Stop fox hunting – write to the Cantonal Council Basel-Landschaft
On 16 June 2026, the Cantonal Government of Basel-Landschaft responded to Pascal Wolf's fox hunting petition — across four pages, signed by Government President Dr Anton Lauber. The letter contains not a single scientific source. The core message: there is no reason for a change of direction. In 2024, 679 red foxes were killed across both Basels, 676 of them in the rural canton.
Particularly revealing: the Cantonal Government itself refers to Geneva — and in doing so inadvertently mentions that Geneva has managed without hobby hunting since 1974. This refutes its own argument.
Important: Please do not write to everyone at once. Choose 2–3 people who represent you as a resident, and write to them personally from your own email program.
Template letter – copy this text into your email program
Subject: Fox hunting Basel-Landschaft – please take action
Dear Ms [Name] / Dear Mr [Name]
I am writing to you directly as a citizen, because the practice of fox hunting in our canton concerns me.
On 16 June 2026, the Cantonal Government responded to the fox hunting petition across four pages — without naming a single scientific source. At the same time, it refers to Geneva, which has managed without hobby hunting since 1974. This refutes its own argument.
The Canton of Lucerne — the only canton with systematic health monitoring of killed foxes — shows: of 2,217 animals killed, only 39 had any sign of disease. Over 98 per cent were healthy. In 2025, the Canton of Zug commissioned an independent study by SWILD. The result: fox hunting regulates nothing, does not improve disease control, and non-lethal methods are superior.
In 2024, 676 red foxes were killed in the Canton of Basel-Landschaft — with no demonstrable benefit for health or agriculture, at the taxpayers' expense and with considerable animal suffering.
The Canton of Geneva has managed without hobby hunting since 1974 — and thus effectively without fox hunting as well: only state game wardens are permitted to intervene there, and over the past two years without a single regulatory kill.
I ask you to critically scrutinise the Cantonal Government's response and to advocate in the Cantonal Council for a genuine, scientifically grounded review of fox hunting.
Kind regards
[Your name]
[Your place of residence]
What was decided in the Canton of Basel-Landschaft
The cantonal government replied on 16 June 2026 across four pages – without citing a single study. It names five functions of fox hunting (disease control, dealing with habituated animals, putting sick animals out of their misery, epidemiological observation, capacity to act in an emergency), but provides no scientific evidence. Not one of these functions was backed by a cited study.
Particularly revealing: the cantonal government itself refers to Geneva («including the state hunt (Geneva), interventions in wildlife populations remain part of wildlife management») – without mentioning that Geneva abolished hobby hunting in 1974 and has managed with minimised interventions ever since.
What the science says
Population regulation: Compensation mechanisms – higher fertility, better survival rates, immigration – offset losses. Even killing three-quarters of a population is back in balance the following year.
Rabies: Intensive hunting was unable to halt the rabies epidemic of the 1970s. Only the vaccination campaign from 1978 onwards had an effect. Lethal methods can even amplify diseases, because hunted animals become more mobile.
Fox tapeworm: In a French study, prevalence rose from 44 to 55 percent despite high hunting pressure – because young foxes filling the gaps carry a higher worm burden.
Geneva: Without hobby hunting since 1974, no population explosion, no worse disease situation. Luxembourg: Since the hunting ban in 2015, the proportion of fox tapeworm has fallen from around 40 to under 10 percent.
Full overview of studies: Studies: the impact of hobby hunting on wild animals
Email addresses of the Basel-Landschaft cantonal council (2023–2027 legislative term)
Alle Adressen folgen dem offiziellen Muster vorname.nachname@lr-bl.ch. Vollständige Mitgliederliste: baselland.ch
Green Party group
thomas.eugster@lr-bl.ch – Eugster Thomas
miriam.locher@lr-bl.ch – Locher Miriam
johannes.sutter@lr-bl.ch – Sutter Johannes
urs.kaufmann@lr-bl.ch – Kaufmann Urs
simone.ludin@lr-bl.ch – Ludin Simone
brigitte.manz@lr-bl.ch – Manz Brigitte
SP group
simone.abt@lr-bl.ch – Abt Simone
pascale.bruderer@lr-bl.ch – Bruderer Pascale
diana.stoll@lr-bl.ch – Stoll Diana
kira.lipp@lr-bl.ch – Lipp Kira
roger.schneider@lr-bl.ch – Schneider Roger
elias.stohler@lr-bl.ch – Stohler Elias
GLP group
kathrin.schweizer@lr-bl.ch – Schweizer Kathrin
patrick.schreiber@lr-bl.ch – Schreiber Patrick
maya.moser@lr-bl.ch – Moser Maya
EVP group
tobias.beck@lr-bl.ch – Beck Tobias
andrea.heger@lr-bl.ch – Heger Andrea
regula.streun@lr-bl.ch – Streun Regula
daniel.stucki@lr-bl.ch – Stucki Danny
The Centre parliamentary group
marc.scherrer@lr-bl.ch – Scherrer Marc
thomas.noack@lr-bl.ch – Noack Thomas
petra.spinas@lr-bl.ch – Spinas Petra
peter.riebli@lr-bl.ch – Riebli Peter
FDP parliamentary group
marc.joset@lr-bl.ch – Joset Marc
andrea.kaufmann@lr-bl.ch – Kaufmann Andrea
reto.tschudin@lr-bl.ch – Tschudin Reto
SVP parliamentary group
franz.vogt@lr-bl.ch – Vogt Franz
thomas.lerf@lr-bl.ch – Lerf Thomas
nicole.spiegel-roth@lr-bl.ch – Spiegel-Roth Nicole
Note: The complete list of all 90 cantonal parliament members is available via baselland.ch abrufbar. E-Mail-Muster: vorname.nachname@lr-bl.ch Please verify before sending.
What has happened so far in the Canton of Basel-Landschaft
📌 Canton of Basel-Landschaft responds to fox-hunting petition – without a single scientific source
Four pages of administrative jargon, not a single citation of a study. An analysis.
📌 After Bern and Lucerne: Basel questions fox hunting
In the Basel cantonal parliament a member is calling for a scientific review. In 2024, 679 foxes were killed in both Basel cantons.