coffee."

4. Timeline and next steps

Phase	Content	Timeframe
Committee formation & preliminary text review	Consult a lawyer/legal expert; prepare Italian version; committee members resident in Ticino	Month 1–4
Submission for preliminary review	Cancelleria dello Stato (Italian text)	Month 4–5
Publication & start of signature collection	Target: 11,500+ signatures as a buffer	Month 5
Party contacts & coalition building	PS, Greens, Green Liberals; Pro Natura Ticino; BirdLife Ticino; WWF Svizzera italiana	Month 1–12
Submission of signatures	Cancelleria dello Stato, official verification	After the collection period
Gran Consiglio debate	Parliamentary anchoring; media work	Following months
Voting campaign	Gateway to southern Switzerland, bear argument, Geneva experience, Italian-speaking	Before the vote

5. Campaign material

Geneva dossier on wildbeimwild.com as the central set of arguments.
The The psychology of recreational 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 material in Italian.

6. 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 Ticino.

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 →