No shooting of crows permitted in residential areas

The majority of the council, like the city government, was of the opinion that the SVP's idea was irresponsible and would not achieve its aim. Shooting in residential areas is far too dangerous.

SVP wants to have crows shot by private individuals

The rook plague is a recurring issue. Particularly in the Nordquartier, many a resident is robbed of sleep by the noise of the birds especially in spring, before the young birds are fledged.

The Berne city SVP wanted to allow private individuals to shoot crows in order to combat the crow plague. The two SVP politicians Roger Mischler and Henri-Charles Beuchat demanded that hobby hunters instruct the city's landowners in the targeted and professional shooting of crows.

In addition, the city should pay bounties for crows killed. This financial incentive is necessary because crow shooting is generally rather unattractive for hobby hunters and the meat cannot be used, write Mischler and Beuchat.

Shooting does not help

The Berne City Council has now rejected the postulate.

At the Berne animal park, rooks are already being shot by hobby hunters today. Yet the number of nests in this area has not decreased, as the municipal council notes in its response published on Monday.

Councillor Ursula Wyss (SP) rejected the accusation that the city was not addressing the crow plague. All possible measures had been tried. But there are simply no quick solutions. Shooting does not help either. «You shoot one crow, and in return another one has three more young.»

At present, the crow population across the city is stable, Wyss noted. In the Nordquartier it is even declining, while in Bümpliz it is on the rise.

According to Wyss, the only measure with any effect is owl decoys. However, they must be moved regularly, otherwise the birds see through the trick. Crows are clever animals — at least on this point, the SVP and the Greens were in agreement.

Information sheet on rooks (PDF)