Cantonal popular initiative – Canton of Bern

«For professional wildlife protection»

Constitutional initiative in the form of a detailed draft

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

Submitted by the initiative committee [date of submission]

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

Initiative text

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

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

Art. [new] Professional wildlife management

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

2 The protection, care and, where necessary, the regulation of wild animals shall be 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 appropriate measures for damage prevention or hazard mitigation have been exhausted or proven insufficient. It requires prior approval by the Wildlife Commission.

4 The canton shall establish an independent Wildlife Commission composed of representatives of animal and nature conservation organizations, academia, and the relevant authorities. The Commission oversees wildlife management and decides on regulatory measures.

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

6 The details shall be governed by law.

Art. [new] Protection of threatened and protected wild animal species

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

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

3 Measures against individual wild animals that pose an immediate and significant threat to humans remain reserved. They shall be limited to the minimum and carried out by the competent specialist authority of the canton.

4 Within the framework of intercantonal cooperation and vis-à-vis the federal government, the canton actively advocates for the protection and conservation of endangered wild animal species.

Transitional Provision

1 The cantonal government shall issue the required implementing regulations within two years of the adoption of this constitutional amendment.

2 Existing hunting licenses shall expire upon the entry into force of the implementing regulations. License fees already paid for the current hunting season shall be reimbursed on a pro rata basis.

3 The cantonal government shall ensure continuity of wildlife management during the transitional period.

Explanatory Notes

1. Background

In the canton of Bern, the second largest by area and second most populous canton in Switzerland, with approximately 1,040,000 residents across 5,959 km², today’s hobby hunting is a system that serves neither species protection nor contemporary wildlife management. It is the exercise of a bloody leisure pursuit 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 (cf. the comprehensive dossier on the Geneva hunting ban at wildbeimwild.com).

Hobby hunting in Bern is organized as patent hunting. Private individuals obtain a cantonal license and hunt without fixed territorial responsibility. With over 3,000 active license holders, Bern has the largest recreational hunting community of all patent-hunting cantons. Contrary to the widely held claim, license holders assume no ecological responsibility; rather, they act within the framework of cantonal culling plans that are primarily oriented toward the interests of forestry and agriculture (cf. the psychology of hobby hunting in the canton of Bern as well as the critical analysis of hunting education at wildbeimwild.com).

In parallel, an increasing number of protected wildlife species are coming under pressure at the federal level. The revision of the Hunting Act in December 2022 introduced preventive regulation of the wolf. Since February 2025, beavers may be culled upon cantonal request. Political pressure on further species such as lynx, European otter, and goosander is steadily increasing. The canton of Bern is directly affected by wolf policy: several wolf packs have been documented in the Bernese Oberland and in the Simmental. The lynx has been native to the Bernese Jura and the pre-Alps for decades. The beaver has colonized the Aare, the Emme, and numerous other waterways. The golden eagle breeds in the Oberland. Bern is the canton with the greatest species diversity in Switzerland (cf. theanalysis of hunting policy on wildbeimwild.com and thewolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

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

2. The model: Canton of Geneva

On 19 May 1974, around two thirds of voters in the canton of Geneva voted in favour of abolishing recreational hobby hunting. Before the ban, large game in the canton had been virtually wiped out: deer and wild boar had disappeared for decades, and only a few dozen roe deer remained. Around 300 hobby hunters were releasing large numbers of pheasants, partridges, and hares for hobby hunting purposes.

The experience since the hobby hunting ban is unambiguous:

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

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

– In 2005, a renewed popular vote saw 90 percent of Geneva's electorate vote in favour of retaining the hobby hunting ban. In 2009, a motion to reintroduce hunting was rejected in the cantonal parliament by 70 votes to 7.

– The total costs of professional wildlife management in Geneva amount to approximately 1.2 million francs annually, divided into approximately 600,000 francs for personnel (approx. 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 approximately 2.40 francs per resident per year.

Geneva's fauna inspector Gottlieb Dandliker, responsible for wildlife management since 2001, describes the ban on hobby hunting as the most financially advantageous 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 game warden in Geneva requires an average of 8 hours and a maximum of 2 rounds of ammunition for a sanitary cull of a wild boar. A hobby hunter in the canton of Zurich requires 60 to 80 hours and up to 15 rounds of ammunition for the same. The hare population density in Geneva is 17.7 animals per 100 hectares (the highest in Switzerland), while in the canton of Zurich it is only 1.0 per 100 hectares (cf. Fact-check Canton Council Zurich).

3. The Concept: Professional Wildlife Management 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 founded 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 objective is the preservation of healthy wildlife populations, not the maximisation of kill numbers (cf. the critical analysis of hunting training on wildbeimwild.com).

