Cantonal Popular Initiative – Canton of Lucerne

«For Professional Wildlife Protection»

Constitutional initiative in the form of an elaborated draft

Based on § 27 of the Constitution of the Canton of Lucerne of 17 June 2007 and on the Voting Rights Act

Submitted by the initiative committee [date of submission]

Initiative text

The undersigned persons entitled to vote in the Canton of Lucerne submit the following constitutional initiative:

The Constitution of the Canton of Lucerne of 17 June 2007 is supplemented by the following paragraphs:

§ [new] Professional Wildlife Protection

1 The practice of hunting by private persons (territory hunting, hobby hunting) is prohibited throughout the entire territory of the Canton of Lucerne.

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 permissible 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 the relevant authorities. The commission supervises wildlife management and decides on regulatory measures.

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

6 Details are regulated by law.

§ [new] Protection of endangered and protected wildlife species

1 The canton refrains from applications for the preventive population regulation of protected wildlife species under the Federal Act on Hunting and the Protection of Wild Mammals and Birds, particularly of wolf, lynx, bear, beaver, otter, golden jackal, golden eagle, goosander and other species protected under federal law.

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. They must be limited to the minimum and carried out by the competent specialist office of the canton.

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

Transitional provision

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

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

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

Explanations

1. Initial situation

In Canton Lucerne, the largest territory hunting canton in Central Switzerland with around 420,000 inhabitants on 1,493 km² of area, today's hobby hunting is a system that serves neither species protection nor contemporary wildlife management. It is the practice of a bloody recreational pastime at the expense of sentient beings, legitimized by outdated narratives that do not withstand scientific scrutiny. The claim that ecological balance would collapse without hobby 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).

Hobby hunting in Lucerne is organized as territory hunting. Private individuals obtain a cantonal license and hunt without fixed territory responsibility. Contrary to the widespread claim, license holders do not assume ecological responsibility, but act within the framework of cantonal shooting plans that are primarily oriented toward the interests of forestry and agriculture (see the psychology of hobby hunting in Canton Lucerne as well as the critical analysis of hunting training 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. Since February 2025, beavers may be shot upon cantonal request. Political pressure on other species such as lynx, otter and goosander is steadily increasing. The wolf is present at Mount Pilatus and in Central Switzerland. The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Entlebuch, Switzerland's only one, harbors rich wildlife fauna. The lynx is native to the Lucerne foothills. The beaver colonizes the Reuss, the Little Emme and other waters (see the analysis of hunting policy on wildbeimwild.com and the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

Canton Lucerne has the opportunity to set 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.

2. The model: Canton Geneva

On May 19, 1974, around two-thirds of voters in Canton Geneva voted to abolish militia hobby hunting. Before the ban, large game in the canton was practically extinct: deer and wild boar had disappeared for decades, and only a few dozen specimens of 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 today harbors the largest hare population and one of the last partridge populations in Switzerland.

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

– In 2005, 90 percent of Geneva voters spoke in favor of maintaining the hobby hunting ban in another 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 most financially favorable alternative for the canton. A detailed presentation 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 game warden in Geneva needs an average of 8 hours and a maximum of 2 cartridges for a sanitary cull of a wild boar. A hobby hunter in Canton Zurich needs 60 to 80 hours and up to 15 cartridges for this. The hare density in Geneva is 17.7 animals per 100 hectares (highest in Switzerland), in Canton Zurich only 1.0 per 100 hectares (see fact check Government Council Zurich).

3. The concept: Professional game management instead of hobby hunting

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

Professional competence instead of recreational pastime. Professional wildlife managers act on a scientific basis, with biological training and within the framework of a cantonal service mandate. Their goal is the preservation of healthy wildlife populations, not the maximization of shooting numbers. In contrast, hobby hunting systematically pursues the interest of securing its own raison d'être through high populations of huntable species (see the critical analysis of hunting training on wildbeimwild.com).

Last resort principle. A shooting is only permissible when all non-lethal measures have been exhausted. These include electric fences, deterrence, habitat design, 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 associations, science and authorities, prevents political pressure from individual interest groups from watering down wildlife management. The initiative consistently anchors this protective mechanism by constitutionally enshrining the approval requirement of the wildlife commission.

