«For professional wildlife protection»

Constitutional initiative in the form of a drafted proposal

Based on Art. 58 of the Constitution of Canton Bern of June 6, 1993 and on the Political Rights Act (PRG)

Submitted by the initiative committee [Date of submission]

Note: Canton Bern is bilingual. For submission, the initiative text must be available in German and French. The French version must be verified by a legal expert before submission.

Initiative text

The undersigned, persons entitled to vote in Canton Bern, submit the following constitutional initiative:

The Constitution of Canton Bern of June 6, 1993 is supplemented by the following articles:

Art. [new] Professional wildlife protection

1 The practice of hunting by private persons (licensed hunting, recreational hunting) is prohibited throughout the entire territory of Canton Bern.

2 The protection, care and, where necessary, regulation of wild animals is the exclusive responsibility of professionally trained wildlife managers in the service of the canton.

3 The culling of wild animals is only permitted as a last resort when all other suitable measures for damage prevention or hazard control have been exhausted or are insufficient. It requires prior approval from the wildlife commission.

4 The canton establishes an independent wildlife commission composed of representatives from animal and nature protection organizations, science, and relevant authorities. The commission supervises wildlife management and decides on regulatory measures.

5 The canton promotes natural regulation of wildlife populations, habitat connectivity, and coexistence between humans and wildlife.

6 Details shall be regulated by law.

Art. [new] Protection of threatened and protected wildlife species

1 The canton refrains from applications for preventive population regulation of protected wildlife species under the Federal Act on Hunting and the Protection of Wild Mammals and Birds, particularly wolves, lynx, bears, beavers, otters, golden jackals, golden eagles, goosanders and other federally protected species.

2 It focuses on promoting coexistence between humans and wildlife, passive damage prevention, ecological enhancement of habitats, and scientific monitoring of wildlife presence.

3 Measures against individual wild animals that pose an immediate and significant danger to humans remain reserved. These must be limited to the minimum and carried out by the canton's competent authority.

4 The canton actively advocates for the protection and conservation of threatened wildlife species within the framework of intercantonal cooperation and vis-à-vis the federal government.

Transitional provision

1 The Government Council shall issue the necessary implementing regulations within two years of adoption of this constitutional amendment.

2 Existing hunting licenses expire upon entry into force of the implementing regulations. License fees already paid for the current hunting season will be refunded proportionally.

3 The Government Council ensures continuity of wildlife management during the transitional phase.

Explanations

1. Initial situation

In the canton of Bern, the second-largest canton by area and second-most populous canton in Switzerland with around 1,040,000 inhabitants across 5,959 km² of territory, today's recreational hunting is a system that serves neither species protection nor contemporary wildlife management. It is the practice of a bloody leisure pursuit at the expense of sentient beings, legitimized by outdated narratives that cannot withstand scientific scrutiny. The claim that ecological balance would collapse without recreational hunting has been empirically refuted by the Geneva model for over 50 years (see the comprehensive dossier on the Geneva hunting ban on wildbeimwild.com).

Recreational hunting is organized in Bern as licensed hunting. Private individuals obtain a cantonal license and hunt without fixed territory responsibility. With over 3,000 active license holders, Bern has the largest recreational hunting community of all license hunting cantons. Contrary to widespread claims, license holders do not assume ecological responsibility, but act within the framework of cantonal hunting quotas that are primarily oriented toward forestry and agricultural interests (see the Psychology of recreational hunting in the canton of Bern as well as the critical analysis of hunting education on wildbeimwild.com).

Parallel to this, more and more protected wildlife species are coming under pressure at the federal level. With the revision of the Hunting Act in December 2022, preventive regulation of wolves was introduced. Beavers may be shot upon cantonal request since February 2025. Political pressure on other species such as lynx, otters and mergansers continues to increase. The Canton of Bern is directly affected by wolf policy: Several wolf packs are documented in the Bernese Oberland and the Simmental. The lynx has been native to the Bernese Jura and the pre-Alps for decades. Beavers populate the Aare, Emme and numerous other waterways. Golden eagles breed in the Oberland. Bern is the most species-rich canton in Switzerland (cf. the analysis of hunting policy on wildbeimwild.com and the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

The Canton of Bern has the opportunity to send a clear signal here: not only for professional wildlife protection instead of hobby hunting, but also for the consistent protection of endangered wildlife species at the cantonal level. As the federal capital canton, this signal would have an impact that reaches far beyond cantonal borders.

