Sample text: Ban on fox hunting in the canton
1. Motion
The Government Council is mandated to submit to the cantonal parliament a draft amendment to the Law on Hunting and Wildlife Protection (... legal designation ...) as well as the Hunting Ordinance (... ordinance designation ...), whereby recreational fox hunting is fundamentally abolished in the canton (...) and replaced by a science-based, animal welfare-compliant regulation. The legislative revision must ensure in particular that
- targeted hunting of foxes for recreational purposes and population regulation without concrete, demonstrable cause is prohibited
- a general ban on fox hunting is anchored in the cantonal territory, with narrowly defined exceptional circumstances conclusively regulated in the law
- cantonal practice is expressly based on current wildlife ecological and animal ethical findings and not on mere assumptions or traditions
In particular, it must be legally regulated that
- Interventions in fox populations are only permissible in justified exceptional cases, namely in cases of
- imminent threat to public health (for example, in cases of concretely proven epidemic outbreaks)
- significant endangerment of important property assets that cannot be averted through reasonable, non-lethal means
- compelling nature conservation reasons, when it is clearly documented that a specific fox population directly and causally endangers a strictly protected species
- in these exceptional cases, interventions are fundamentally carried out by state wildlife management or correspondingly specially qualified persons and are limited in scope and duration to the necessary minimum
- fox hunting as a hobby and recreational activity, including den hunting, driven hunts and nocturnal stalking, is inadmissible
Furthermore, it must be ensured that
- the canton introduces or expands monitoring for foxes that systematically records occurrence, health status and conflict situations
- preventive measures in residential areas and agriculture are promoted as a priority, particularly waste hygiene, securing livestock facilities and public education
- the cantonal government regularly reports to parliament on
- the development of the fox population
- any conflicts and measures taken
- the effectiveness of prevention strategies
- the new regulation explicitly complies with federal law as well as constitutional requirements regarding animal protection, proportionality and property guarantees
The cantonal government considers the necessary transitional provisions in its proposal, particularly with regard to existing hunting plans, ongoing hunting lease relationships and hunting permits already issued.
2. Brief Justification
The existing fox hunting in many cantons is traditionally justified with catchwords such as population regulation, disease prevention or biodiversity protection. However, a closer examination of wildlife ecological literature and experiences from regions without recreational fox hunting shows that these justifications are largely speculative and do not withstand objective scrutiny.
Fox populations are primarily regulated by food supply, territory structure, diseases and intraspecific competition. Intensive hunting can even lead to unstable conditions by destroying social structures and intensifying migration movements. The frequently advanced claim that only hunting can keep diseases such as fox tapeworm or other pathogens in check is not supported from a professional perspective. Effective disease prevention is based on monitoring, hygiene, public information and targeted, proportionate measures, not on comprehensive recreational hunting.
Also in the area of biodiversity, it becomes apparent that the decline of many ground-nesting birds and small mammals is primarily attributable to habitat loss, agricultural intensification and pesticides. The fixation on the fox as the main problem ignores these structural causes and serves as a politically convenient scapegoat.
From an animal ethics perspective, current practice is particularly problematic. Foxes are highly social, intelligent wild animals with complex family structures. Nevertheless, they are hunted almost year-round in many places, often during sensitive phases such as the rearing and learning period of young animals. The associated stress and suffering problems are hardly seriously considered in conventional hunting justifications.
Additionally, hunting and administrative arguments for fox hunting frequently rely on claims that are neither systematically evaluated nor transparently substantiated. Regions that forgo recreational fox hunting record neither collapsing biodiversity nor uncontrollable disease situations. These experiences must be considered in modern, science-oriented hunting policy.
The cantons have considerable scope for action within the framework of federal hunting law. They are neither obligated to provide for recreational fox hunting nor to define blanket shooting targets for foxes. It is constitutionally permissible to ban fox hunting as a leisure activity and to limit interventions to clearly defined exceptional cases where overriding public interests make this absolutely necessary.
With this motion, the government council is tasked with consistently utilizing this scope. The canton (...) can thereby
- strengthen the protection of a native wild animal
- place scientific evidence above hunting tradition
- take animal welfare seriously and end unnecessary animal cruelty
- address conflicts in residential areas and agriculture with modern, preventive measures
A clear legal regulation banning fox hunting with narrowly defined exceptions creates legal certainty, relieves cantonal authorities of ideologically charged disputes, and sends a clear signal for contemporary wildlife policy in the 21st century.
- Federal Hunting Statistics Link
- Explanations and Source References Link
- Scientific Literature: Red Fox Studies
- Hunters spread diseases: Study
- Hunting promotes diseases: Study
- Hobby hunters in criminality: The List
- Ban on senseless fox hunting is overdue: Article
- Luxembourg extends fox hunting ban: Article
- Small game hunting and wildlife diseases: Article
- Deterring wild animals: Article