Bird Hunting Zurich: Only Three Species Left for Shooting
The cantonal council has provisionally supported, with 95 votes, an individual initiative by former Green Party cantonal councillor Robert Brunner from Steinmaur, demanding that bird hunting in the canton be restricted to the carrion crow, the cormorant, and the feral domestic pigeon.
The Zurich parliament plans to restrict hobby hunting to three bird species that cause problems.
Hobby hunters shoot birds even when they cause no harm. That is set to change.
Jay: Useful Rather Than Harmful
The Eurasian jay, for example, was previously permitted to be hunted, even though it causes no damage. On the contrary, it contributes to biodiversity by burying acorns and thus helping to spread oak trees.
Initiative Restricts Bird Hunting
An individual initiative demands that the bird species approved for shooting be explicitly listed. These are the carrion crow, feral domestic pigeons, and the cormorant. These birds can cause damage to agricultural crops.
Parliament Refers Initiative to the Cantonal Government
The debate on bird hunting in parliament led to a range of opinions. Some support the restriction of hobby hunting, while others find little merit in the idea.
The initiative was ultimately supported by a majority of 95 votes and referred to the cantonal government.