2. The Model: Canton of Geneva

On May 19, 1974, around two-thirds of voters in the Canton of Geneva voted for the abolition of militia hobby hunting. Before the ban, large game was practically extinct in the canton: deer and wild boar had been gone for decades, and only a few dozen roe deer remained. Around 300 hobby hunters extensively released pheasants, partridges and hares for hobby hunting.

The experiences since the hobby hunting ban are clear:

– Biodiversity has increased markedly. The number of overwintering waterfowl has multiplied from a few hundred to around 30,000. Geneva now hosts the largest hare population and one of the last partridge populations in Switzerland.

– The roe deer population has stabilized at a healthy level, with an annual special cull by professional gamekeepers of only 20 to 36 animals. The population maintains a density compatible with the forest area.

– In 2005, 90 percent of Geneva voters spoke out for maintaining the hobby hunting ban in a new referendum. In 2009, a motion for reintroduction was rejected in the cantonal parliament by 70 to 7 votes.

– The total costs of professional wildlife management in Geneva amount to around 1.2 million francs annually, divided into around 600,000 francs for personnel (about three full-time positions, distributed among around a dozen environmental officers), 250,000 francs for prevention and 350,000 francs for damage compensation. This corresponds to around 2.40 francs per inhabitant per year.

Geneva's fauna inspector Gottlieb Dandliker, responsible for wildlife management since 2001, describes the hobby hunting ban as the financially most favorable alternative for the canton. A detailed account can be found in the dossier 'Geneva and the Hunting Ban' on wildbeimwild.com.

The efficiency of the Geneva model is evident in direct comparison: A professional gamekeeper in Geneva needs an average of 8 hours and a maximum of 2 cartridges for the sanitary culling of a wild boar. A hobby hunter in the Canton of Zurich needs 60 to 80 hours and up to 15 cartridges for the same task. Hare density in Geneva is 17.7 animals per 100 hectares (highest in Switzerland), in the Canton of Zurich only 1.0 per 100 hectares (cf. fact check Zurich Government Council).

3. The Concept: Professional Game Wardens Instead of Hobby Hunting

The initiative does not replace hobby hunting with a vacuum, but with professional wildlife management based on the game warden model. This model is based on the following principles:

Professional competence instead of recreational pleasure. Professional wildlife managers act on a scientific basis, with biological training and within the framework of a cantonal mandate. Their goal is the preservation of healthy wildlife populations, not the maximization of kill quotas (cf. the critical analysis of hunting education on wildbeimwild.com).

ultima ratio principle. A killing is only permissible when all non-lethal measures have been exhausted. These include electric fences, deterrence, habitat management, relocation, taste repellents and structural protective measures. In Geneva, fruit trees are protected with nets so that deer and hares do not strip bark. For wild boar, the canton provides farmers with electric fences. This practice shows: coexistence is a question of will, not technical possibility.

Democratic control through a wildlife commission. The independent commission, composed of animal and nature protection organizations, science and authorities, prevents political pressure from individual interest groups from diluting wildlife management. The initiative constitutionally anchors the licensing requirement.

Natural self-regulation as guiding principle. The experience from Geneva, from national parks and from numerous scientific studies demonstrates: wildlife populations regulate themselves in most cases autonomously. Recreational hunting disrupts this natural process by destroying social structures, artificially increasing reproduction rates and altering migration patterns.

4. Why Bern?

The canton of Bern is particularly suited for the introduction of professional wildlife protection for several reasons:

Largest patent hunting canton in Switzerland. Bern is the largest patent hunting canton in the country with 5,959 km² and over one million inhabitants. If professional wildlife protection works here, it works everywhere. The canton unites all landscape types of Switzerland: Jura (Bernese Jura, Biel/Bienne), Midlands (Bern, Thun, Burgdorf, Langenthal) and Alps (Bernese Oberland with Jungfrau, Eiger, Mönch). The system change is administratively simpler than in hunting concession cantons, because no hunting lease contracts need to be dissolved and no municipalities need to be compensated.