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

4. Why Lucerne?

The Canton of Lucerne is particularly suitable for introducing professional wildlife protection for several reasons:

Largest district hunting canton in Central Switzerland. Lucerne is the second-largest district hunting canton in German-speaking Switzerland after Bern. If professional wildlife protection works in Lucerne, it will work in every district hunting canton in Central Switzerland. The system change is administratively simpler than in district hunting cantons because no hunting lease contracts need to be dissolved and no municipalities need to be compensated.

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Entlebuch. The Entlebuch is Switzerland's only UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It hosts rich wildlife fauna, including lynx, red deer and numerous protected bird species. Professional wildlife management would strengthen the ecological significance of the biosphere reserve and implement the UNESCO mandate more consistently than recreational hunting (cf. wildbeimwild.com on national parks and protected areas).

Wolf at Pilatus. The wolf is documented at Pilatus and in Central Switzerland. The controversial wolf culls have politicized the debate. The initiative offers a constitutional answer to the wolf debate: Professional wildlife management instead of politically motivated culls (cf. the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

4,000 signatures. With 420,000 inhabitants, 4,000 signatures represent less than one percent of the population. In Lucerne, Emmen, Kriens, Horw, Sursee and Willisau, collection can be done efficiently (cf. wildbeimwild.com on wildlife in urban areas).

Beaver on Reuss and Little Emme. The beaver is documented along the Reuss, the Little Emme and other waterways. Since February 2025, it may be shot throughout Switzerland upon cantonal request. The initiative protects the beaver in the canton (cf. wildbeimwild.com on predators).

Tourism canton. Lucerne is one of Switzerland's most important tourism cantons. The presence of wildlife in the landscape is a tourism asset. In Geneva, experience shows that wildlife in recreational hunting-free areas have smaller flight distances and are more visible to recreational visitors. Professional wildlife protection increases the canton's attractiveness for nature tourism.

Lynx in the foothills. The lynx is native to the Lucerne foothills and naturally regulates the roe deer population. Professional wildlife management protects the lynx and utilizes its ecological function.

5. On the Initiative Text

Paragraph 1 – Ban on Recreational Hunting

The ban on district 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). Switzerland's three hunting systems – license hunting, district hunting and state or management hunting – are equivalent. The Canton of Geneva has practiced management hunting in compliance with federal law since 1974. Unlike district hunting cantons, Lucerne does not need to dissolve hunting lease contracts or compensate municipalities: existing licenses 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 effective for over 50 years.

Paragraph 3 – Culling as Ultima Ratio

The central innovation compared to the current system: Culling is not the rule, but the exception. Passive measures take priority. In Geneva, an average of around 250 wild boar are culled annually by game wardens (according to FOEN hunting statistics), mainly young animals, with leading 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 organizations have a say in regulation decisions and prevents the government from independently approving exceptions under pressure from interest groups. The involvement of science ensures that decisions are evidence-based and not based on the hunting ideological myths with which the recreational 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: Nature largely regulates itself when humans do not interfere with population dynamics through mass shooting. Promoting coexistence in Lucerne includes particularly securing and networking wildlife corridors along the Reuss and Little Emme, ecological enhancement of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Entlebuch and educating the population about behavior toward wildlife (cf. wildbeimwild.com on wildlife in urban areas).

Transitional Provisions

The two-year deadline gives the Government Council sufficient time to develop implementing legislation, hire professional wildlife managers and constitute the wildlife commission. The existing Department of Agriculture and Forestry (lawa) can serve as an institutional base. The system change from district hunting to management hunting is administratively simpler than in district hunting cantons: no lease contracts need to be dissolved and no municipalities need to be compensated.

6. On the Second Paragraph: Protection of Threatened and Protected Wildlife Species

The second paragraph is particularly relevant for Lucerne. The wolf is present at Pilatus and in Central Switzerland. The lynx is native to the foothills. The beaver colonizes the Reuss, the Little Emme and other waterways. The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Entlebuch hosts numerous protected species. The species protection paragraph anchors the renunciation of regulation requests in the constitution and gives the canton a clear position in the national debate.

