Stop the fox hunt – write to the Grand Council of Basel-Stadt
Basel-Stadt is, after Zug, the second canton whose government has shown itself open to abandoning the regular fox hunt. The trigger was a written enquiry from Grand Councillor Brigitta Gerber, which the Cantonal Council answered on 30 June 2026. The answer is remarkably clear: the government is «open to an in-depth examination of abandoning the regular red fox hunt in the Canton of Basel-Stadt» and wishes to explore this question together with the municipalities.
Unlike in most cantons, resistance here is low and the direction is right. All the more important, then, that the members of the Grand Council now politically reinforce this opening, so that a willingness to examine turns into a concrete decision.
You can do something, no matter which canton you live in. Turn directly to your cantonal councillor or your National Councillor. This is legal, effective and takes only a little time.
Important: do not rely on email alone. We have received feedback from several cantons that messages about hobby hunting of foxes sometimes come back as undeliverable. Whether this is due to faulty addresses or to a deliberate filter cannot be determined from the outside. Therefore, it is better to use several channels: write a letter, make a phone call or seek a personal conversation. You can also approach the parties and parliamentary groups directly – often a message to the party or parliamentary group secretariat is more effective than one to individual council members. A phone call or a letter cannot be filtered out as easily as an email, and often leaves more of an impression.
Template letter – copy this text into your email program
Subject: Fox hunting – please stay on the topic
Dear Ms [Name] / Dear Mr [Name]
As a citizen, I am turning to you directly because the practice of fox hunting in our canton concerns me.
On 30 June 2026 the Cantonal Council responded to the written enquiry from Grand Councillor Brigitta Gerber, stating that it is open to an in-depth examination of abandoning the regular red fox hunt. I expressly welcome this stance and ask you to support it in the Grand Council and to ensure a swift, concrete decision.
The canton's own figures argue for abolition: over the past ten years, an average of only five foxes per year were shot for hunting in Basel-Stadt, while over the same period an average of ten foxes died annually as roadkill and from disease. There were no special culls by the canton. In any case, Basel-Stadt does not pursue any large-scale regulation objective.
The scientific basis is unambiguous: the expert report commissioned by the canton of Zug from SWILD (May 2026) shows that fox hunting does not sustainably regulate populations, does not improve disease control and is inferior to non-lethal protective measures. Geneva (since 1974) and Luxembourg (since 2015) demonstrate that wildlife management works without fox hunting.
Abstaining from regular hunting does not mean that no intervention takes place at all: the wildlife wardens can still selectively remove sick, injured or behaviourally conspicuous animals. What is solely in question is the routine killing of healthy foxes without any proven benefit.
I thank you for your commitment and ask you to consistently continue along the path you have embarked upon.
Kind regards
[Your name]
[Your place of residence]
What the Basel government council said
For a fair assessment: Basel-Stadt has not abolished fox hunting, nor has it decided to abolish it. The government council declares its willingness to seriously examine abolition. That is a deliberate opening, but not yet an endpoint.
The figures the canton itself cites are revealing: an average of five foxes shot for hunting per year, twice as much roadkill, no special culls. Even today, Basel-Stadt does not carry out large-scale population regulation but intervenes on a case-by-case basis, for instance with sick or injured animals. These very interventions by the wildlife wardens should also remain possible in the event of any abstention from regular hunting.
The government council also points to the canton's urban structure and cautions that findings from large rural regions cannot be transferred unexamined. That is a legitimate reservation. It does not change the fact that the thrust of the response amounts to an opening.
The Zug findings as a basis
The Basel initiative is based on a report that was not written by an animal welfare organisation, but by a specialist body commissioned by the canton of Zug itself. The SWILD report by Dr Claudia Kistler and Dr Fabio Bontadina (May 2026) concludes: hobby hunting does not regulate the fox population, because foxes compensate for losses through earlier and more fertile reproduction as well as immigration. In the case of diseases, hunting is ineffective to counterproductive; rabies was defeated by the oral vaccination campaign from 1978 onwards and not by the shotgun. When it comes to protecting livestock, fences and herd protection are more effective than killing foxes.
You can find the detailed presentation of the report and the Zug authorities' reaction in our article «Canton of Zug: authorities put the brakes on fox hunting after study».
The Zug SWILD report
The canton of Zug is the only Swiss canton so far to have responded to Pascal Wolf's fox-hunting petition with a genuine scientific study. In autumn 2025 the Department of the Interior commissioned a specialist report from SWILD – Urban Ecology, Wildlife Research, Communication. The second version appeared in May 2026 and was presented to the Hunting Commission on 16 June 2026.
The result is clear: fox hunting as currently practised cannot sustainably regulate populations, does not improve disease control and is inferior to non-lethal methods when it comes to protecting livestock. The experiences from Geneva (since 1974) and Luxembourg (since 2015) confirm: wildlife management works without hobby hunting of the red fox.
The complete study is publicly accessible: Scientific foundations on fox hunting
Where to find the contact details
The Grand Council of the canton of Basel-Stadt has 100 members. Unlike in some cantons, there is no uniform e-mail pattern: the contact details are given on the profile page of each member under grosserrat.bs.ch/mitglieder. Via the parties' parliamentary group pages you can also find the members grouped by party.
What has happened so far in Basel-Stadt
📌 After Bern and Lucerne: Basel questions fox hunting
In the Basel Grand Council, a council member is calling for a scientific review.
📌 Basel-Stadt examines withdrawal from fox hunting, prompted by a Zug report
The cantonal government declares itself open to an in-depth examination of a withdrawal. Five foxes killed by hunting per year, twice as many found dead, no benefit proven.
🧠 Psychology of hobby hunting in the canton of Basel-Stadt
Why fox hunting persists even in an urban canton with hardly any hunters.