Federal capital effect. The Federal Assembly stands in Bern. An initiative in the canton of Bern has media reach that extends beyond the canton. The federal political debate about hunting policy is directly influenced by a cantonal initiative in Bern. A success in Bern would be a signal to national politics that no other canton except Zurich can send with this strength.

Wolf policy as mobilization issue. The canton of Bern is directly affected by the wolf's return. Several wolf packs are documented in the Bernese Oberland and Simmental. The controversial wolf killings have politicized the debate. The initiative offers a constitutional answer to the wolf debate: professional wildlife management instead of politically motivated killings. The second paragraph on species protection makes the initiative attractive for nature protection organizations that have been defensive in the wolf debate so far (cf. the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

Bilingualism as bridge. The canton of Bern is bilingual: German and French (Bernese Jura, Biel/Bienne). The initiative connects the German-speaking and French-speaking Swiss debate. In the Bernese Jura and Biel/Bienne, the Geneva experience is culturally and linguistically directly accessible. The core messages must function in German and French.

Lynx in the Bernese Jura and in the pre-Alps. The lynx has been native to the Bernese Jura for decades and naturally regulates deer populations. Professional wildlife management protects the lynx and utilizes its ecological function.

Beaver on the Aare and Emme. The beaver is documented along the Aare, the Emme and numerous other waterways. Since February 2025, it may be shot nationwide upon cantonal application. The initiative protects the beaver in the canton (see wildbeimwild.com on predators).

15,000 signatures in 6 months. The hurdle is the highest in the series. With 1,040,000 inhabitants, it is proportionally feasible (1.4 percent). That is around 83 signatures per day. In Bern, Thun, Biel, Burgdorf and Langenthal, collection can be carried out efficiently. Professional collection organization is crucial from day one (see wildbeimwild.com on wildlife in urban areas).

5. On the initiative text

Paragraph 1 – Ban on hobby hunting

The ban on patent hunting by private individuals is the core of the initiative. It corresponds to the Geneva model. The cantonal competence for this is undisputed: the federal Hunting Act (JSG) expressly leaves the organization of hunting operations to the cantons (Art. 3 Para. 1 JSG). The three hunting systems in Switzerland – patent hunting, district hunting and state or public hunting – are equivalent. The Canton of Geneva has practiced public hunting since 1974 in compliance with federal law. Unlike district hunting cantons, in Bern no hunting lease contracts need to be dissolved and no municipalities need to be compensated: The existing patents expire and fees already paid are refunded proportionally.

Paragraph 2 – Professional wildlife management

Instead of hobby hunters, professionally trained wildlife managers in cantonal service take over all tasks of wildlife care and, where necessary, population regulation. These specialists have more comprehensive biological or wildlife ecological training and act on a scientific basis and in the public interest. In Geneva, this system has proven successful for over 50 years.

Paragraph 3 – Shooting as ultima ratio

The central innovation compared to the current system: Shooting is not the rule, but the exception. Passive measures take precedence. In Geneva, an average of around 250 wild boar are shot annually by game wardens (according to FOEN hunting statistics), mainly young animals, with lead animals explicitly spared for ethical reasons and to maintain the social stability of the sounders.

Paragraph 4 – Wildlife commission

The independent wildlife commission is modeled on the Geneva model of the constitutional fauna commission. It ensures that animal and nature protection associations have a say in regulation decisions and prevents the government from independently and under pressure from interest groups approving exceptions. The involvement of science ensures that decisions are evidence-based and not based on the hunting ideological myths with which the hobby hunting lobby has legitimized its practice for decades.

Paragraph 5 – Natural regulation and coexistence

This paragraph anchors the guiding principle of professional wildlife protection in the constitution. The promotion of coexistence in Bern includes in particular the securing and networking of wildlife corridors along the Aare and the Emme, the ecological enhancement of the floodplain landscapes in Seeland and Emmental, the protection forest in the Bernese Oberland and public education about behavior towards wildlife (see wildbeimwild.com on wildlife in urban areas).

