Luxembourg successfully extends the fox hunting ban
Hunters cannot conclusively prove that fox numbers are kept in check by hunting.
At the request of the Aktionsbündnis Fuchs a representative from the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development of the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg stated that «the government has adopted a draft regulation concerning the 2019 and 2020 hunting seasons and huntable species. The draft is currently with the Council of State (Conseil d’État) for its opinion and is expected to come into force before 1 April of this year. The draft regulation does not list the fox as a huntable species.» Accordingly, the fox hunting ban in Luxembourg has once again been confirmed and continued by the government.
No fox hunting? No problem!
The doomsday scenarios of unchecked fox populations or the spread of wildlife diseases, as predicted by the hunting association FSHCL, have of course not materialised. Since the introduction of the fox hunting ban, hunting advocates had spoken out against the protection of these beneficial predators using flimsy arguments and an intensive lobbying and media campaign — fortunately without success, as the fox hunting ban has been a true success story:Nature and forestry authorities have identified no problems resulting from the fox hunting ban; there is no evidence of an increase in the fox population, and the rate of fox tapeworm infection among foxes has decreased rather than increased since the hunting ban came into effect. Having risen to 39.7% in 2014 despite continued hunting, it had fallen to just 24.6% by 2017. The Luxembourg hunters’ federation FSHCL also suffered a humiliating defeat before the administrative court in its attempt to have the hunting ban overturned through legal action. There are quite clearly no compelling arguments in favour of fox hunting and thus for ending the fox hunting ban. Why recreational hunting fails as a means of population control in general is illustrated in the dedicated dossier.
The fifth year of the fox hunting ban in Luxembourg
… once again proves how unnecessary the mass and cruel killing of these equally useful and beautiful predators truly is.Since 2015, fox hunting has been banned in Luxembourg. The Greens (Dei Greng) — as well as Mr. Claude Turmes, Secretary of State for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, personally — had already announced before the October 2018 elections that they would maintain the fox hunting ban without any ifs or buts and would advocate for its extension, because:The available scientific findings and the experience gathered so far in Luxembourg clearly support the continuation of the fox hunting ban. Following their electoral success, the government is now continuing the success story of the fox hunting ban and staying the course — a course that Germany and other countries should finally follow as well! Why recreational hunting is a animal welfare problem is explained in the dossier published by IG Wild beim Wild.