The principle of last resort. A cull 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 to prevent deer and hares from stripping bark. For wild boar, the canton makes electric fences available to farmers. This practice demonstrates: coexistence is a matter of will, not of technical feasibility.

Democratic oversight through a wildlife commission. The independent commission, composed of animal and nature conservation organizations, scientists, and authorities, prevents political pressure from individual interest groups from diluting wildlife management. The initiative enshrines the permit requirement in the constitution.

Natural self-regulation as a guiding principle. The experience from Geneva, from national parks and from numerous scientific studies demonstrates: wildlife populations regulate themselves in most cases. 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 well suited for the introduction of professional wildlife protection for several reasons:

The largest patent hunting canton in Switzerland. With 5,959 km² and over one million inhabitants, Bern is the largest patent hunting canton in the country. If professional wildlife protection works here, it works everywhere. The canton encompasses all of Switzerland's landscape types: the Jura (Bernese Jura, Biel/Bienne), the Mittelland (Bern, Thun, Burgdorf, Langenthal), and the Alps (Bernese Oberland with Jungfrau, Eiger, Mönch). The transition is administratively simpler than in territorial hunting cantons, as no hunting lease agreements need to be dissolved and no municipalities need to be compensated.

The federal capital effect. The Federal Palace is located in Bern. An initiative in the canton of Bern has a media reach that extends beyond the canton. The federal political debate on hunting policy is directly influenced by a cantonal initiative in Bern. A success in Bern would send a signal to national politics that no other canton except Zurich can send with equal force.

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

Bilingualism as a bridge.The canton of Bern is bilingual: German and French (Bernese Jura, Biel/Bienne). The initiative bridges the German-speaking and French-speaking Swiss debate. In the Bernese Jura and in Biel/Bienne, the Geneva experience is culturally and linguistically directly accessible. The core messages must work in both 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 the roe deer population. Professional wildlife management protects the lynx and makes use of its ecological function.

Beavers along the Aare and Emme.The beaver has been documented along the Aare, the Emme and numerous other waterways. Since February 2025, it may be shot throughout Switzerland upon cantonal request. The initiative protects the beaver within the canton (cf. wildbeimwild.com on predators).

15,000 signatures in 6 months.This is the highest threshold in the series. With a population of 1,040,000, it is proportionally achievable (1.4 percent). That amounts to approximately 83 signatures per day. Signatures can be collected efficiently in Bern, Thun, Biel, Burgdorf and Langenthal. Professional collection organisation is critical from day one (cf. wildbeimwild.com on wildlife in residential 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 authority to do so is uncontested: the federal hunting act (JSG) expressly leaves the organisation of hunting operations to the cantons (Art. 3 para. 1 JSG). Switzerland’s three hunting systems – patent hunting, territory hunting and state or managed hunting – are of equal standing. The canton of Geneva has practised managed hunting since 1974 in conformity with federal law. Unlike in territory-hunting cantons, no hunting lease agreements need to be dissolved in Bern and no municipalities need to be compensated: existing patents lapse and fees already paid are refunded on a pro-rata basis.

Paragraph 2 – Professional Wildlife Management

Instead of hobby hunters, professionally trained wildlife managers employed by cantonal services take over all tasks related to wildlife stewardship and, where necessary, population regulation. These specialists possess a more comprehensive biological or wildlife ecology background and act on a scientific basis and in the public interest. In Geneva, this system has proven its worth for over 50 years.

Paragraph 3 – Culling as a Last Resort

The central innovation compared to the current system: culling is not the rule, but the exception. Passive measures take precedence. In Geneva, an average of approximately 250 wild boars are shot annually by wildlife wardens (according to the FOEN hunting statistics), primarily juveniles, while lead animals are explicitly spared for ethical reasons and to preserve the social stability of the sounders.

Paragraph 4 – Wildlife Commission

The independent wildlife commission is modelled on the Geneva model of the constitutionally enshrined fauna commission. It ensures that animal and nature conservation organisations have a say in regulation decisions and prevents the government from unilaterally granting exceptions under pressure from interest groups. The involvement of science ensures that decisions are evidence-based and not founded on the hunting-ideological myths with which thehobby hunting lobby has legitimised its practices for decades.

Paragraph 5 – Natural Regulation and Coexistence

This paragraph enshrines the guiding principle of professional wildlife protection in the constitution. The promotion of coexistence in Bern encompasses in particular the safeguarding and interconnection of wildlife corridors along the Aare and the Emme, the ecological enhancement of the floodplain landscapes in the Seeland and the Emmental, the protective forests in the Bernese Oberland, and public education on how to behave around wildlife (cf.wildbeimwild.com on wildlife in residential areas).

Second Article: Protection of Endangered 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 Pre-Alps. The beaver has colonized the Aare and Emme rivers. The golden eagle breeds in the Oberland. Migratory waterfowl overwinter at the numerous lakes. The “in particular” formulation is designed as a dynamic reference to federal law and also protects future returnees (cf. the wolf policy on wildbeimwild.com).