Second article: Protection of threatened species

The second article on the protection of protected species is particularly relevant for Bern. The wolf is present in the Oberland and Simmental. The lynx is native to the Bernese Jura and the foothills. The beaver inhabits the Aare and Emme. The golden eagle breeds in the Oberland. Water birds overwinter on the numerous lakes. The 'in particular' formulation is designed as a dynamic reference to federal law and also protects future returnees (see the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

Transitional provisions

The two-year deadline gives the cantonal government sufficient time to develop implementing legislation, hire professional wildlife managers, and establish the wildlife commission. The existing hunting inspectorate of the Canton of Bern can serve as an institutional foundation. The system change from patent hunting to state-managed hunting is administratively simpler than in hunting concession cantons: no lease contracts need to be dissolved and no municipalities need to be compensated. Important: The Canton of Bern is bilingual. For submission, the initiative text must be available in German and French.

6. Cost implications: Concrete budget for Bern

The Geneva reference budget

In Geneva, which at 282 km² is about twenty times smaller than the Canton of Bern and has around 500,000 inhabitants, total costs amount to approximately 1.2 million francs annually.

Conservative projection for Bern

For Bern with 5,959 km² of area and around 1,050,000 inhabitants, the following deliberately conservative cost estimate results. This calculates generously and takes into account the alpine topography of the Bernese Oberland, herd protection development, and red deer transition management:

Personnel costs: 1,800,000 to 3,080,000 francs annually. 15 to 22 full-time positions are required. Bern is twenty times larger than Geneva and topographically extremely diverse: from the Mittelland (Seeland, Emmental) via the pre-Alps (Gantrisch, Simmental) to the high mountains (Bernese Oberland, Jungfrau-Aletsch). While the Mittelland is directly comparable to Geneva, the Bernese Oberland requires specialists with alpine experience. The wolf is documented in the Bernese Oberland. Additionally, there is red deer transition management.

Material costs: 350,000 to 600,000 francs annually. Equipment, vehicles, monitoring infrastructure, herd protection materials, structural protection measures, and public relations work in two languages (German and French for the Bernese Jura).

Damage compensation: 200,000 to 400,000 francs annually. Wild boar damage to agriculture, browsing damage in forests, beaver damage to waterways, and potential wolf predation damage.

Herd protection startup investment: 600,000 to 1,000,000 francs. In the first three to five years after the system change, a one-time startup investment in herd protection infrastructure for the Bernese Oberland and Simmental is needed: livestock guardian dog programs, mobile fencing, night enclosures, shepherd training. This investment is non-recurring and will be amortized over three to five years. In the Mittelland (Seeland, Emmental), these costs are not necessary.

Total costs: 2,350,000 to 4,080,000 francs annually (gross). This corresponds to approximately 2.25 to 3.90 francs per inhabitant per year.

Red deer transition management

Red deer are present in large populations in the Bernese Oberland. Compensatory reproduction – the artificially increased reproduction rate caused by hunting pressure – prevents sustainable reduction of populations. Scientific literature clearly documents this effect: high hunting pressure leads to earlier sexual maturity, larger litters, and higher survival rates of young animals. After the elimination of hunting pressure, reproduction rates normalize within three to five years. This transition management is already factored into the higher staffing numbers (cf. Studies on wildbeimwild.com).

Savings and counter-financing

Against this are significant savings: The canton no longer needs to conduct hunting examinations, issue and administer licenses, create shooting plans, or organize hunting supervision. Bern has one of the largest recreational hunting communities in Switzerland – administrative costs are correspondingly high. Added to this are the costs of wolf killings: A single senselessly killed wolf costs the public around 35,000 francs (helicopter operations, coordination, legal proceedings).

