Will the hunting supervision in Appenzell be banned from hunting?
Based on an expert opinion, the Standeskommission intends to resolve inconsistencies in the ordinance on the hunting law. Wildlife wardens and hunting administration are to be more clearly distinguished from one another. Whether wildlife wardens may go hunting themselves remains contested.
As the Appenzell Standeskommission writes in its explanatory report on the proposal, accusations were levelled against the hunting administration in spring 2021.
An external expert commissioned by the Standeskommission concluded in summer 2021 that the allegations and accusations were largely unsubstantiated. In this expert opinion, in addition to recommending the appointment of a wildlife warden, it was recommended that persons entrusted with wildlife wardening, hunting administration, and hunting supervision be subject to a hunting ban, writes appenzell24.ch.
Separation of hunting and hunting administration
The revision is intended above all to more clearly define the tasks and responsibilities of the hunting administration and the wildlife wardens. Their employees remain responsible for official culling, but are otherwise not permitted to participate in recreational hunting as private individuals.
The separation was recommended because the oversight of hunting operations by active hobby hunters could lead to conflicts of interest. The Geneva model has demonstrated since 1974 how professional wildlife management functions without hobby hunting.
Commission opposes hunting ban
The Commission for Public Works is generally opposed to a hunting ban for supervisory personnel. Since these are cantonal employees, the prohibition on participation in private hunts is to be regulated in their employment contracts.
Lifting of prohibitions
The ban on driven and battue hunts for red deer is also to be lifted. The expert considers the existing ban to be unenforceable. The Commission further proposes that unlawfully killed game must be purchased from the shooter for a fee, while the trophy remains with the canton.
Administrative fines and more personnel
A fixed-penalty procedure is being introduced for minor offences. The Cantonal Commission has increased the hunting and fisheries administration by 60 percentage points of staffing. The requirements placed on hunting administration and wildlife wardens have risen considerably in recent decades, as has the administrative workload. There are also more tasks, such as the use of drones to rescue roe deer fawns, problems with red deer populations, and the presence of predators and wild boar.
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