The 'in particular' formulation is designed as a dynamic reference to federal law. It ensures that cantonal protection automatically applies to species that the federal legislator places under protection or puts on a regulation list in the future, without requiring a constitutional amendment (cf. the analysis of wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

7. Cost Implications: Concrete Budget for Lucerne

The Geneva Reference Budget

In Geneva, which at 282 km² is about five times smaller than Lucerne and has around 500,000 inhabitants, the total costs of professional wildlife management amount to around 1.2 million francs annually: around 600,000 francs for personnel, around 250,000 francs for prevention and around 350,000 francs for damage compensation.

Conservative Projection for Lucerne

For Lucerne with 1,493 km² area and around 420,000 inhabitants, the following deliberately conservative cost estimate results. This calculation is generous and considers the foothill and alpine regions (Entlebuch, Pilatus, Napf), herd protection development and transition management:

Personnel costs: 840,000 to 1,400,000 francs annually. Required are 7 to 10 full-time positions. One full-time position in cantonal service costs around 120,000 to 140,000 francs annually including social contributions and employer overhead costs. Lucerne is five times larger than Geneva and topographically diverse: Midlands in the north, foothills and Alps in the south (Entlebuch, Pilatus, Napf). The wolf at Pilatus made national headlines in 2023/2024 and requires specialized large carnivore management.

Material costs: 180,000 to 300,000 francs annually. Equipment, vehicles, deterrent devices, monitoring infrastructure (camera traps, GPS transmitters), structural protection measures, electric fences and public relations work. In pre-alpine and alpine terrain, material costs are higher than in the lowlands.

Damage compensation: 100,000 to 250,000 francs annually. Primarily wild boar damage in agriculture, browsing damage in forests, beaver damage to waterways and potential wolf predation damage. The higher estimate takes into account the increasing wolf presence at Pilatus.

Livestock protection initial investment: 400,000 to 700,000 francs. In the first three to five years after the system change, a one-time initial investment in livestock protection infrastructure is needed for the Entlebuch and Pilatus region: 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 Lucerne Midlands, these costs are not necessary.

Total costs: 1,120,000 to 1,950,000 francs annually (gross). This corresponds to approximately 2.65 to 4.65 francs per inhabitant per year.

Compensatory reproduction and transition management

Compensatory reproduction – the artificially increased reproduction rate due to hunting pressure – also affects the canton of Lucerne. Recreational hunting produces more births than it removes animals. After the system change, active transition management is needed in the first three to five years to return population density to a natural level. Professional game wardens take on this task on a scientific basis and without economic self-interest.

8. Initiative process in the canton of Lucerne

In the canton of Lucerne, a popular initiative at the constitutional level requires the collection of 4,000 signatures within 6 months (§ 27 Para. 2 KV LU). The initiative committee must be registered with the State Chancellery. Upon submission, the government council examines the initiative for admissibility. If approved, it is submitted to the cantonal parliament and subsequently to the people for a vote.

The 4,000 signatures can be collected in Lucerne, Emmen, Kriens, Horw, Sursee and Willisau. These are the largest cities in the canton of Lucerne. With a professional collection system, this is achievable.

9. Strategic integration

The Lucerne initiative is part of a national strategy: In several cantons, popular initiatives for professional wildlife protection are being launched in a coordinated manner. Coordinated measures at the national level create synergies in argumentation, media work and political positioning. The canton of Lucerne is suitable as a pilot canton for Central Switzerland.

10. Further procedure

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 the canton of Lucerne.

The next step is the formation of an initiative committee in the canton of Lucerne, consisting of people from various municipalities in the canton, with voting rights holders from the canton of Lucerne. The committee ensures the initiative's sponsorship and gives it political legitimacy.

The legal basis, political argumentation, communicative framework and budget are established with this document. The initiative committee can begin implementation directly.

Cantonal popular initiatives – Other cantons

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 the canton of Lucerne.

Facts about the hobby hunting lobby

The brochure 'Hunting in Switzerland protects and benefits' by JagdSchweiz reads like an advertising brochure – but the central claims do not withstand fact-checking. Ten narratives under scrutiny, from 'state task' via 'biodiversity' to '80% approval': Dossier: Fact-check JagdSchweiz brochure →