Lost Revenue

With the abolition of hobby hunting, license fees of an estimated 1.5 to 2.5 million francs annually would be eliminated. However, this is offset by the never-accounted external costs of militia hunting – wildlife accidents, hunting-related browsing damage in protection forests, administrative overhead, police and court interventions – which amount to many times these revenues. In Canton Geneva, these revenues have been eliminated since 1974 – without financial problems: Before the hunting ban, over 400 hobby hunters were active; today three full-time positions do the same work better. Sanitary and therapeutic culling by professional wildlife wardens is not the same as regulatory hunting based on hunters' folklore or misunderstood 'nature experience' of hobby hunters. A full cost analysis shows: Militia hunting costs taxpayers significantly more than it brings in (cf. 'What hobby hunting really costs Switzerland' on wildbeimwild.com).

Hobby hunters in politics vote against nature conservation. The hobby hunting lobby systematically opposes biodiversity and species protection concerns. In 2024, it opposed the Biodiversity Initiative (63 percent No). In 2020, the hunting law it helped shape failed at the polls (51.9 percent No). In 2016, the Ticino Hunting Association torpedoed the Parc Adula National Park. In the legislative period 2015 to 2019, hobby hunters in parliament politicized predominantly against environmental concerns. Anyone claiming hobby hunters are conservationists ignores their voting behavior (cf. Ticino Hunting Association: 30 Years of Nonsense and Cost Dossier).

The net additional costs are likely to be 1,200,000 to 2,800,000 francs annually, which corresponds to around 1.15 to 2.65 francs per inhabitant. Even calculated generously: That's less than one coffee per person per year. For a canton with a total budget of around 13.7 billion francs (State Accounts 2024, EFV), that's less than 0.03 percent – a fraction of a fraction (cf. Hunting Myths Fact Check on wildbeimwild.com).

7. Compatibility with Superior Law

First Article: Abolition of Hobby Hunting

The initiative is compliant with federal law. The federal Hunting Act (JSG) explicitly leaves the regulation of hunting rights, hunting systems, hunting areas, and hunting supervision to the cantons (Art. 3 Para. 1 JSG). The three hunting systems are equivalent. Canton Geneva has practiced state hunting since 1974 and has never received a federal law objection in over 50 years.

Second Article: Protection of Protected Species

Art. 7a JSG enables cantons to undertake preventive regulation but does not oblige them to do so. Foregoing this possibility violates neither federal law nor the Bern Convention.

Unity of Matter

The initiative preserves unity of matter, as all provisions of both articles relate to cantonal wildlife management and the protection of wild animals.

8. Anticipating Foreseeable Objections

'Bern is twenty times larger than Geneva and has Alps – the system doesn't work here'

The facts: Larger area requires more specialized personnel (15–18 instead of 2–3 full-time positions). However, per capita costs remain at 1.15 to 2.10 francs because the population of over one million bears the costs. The alpine terrain of the Bernese Oberland is topographically more challenging but less densely populated: There are fewer conflict zones between humans and wildlife. In the Mittelland (Seeland, Emmental, Oberaargau), the situation is directly comparable to Geneva. The canton combines all landscape types, making it the ultimate test case: If it works here, it works everywhere (cf. the Psychology of Recreational Hunting in Canton Bern).

Communicative formula: «Bern has one million inhabitants. Per capita costs are below Geneva levels. And in the Oberland, where few people meet abundant nature, there are fewer conflicts, not more.»

«The wolf needs recreational hunting»

The facts: It's exactly the opposite. The wolf is a natural regulator that controls deer populations and reduces browsing pressure in protection forests. Recreational hunting disrupts natural regulatory mechanisms by destroying social structures and artificially increasing reproduction rates. Professional wildlife management enables the wolf to fulfill its ecological function while simultaneously protecting livestock herds through professional prevention.

Communicative formula: «The wolf regulates. Recreational hunting disrupts. Geneva has proven this for 50 years.»

«15,000 signatures are too many»

The facts: 15,000 signatures among 1,040,000 inhabitants represents 1.4 percent of the population. In 6 months, that's roughly 83 signatures per day. In Bern, Thun, Biel, Burgdorf and Langenthal, efficient collection is possible. The animal protection movement has demonstrated in the past that it can overcome these hurdles. Professional collection organization is crucial.

Communicative formula: «83 signatures per day. In a canton with over one million inhabitants. Achievable.»

