Earth dog hunting to be banned in Basel-Landschaft too
Earth dog hunting for foxes is to be banned in the canton of Basel-Landschaft. This has been decided by the Cantonal Council.
The Basel-Landschaft Cantonal Council approved a total revision of the hunting law in its second reading, which governs the handling of wildlife and recreational hunting.
The so-called earth dog hunting is now fundamentally prohibited, though exceptions may be permitted in special cases.
In earth dog hunting, a dog is sent into a fox or badger den to drive the wild animal to the surface so that it can be shot by the hobby hunter.
This hunting method is controversial: animal welfare advocates consider it cruel, while hobby hunters regard it as justified. The canton of Basel-Landschaft will now ban earth dog hunting, as decided by the Cantonal Council on 5 November 2020 in its second reading of the law on the protection of wild mammals and birds as well as their habitats and recreational hunting.
Cantons of Thurgau and Zurich as models
Basel-Landschaft thus follows the canton of Thurgau, which already banned earth dog hunting in 2017. In the canton of Zurich, the Cantonal Council also voted in favour of banning this hunting method on 26 October in its first reading. Such advances in hunting legislation show that societal pressure on recreational hunters is having an effect.
The SVP considered a total ban to go too far. In their amendment, they called for this hunting method to still be permitted in exceptional cases with authorisation from a specialist body. The motion was adopted by the casting vote of Cantonal Council President Heinz Lerf (FDP).
First attempt failed in 2014
The wildlife and hunting law will also ensure that the Wildlife Commission will in future include not only representatives of residential municipalities, hunting associations, agriculture, nature conservation and forestry, but also representatives of animal welfare organisations.
The new legal framework is intended to better address the challenges and requirements of wildlife management in the future, as stated in the government's proposal. Furthermore, greater importance will be given to wildlife ecology and biology.
The cantonal parliament approved the total revision in the final vote with 78 votes in favour and 3 against, with 2 abstentions. The required four-fifths majority was achieved.
A total revision of the Basel-Landschaft hunting law had been put on hold in 2014. At the time, the government had sought to transfer the hunting and fishing rights from the municipalities to the canton through amendments to the constitution, laws, and ordinances, aiming to save 503’000 francs. This triggered such fierce opposition that the government abandoned its cost-saving plan as politically unviable.
