Geneva hunting ban

"Predators are widespread, but do not cause any problems," said the wildlife inspector. "We do not regulate foxes, martens, or badgers."

Editorial Team Wild beim Wild — June 19, 2023

The beautiful canton of Geneva has had a hunting ban for hobby hunters since May 19, 1974.

Around two-thirds of voters approved the hunting ban demanded by animal rights activists. Since then, the state has regulated wildlife and limited its impact on humans and the environment with the help of game wardens.

The hunting ban in Geneva was a sensation and attracted considerable attention far beyond the canton. It was a shock to the hunting community – and remains so to this day. For the example of Geneva proves that – even in densely populated cultural landscapes – it is possible to manage without recreational hunters; indeed, that nature and animals are much better off, and that people also benefit.

Due to high hunting pressure in neighboring France and the canton of Vaud, wild animals are even seeking refuge in Geneva. Some of the hunted animals swim across the Rhône River into the canton of Geneva. The wildlife is cared for by about a dozen professional conservationists (personnel costs around 600,000 Swiss francs per year; the total budget for wildlife management is around 1.2 million Swiss francs). These conservationists also perform a variety of other tasks, such as monitoring fisheries, overseeing nature reserves, preventing damage caused by wildlife, and handling specific responsibilities related to forestry and agriculture. They share the equivalent of just under three full-time positions.

If dubious amateurs were to become involved in wildlife management again, the costs would not be lower, since they would have to be intensively supervised and monitored, just as in the other cantons.

Of its 280 square kilometers, the densely populated canton of Geneva, with its 500,000 inhabitants, has 30 square kilometers of forest and 110 square kilometers of farmland. Expressed as percentages: 45 percent of the canton is used for agriculture, 25 percent is built-up, 15 percent consists of forest and river, and Lake Geneva occupies another 15 percent.

According to environmental officer Gottlieb Dandliker, damage caused by wildlife to agriculture is practically negligible. The canton spends 250,000 francs annually on prevention and another 350,000 francs annually on wildlife damage, for which pigeons are primarily responsible. In total, the canton must raise approximately 1.2 million francs per year for wildlife management, which is equivalent to a cup of coffee per inhabitant or an agricultural subsidy of just over 3%.

In comparison, fishing would incur significantly higher costs, even though licenses are sold. Dandliker therefore sees the hunting ban for recreational hunters in Geneva as the cheapest alternative for the canton and clearly financially sustainable in the long term.

Wildlife inspector Dandliker says that contact with wild animals has a therapeutic effect on people. By this, he means discovering animal tracks, hearing animals, or even encountering them in the wild.

Wild boars in the canton of Geneva

Controlling the wild boar population requires approximately one full-time position, or an average of 1,621 hours. Young animals are the most frequently shot (around 80%). Wild boar damage to crops was estimated at 17,830 Swiss francs (45,000 in 2014). Currently, there are approximately five wild boar per square kilometer of forest – a low and stable level. According to Dandliker, the population can now be effectively controlled. Over the past ten years, around 327 wild boar have been shot annually in Geneva. Since the hunting ban in 1974, the average has been even lower, at around 125. Prior to the 1974 ban, wild boar, along with other animal species, had been eradicated in the canton of Geneva for decades by recreational hunters.

One reason why wild boars are shot is that they love ripe, sugary grapes. In a wine-growing canton like Geneva, this is a problem, especially as autumn approaches. If a herd of wild boars enters a vineyard, the animals can easily devour 300 to 400 kilograms of grapes in a single night. Winegrowers are understandably nervous in the days and weeks leading up to the grape harvest.

The canton knows the areas most affected. The state provides farmers with electric fences. Near protected areas, it even installs them itself. Farmers receive 1 franc per linear meter for the installation. They are responsible for maintaining the fences until they are dismantled. Fruit trees are also protected with netting to prevent deer and hares from gnawing the bark. If animals do cause damage, the canton compensates for the losses.

It is striking that practically no forest damage is reported. The damage figures in the canton of Geneva are comparable to those of Schaffhausen, 50,130 (58,870) – even though hunting is permitted in Schaffhausen. Furthermore, during the hunting season in France and the canton of Vaud, there are more wild boars and other wild animals in Geneva seeking refuge there.

Hunting ban in Geneva

The hunting ban in Geneva has improved safety. Since its introduction, game wardens have taken over the duties of recreational hunters in Geneva. No additional positions were created. Game wardens only patrol at night for culling purposes, using light intensifiers and infrared technology. This helps locate the animals and also reduces the risk of accidents.

In 2011, for example, no red deer, roe deer, red fox, badger, marten, brown hare, etc., were shot in Geneva, according to the federal hunting statistics . Geneva, unlike other cantons, still enjoys very healthy hare populations .

Night vision devices are now used in various cantons (Zurich, St. Gallen, Thurgau, Aargau), with the canton of Geneva serving as a model. This increases accuracy and reduces the suffering of wildlife. Telescopic sights, once controversial, are now standard practice.