9. Summary

This initiative gives the Bernese population the opportunity to support modern, evidence-based wildlife management and comprehensive protection of endangered wildlife species. The first article follows the Geneva model proven for over 50 years and replaces recreational hunting with professional wildlife protection. The second article particularly protects the wolf in the Oberland, the lynx in the Bernese Jura, the beaver along the Aare and Emme, and the golden eagle. As Switzerland's largest patent hunting canton, success in Bern would have a signal effect reaching far beyond the canton. Wolf policy, the federal capital effect, and bilingualism make Bern a strategically central canton for expanding the Geneva model.

The result would be a Bern where wildlife are neither targets for recreational hunters nor victims of politically motivated culling policies, but are professionally protected as part of living nature – for the benefit of animals and the entire population.

Initiative Committee «For Professional Wildlife Protection»

[Name 1], [Name 2], [Name 3] …

(Committee members according to cantonal law, with residence in Canton Bern)

Contact address: [Committee Address]

Appendix: Further Documentation

The following dossiers and sources support the argumentation of this initiative and are available as attachments:

Geneva Model in Detail: wildbeimwild.com/dossiers/genf-und-das-jagdverbot – Comprehensive presentation of Geneva wildlife management since 1974 with costs, population numbers and biodiversity development.

Scientific Studies: wildbeimwild.com/studien – Collection of scientific studies on self-regulation of wildlife populations and ecological impacts of recreational hunting.

Hunting in Switzerland – Criticism, Facts, News: wildbeimwild.com/jagd-in-der-schweiz – Continuously updated overview of Swiss hunting policy.

Psychology of Recreational Hunting in Canton Bern: wildbeimwild.com – Psychology of Hobby Hunting in Canton BE – Canton-specific analysis of the psychology behind hobby hunting.

Psychology of Hobby Hunting: wildbeimwild.com/category/psychologie-jagd – Comprehensive articles on the psychology of hobby hunting.

Wolf Dossier: wildbeimwild.com/category/wolf – Current developments on wolf policy in Switzerland.

Predators: wildbeimwild.com/category/raubtiere – Information on wolf, lynx, bear and other predators in Switzerland.

Wildlife in Residential Areas: wildbeimwild.com/category/wildtiere-im-siedlungsgebiet – Background on coexistence between humans and wildlife.

Hunting Myths: wildbeimwild.com/dossiers/jagdmythen – Fact-checking the most common claims of the hobby hunting lobby.

Cantonal People's Initiative Basel-Stadt: Template text of the initiative in Canton Basel-Stadt – The template for the entire initiative series.

Note on Procedure

The initiative committee submits the initiative text in German and French to the State Chancellery of Canton Bern for preliminary examination before beginning signature collection. 15,000 valid signatures are required for the initiative to succeed. The collection period is 6 months from publication in the official gazette. Submission procedures follow the cantonal law on political rights (PRG).

Strategic Briefing for Activists

People's Initiative «For Professional Wildlife Protection» – Canton Bern Internal Working Document – Status March 2026

Summary

Bern is the largest patent hunting canton in Switzerland and strategically one of the most important cantons of the entire initiative series. The federal capital effect, wolf policy in the Oberland, bilingualism as a bridge between Romandy and German-speaking Switzerland, and per capita costs below Geneva levels make Bern unique. The 15,000 signatures in 6 months represent the highest hurdle of the series, but with over one million inhabitants is proportionally feasible (1.4 percent, 83 per day). The patent hunting system change is administratively simpler than in district hunting cantons. Success in Bern would have a signal effect reaching far beyond the canton.

1. Why Bern of All Places?

Largest patent hunting canton. Signal effect for all of Switzerland. If it works in Bern, it works everywhere.

Federal capital effect. An initiative in Bern directly influences federal political debate. The Federal Assembly is located in Bern.

Wolf policy as mobilization issue. Several packs in the Bernese Oberland and Simmental. The species protection paragraph makes the initiative attractive to nature conservation organizations.

Bilingualism as bridge. Connects German-speaking and French-speaking Swiss debate. In the Bernese Jura, Geneva is culturally close.

Patent hunting = simple system change. No lease contracts, no municipal compensation.

