Hobby hunter hunted on a closed season day in the canton of Schwyz
As every year, the chamois hunt took place in the canton of Schwyz in September.
A total of 331 chamois bucks, chamois does and yearlings were culled.
The hobby hunters were of course required to observe the closed season days: shooting is prohibited every Wednesday as well as on Sundays and public holidays.
Since a hobby hunter shot an animal on a closed season day in Euthal, he is now being held financially accountable.
According to the enforceable penalty order cited by the newspaper «Bote der Urschweiz», the man shot the wild animal on a Wednesday morning.
Disregarding the closed season day now carries far-reaching consequences. The man has been sentenced to a fine of 200 francs. In addition, he must bear the procedural costs of 340 francs.
In the view of IG Wild beim Wild, hobby hunters require annual medical-psychological fitness assessments modelled on the Dutch system, as well as a binding upper age limit. The largest age group among hobby hunters today is 65+. Within this group, age-related limitations such as declining visual acuity, slowed reaction times, lapses in concentration and cognitive deficits increase statistically and significantly. At the same time, accident analyses show that the number of serious hunting accidents involving injured persons and fatalities rises markedly from middle age onwards.
The regular reports of hunting accidents, fatal errors and the misuse of hunting weapons illustrate a structural problem. The private ownership and use of lethal firearms for recreational purposes largely evades ongoing oversight. From the perspective of IG Wild beim Wild, this is no longer justifiable. A practice that is based on voluntary killing while simultaneously generating considerable risks for both people and animals forfeits its social legitimacy.
Recreational Hunting is furthermore based on speciesism. Speciesism describes the systematic devaluation of non-human animals solely on the basis of their species membership. It is comparable to racism or sexism and can be justified neither culturally nor ethically. Tradition does not replace moral scrutiny.
Critical examination is essential, particularly in the field of hobby hunting. Few other fields are so characterised by euphemistic narratives, half-truths and deliberate disinformation. Where violence is normalised, narratives often serve as justification. Transparency, verifiable facts and an open public debate are therefore indispensable.