“This regulation is carried out exclusively by game wardens; no amateur hunters are involved,” says Gottlieb Dandliker. For these “environmental wardens,” safety, ethics, and animal welfare play a major role : “We can’t afford a single accident.” Animal welfare primarily means preventing wounded animals. “This happens on a massive scale in the surrounding area, in the canton of Vaud, in France. Driven hunts are conducted, the animals are shot, and they are either found or not—or only a week later,” reports the wildlife inspector. “Stressful situations like those in driven hunts—where the animals know: that was a truly terrible experience—don’t occur with our regulation.” Leading sows are not shot—for ethical reasons. Because if the nursing mother is missing, the piglets die. The lead sows and the large boars are also not shot. “We hope this will ensure stability within the sounder and in the animals’ behavior,” explains Dandliker. “We regularly have groups of orphaned wild boar piglets from French hunts, who have lost their mothers and come to the villages.” Such leaderless piglets can, of course, cause considerable damage. And it is well known that wild boar populations increase uncontrollably after the lead sow is shot.

Although shooting takes place in the dark, cantonal wildlife inspector Gottlieb Dandliker assures : " 99.5 percent of the animals shot are killed instantly. " He says the suffering is " minimal ," as is the stress for the animals that are not shot. There are almost no cases in which animals survive a shooting with injuries. Dandliker himself does not speak of a " complete ban on shooting ," but rather of " control of the wildlife population by game wardens ."

It's a shame that birth control measures like immunocontraception aren't yet implemented in Geneva, which would put an end to the deplorable practice of shooting animals. There's always funding for tagging, transmitters, wildlife research, etc., but not for a sustainable and more ethical way to stabilize animal populations.

Sanitary culling by game wardens is not the same as the regulation of wild animals by hobby hunters based on hunters' tall tales or misunderstood experience of nature.

In Geneva, on average, a few hundred animals are shot by professionals each year, while in the other cantons the figure is well over 100,000 wild animals (some of which are only seriously injured by amateur hobby hunters and suffer for days until they die).

It is very shameful – a sign of a lack of culture – for Switzerland that cantonal authorities organize attractive hunts for hobby hunters, such as trophy hunting , for fun, and generate income through such blood money.

"Hunting Switzerland knows that wildlife populations would generally regulate themselves – even in our cultural landscape."
Swiss Hunting Association 2011

Population

The residents of Geneva are content with the hunting ban. In 2004, the Erasm Institute conducted a survey of the population. Nearly 90% were against allowing murderers to resume their bloody hobby. In 2009, a motion was introduced in the cantonal parliament to vote on the reintroduction of hunting. It was soundly rejected by a vote of 71 to 5, with 6 abstentions. Before the hunting ban in 1974, around 420 hunting licenses were sold annually, and seven environmental officers were active.

The people of Geneva are happy to pay for game wardens because they appreciate encountering live animals during their walks in nature. This impression is scientifically confirmed. A long-term study by the canton revealed a significant increase in biodiversity .

Since Geneva has an airport, birds are shot as part of public safety measures. In addition, there are also officially authorized bird culls for railway purposes and by a few farmers.

If one truly wants to engage with biodiversity in one's own country, the hunting ban for hobby hunters in Geneva is an exemplary success story that is attracting attention both at home and abroad.

As a walker, you regularly see wild animals like the European hare hopping around or can observe beavers. Biodiversity has never been greater than after the expulsion of recreational hunters. Geneva currently has a stable population of around 100 red deer and 330 roe deer. This canton can and must be a model for other regions.

The Geneva region is now of international importance for bird conservation . This stretch of water, previously of little significance for bird protection, has become a vital habitat for overwintering common pochards, tufted ducks, great crested grebes, little grebes, wigeons, gadwalls, teals, and mallards. The waters of the Canton of Geneva are also an important breeding and wintering ground for the goosander. The number of wintering waterfowl in the canton has multiplied over the years. The diversity among the duck populations is impressive. And with regard to small game, the density of hares in the Canton of Geneva is among the highest in Switzerland. Furthermore, Geneva is one of the last strongholds for wild rabbits and partridges in Switzerland.

Geneva is a pioneering canton: 10 percent of its agricultural land is designated as ecological compensation, meaning it is of higher quality for biodiversity. Partridges, birds of prey, and predators such as martens and foxes also benefit from this.

“Predators are widespread, but they don’t cause any problems,” said the wildlife inspector. “ We don’t regulate foxes, martens, or badgers. ” In the summer, a young lynx—an orphan from the canton of Vaud—was released in Geneva. Apparently, there were fears that the young animal would otherwise be shot.
Wildlife inspector Gottlieb Dandliker

Engadine National Park

In the Swiss National Park in the Engadine, hunting has been prohibited for 100 years, and the chamois population, for example, has remained constant at around 1,350 since 1920. Foxes are also not hunted. Contrary to predictions from amateur hunters, none of their prey animals have become extinct. The shift from pasture for cows and sheep to deer pasture has led to a completely new species composition in the vegetation and a doubling of biodiversity!

"Even without hunting, there won't suddenly be too many foxes, hares, or birds. Experience shows that nature can be left to its own devices."
National Park Director and Wildlife Biologist Heinrich Haller