Per capita costs below Geneva levels. 1.15 to 2.10 francs. The large population of over one million distributes the costs.

2. Lessons from Zurich: What We're Doing Differently

Positive title. «For Professional Wildlife Protection» instead of «Game Wardens Instead of Hunters».

Concrete budget calculation. 1.15 to 2.65 francs per capita. Below Geneva levels. The Zurich 20 million was an invention.

Secure party support early. Involve SP, Greens, GLP early. In Bern there is a stronger left-green base than in many other cantons.

Species protection as coalition broadening. Wolf, lynx, beaver, golden eagle: The second article mobilizes nature conservation organizations.

Bilingual campaign. Materials in German and French from the beginning. In the Bernese Jura and in Biel/Bienne, the Geneva experience is culturally immediately accessible.

3. Special Challenges

15,000 signatures in 6 months. The highest hurdle of the series. 83 signatures per day. Requires professional collection organization from day one.

Alpine canton. The Bern Oberland is strongly influenced by hunting culture. The campaign must work with ethical arguments in the city and with benefits for agriculture and protective forests in the countryside.

Over 3,000 hobby hunters. The largest recreational hunting community of all patent hunting cantons. However: 3,000 out of 1,040,000 inhabitants is 0.3 percent.

4. Opposition Analysis and Prepared Responses

Counter-argument 1: «Bern is too large and too alpine»

The facts: Larger area, but also larger population. Per capita costs below Geneva levels. In the Oberland: fewer people, fewer conflicts. In the Mittelland: same landscape as Geneva.

Communicative short formula: «Bern has one million inhabitants. The per capita costs are below Geneva levels. And in the Oberland there are fewer conflicts, not more.»

Counter-argument 2: «The wolf needs recreational hunting»

The facts: The wolf regulates. Recreational hunting disrupts. Geneva has proven this for 50 years.

Communicative short formula: «The wolf regulates. Recreational hunting disrupts. Geneva has proven this for 50 years.»

Counter-argument 3: «15,000 signatures are unrealistic»

The facts: 1.4 percent of the population. 83 per day. Efficiently collectible in five cities. Professional organization is decisive.

Communicative short formula: «83 signatures per day. In a canton with over one million inhabitants. Feasible.»

5. Communication Strategy: The Three Core Messages

«Geneva has been demonstrating this for 50 years. What works there also works here.» / «Genève le fait depuis 50 ans. Ce qui fonctionne là-bas fonctionne aussi ici.»

«The wolf regulates. Recreational hunting disrupts. Professional wildlife management is the answer.» / «Le loup régule. La chasse de loisir perturbe.»

«Under 2.10 francs per person per year. Less than in Geneva.» / «Moins de 2.10 francs par personne et par an.»

6. Timeline and Next Steps

Phase	Content	Timeframe
Committee Formation & Text Pre-review	Consult lawyer; translation into French; committee members according to cantonal law with BE residence	Month 1–4
Submission for Pre-review	State Chancellery Bern (German and French text)	Month 4–5
Publication & Collection Start	6-month deadline; goal: 18,000+ signatures as buffer; professional collection organization from day one	Month 5
Party Contacts & Coalition Building	SP, Greens, GLP, EVP; Pro Natura Bern; BirdLife Bern; WWF Bern; wolf policy as coalition theme	Month 1–10
Submission of Signatures	State Chancellery, official verification	Month 11–13
Grand Council Debate	Parliamentary anchoring; intensify media work	Month 14–22
Campaign for Vote	Final mobilization, wolf argument, federal capital effect, bilingual campaign	Month 22–28

7. Campaign Material

• The Geneva dossier on wildbeimwild.com as central argumentation.
• The Psychology of Recreational Hunting in Canton Bern as background material.

8. Further Sources

• Geneva Hunting Ban in Detail
• Scientific Studies
• Psychology of Recreational Hunting in Canton Bern
• Hunting Myths Fact Check
• Federal Hunting Statistics (FOEN)
• Cantonal Popular Initiative Basel-Stadt

This document is a template text by IG Wild beim Wild. It can be freely used by activists, organizations or initiative committees and adapted to the conditions in Canton Bern.

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