Transitional provisions

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

6. Cost implications: A concrete budget for Bern

The Geneva reference budget

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

Conservative projection for Bern

For Bern, with an area of 5’959 km² and approximately 1’050’000 inhabitants, the following deliberately conservative cost estimate emerges. This estimate is calculated generously and takes into account the alpine topography of the Bernese Oberland, the development of herd protection measures, and the transitional management of red deer:

Personnel costs: 1’800’000 to 3’080’000 francs per year.Between 15 and 22 full-time positions are required. Bern is twenty times larger than Geneva and topographically extremely diverse: from the Mittelland (Seeland, Emmental) through 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 has been documented in the Bernese Oberland. In addition, transitional management of red deer must be factored in.

Operational costs: 350’000 to 600’000 francs per year. Equipment, vehicles, monitoring infrastructure, livestock protection materials, structural protective 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 in agriculture, browsing damage in forests, beaver damage along waterways, and any wolf predation damage.

Livestock protection start-up investment: 600’000 to 1’000’000 francs. In the first three to five years following the change of system, a one-time start-up investment in livestock protection infrastructure will be required for the Bernese Oberland and the Simmental: livestock guardian dog programmes, mobile fencing, night enclosures, and shepherd training. This investment is non-recurring and will be amortised 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 resident per year.

Red Deer Transition Management

The red deer is present in large populations in the Bernese Oberland. Compensatory reproduction — the artificially elevated reproductive rate caused by hunting pressure — prevents a sustainable reduction of populations. The scientific literature clearly documents this effect: high hunting pressure leads to earlier sexual maturity, larger litters, and higher survival rates among young animals. Following the removal of hunting pressure, the reproductive rate normalises within three to five years. This transition management is already factored into the higher staffing figures (cf. studies on wildbeimwild.com).

Savings and Counter-Financing

These costs are offset by considerable savings: the canton will no longer need to administer hunting examinations, issue and manage licences, draw up culling plans, or organise hunting supervision. Bern has one of the largest recreational hunter communities in Switzerland — the administrative costs are correspondingly high. Added to this are the costs of wolf culls: a single needlessly killed wolf costs the public approximately 35’000 francs (helicopter deployments, coordination, legal proceedings).

Loss of Revenue

With the abolition of hobby hunting, patent fees estimated at 1.5 to 2.5 million francs annually would be eliminated. However, these are offset by the never-audited external costs of militia hunting — wildlife accidents, hunting-related browsing damage in protective forests, administrative burden, police and court interventions — which amount to a multiple of these revenues. In the canton of Geneva, these revenues have been absent 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 culls by professional wildlife wardens are not the same as regulatory hunting based on hunters' lore or the misunderstood “nature experience” of hobby hunters. A full-cost accounting shows: militia hunting costs the taxpayer significantly more than it generates (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 fought the Biodiversity Initiative (63 percent No). In 2020, the hunting law it helped shape failed at the ballot box (51.9 percent No). In 2016, the Ticino hunters’ association torpedoed the Parc Adula national park. During the 2015 to 2019 legislative period, hobby hunters in parliament voted predominantly against environmental concerns. Those who claim hobby hunters are conservationists ignore their voting behaviour (cf. Ticino Hunters’ Association: 30 Years of Nonsense and Cost Dossier).

The net additional costs are likely to be between 1’200’000 and 2’800’000 francs per year which corresponds to approximately 1.15 to 2.65 francs per resident Even by generous estimates: that is less than one coffee per person per year. For a canton with a total budget of approximately 13.7 billion francs (State Accounts 2024, FFA), that amounts to 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 complies with federal law. The Federal Hunting Act (JSG) expressly leaves the regulation of hunting licenses, hunting systems, hunting areas, and hunting supervision to the cantons (Art. 3 Para. 1 JSG). The three hunting systems are of equal standing. The canton of Geneva has practiced state-managed hunting since 1974 and has never faced a federal legal objection in over 50 years.

Second Article: Protection of Protected Species

Art. 7a JSG enables cantons to implement preventive regulation, but does not obligate them to do so. Refraining from this option violates neither federal law nor the Bern Convention.

Unity of Subject Matter

The initiative preserves the unity of subject 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 the Alps – the system won’t work here»

The facts: A larger area requires more specialists (15–18 instead of 2–3 full-time positions). However, the per-capita costs remain between 1.15 and 2.10 francs, because a population of over one million bears the costs. The alpine terrain of the Bernese Oberland is topographically more demanding but more sparsely 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 encompasses all landscape types, making it the ultimate test case: if it works here, it works everywhere (cf. the Psychology of Hobby Hunting in the Canton of Bern).

