Template text: Biodiversity assessment before hunting permits

1. Motion

The government council is instructed to submit to the cantonal parliament a proposal for amending the Law on Hunting and Wildlife Protection (… law designation …) as well as the Hunting Ordinance (… ordinance designation …), which prescribes a binding, independent biodiversity assessment in the canton (…) before each issuance of hunting permits. The legislative revision must particularly ensure that

• hunting permits for all wildlife species may only be issued in the future if an independent specialist agency has previously examined what impacts the planned hunting has on local and regional biodiversity
• the biodiversity assessment particularly encompasses the impacts on food webs and trophic cascades, on the genetic diversity of the affected wildlife population, on the populations of protected and endangered species, as well as on the ecological function of the affected species in the overall ecosystem
• hunting permits must be refused if the assessment reveals that the planned removals would impair biodiversity
• the results are publicly accessible and contestable

In particular, it must be legally regulated that

• the assessment is conducted by specialists in ecology and conservation biology who are independent from hunting administration and hunting associations
• the costs are financed from hunting license revenues
• when assessing 'wildlife damage', the causes (habitat loss, fragmentation) are also taken into consideration
• the government submits a report on the results every three years

2. Brief justification

In Switzerland, tens of thousands of wild animals are killed annually as part of recreational hunting – without any prior systematic examination of the impacts these removals have on biodiversity. Culling planning is typically based on counts conducted by the hunters themselves.

Scientific research shows that the removal of wild animals can have far-reaching impacts on ecosystems. The removal of predators like the wolf alters food webs and can lead to cascade effects. Selective removal of the largest individuals can reduce genetic diversity.

With its Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Switzerland has committed to halting biodiversity loss. It would be contradictory to pursue this goal while simultaneously allowing recreational hunting to intervene in ecosystems without any independent review.

• Dossier Hunting and Biodiversity: Link
• Dossier Hunting Myths
• Dossier Alternatives: Link