Key message in brief: «Bern has one million inhabitants. The per-capita costs are below Geneva’s level. And in the Oberland, where few people encounter abundant nature, there are fewer conflicts, not more.»

«The wolf needs hobby hunting»

The facts: It is precisely the other way around. The wolf is a natural regulator that controls the roe deer population and reduces browsing pressure in protective forests. Hobby 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.

Key message in brief: «The wolf regulates. Hobby hunting disrupts. Geneva has proven it for 50 years.»

«15,000 signatures are too many»

The facts: 15,000 signatures out of 1,040,000 inhabitants represents 1.4 percent of the population. Over 6 months, that amounts to approximately 83 signatures per day. Bern, Thun, Biel, Burgdorf and Langenthal offer efficient collection opportunities. The animal protection movement has demonstrated in the past that it can overcome these hurdles. Professional collection organisation is decisive.

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

9. Summary

This initiative gives the people of Bern the opportunity to voice their support for modern, evidence-based wildlife management and comprehensive protection of endangered wildlife species. The first article follows the Geneva model, which has proven itself for over 50 years, and replaces hobby hunting with professional wildlife protection. The second article protects in particular the wolf in the Oberland, the lynx in the Bernese Jura, the beaver along the Aare and Emme rivers, and the golden eagle. As Switzerland’s largest patent hunting canton, a success in Bern would send a signal extending far beyond the canton’s borders. Wolf policy, the federal capital effect and bilingualism make Bern a strategically central canton for the expansion of the Geneva model.

The result would be a Bern in which wildlife are neither targets for hobby hunters nor victims of a politically motivated culling policy, but are professionally protected as part of a living natural environment — for the benefit of the animals and the population as a whole.

Initiative committee «For professional wildlife protection»

[Name 1], [Name 2], [Name 3] …

(Committee members in accordance with cantonal law, resident in the canton of Bern)

Contact address: [Address of the committee]

Appendix: Further documentation

The following dossiers and sources support the arguments of this initiative and are available as accompanying documents:

The Geneva model in detail: wildbeimwild.com/dossiers/genf-und-das-jagdverbot – Comprehensive presentation of Geneva’s wildlife management since 1974, including costs, population figures and biodiversity trends.

Scientific studies: wildbeimwild.com/studien – Collection of scientific studies on the self-regulation of wildlife populations and the ecological impact of hobby hunting.

Hunting in Switzerland – criticism, facts, news: wildbeimwild.com/jagd-in-der-schweiz – Continuously updated overview of Swiss hunting policy.

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

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

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

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

Cantonal Popular Initiative Basel-Stadt: Template text of the initiative in the canton of Basel-Stadt – The blueprint for the entire initiative series.

Note on Procedure

The initiative committee submits the initiative text in German and French to the State Chancellery of the Canton of Bern for preliminary review before the signature collection begins. 15,000 valid signatures are required for the initiative to be valid. The collection period is 6 months from publication in the Official Gazette. The submission procedures are governed by the cantonal law on political rights (PRG).

Strategic Briefing for Activists

Popular Initiative «For Professional Wildlife Protection» – Canton of 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 in 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 the Geneva level make Bern unique. The 15,000 signatures in 6 months represent the highest hurdle in the series, but with over one million inhabitants it is proportionally achievable (1.4 percent, 83 per day). The transition away from the patent hunting system is administratively simpler than in territorial hunting cantons. A success in Bern would have a signal effect that reaches far beyond the canton.

1. Why Bern in Particular?

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 the federal political debate. The Federal Palace is located in Bern.

Wolf policy as a mobilisation issue. Several packs in the Bernese Oberland and Simmental. The species protection clause makes the initiative attractive to nature conservation organisations.

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

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

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

2. The lessons from Zurich: What we will do 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's level. The 20 million francs cited for Zurich were an invention.

Secure party support early.Involve SP, Greens, GLP early on. 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 mobilises nature conservation organisations.

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

3. Particular challenges

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

Alpine canton.The Bernese Oberland has a strong hunting culture. The campaign must work in the city with ethical arguments and in rural areas with the benefits for agriculture and protective forests.

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

4. Analysis of opponents and prepared responses

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

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

Concise communication formula:«Bern has one million inhabitants. Per capita costs are below Geneva's level. And in the Oberland there are fewer conflicts, not more.»

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

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

Concise communication formula:«The wolf regulates. Hobby 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 collectable in five cities. Professional organisation is decisive.

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

5. Communication Strategy: The Three Core Messages

«Geneva has been leading the way for 50 years. What works there works here too.» / «Genève le fait depuis 50 ans. Ce qui fonctionne là-bas fonctionne aussi ici.»

«The wolf regulates. Hobby 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	Engage a lawyer; translation into French; committee members with residence in BE as required by cantonal law	Month 1–4
Submission for Pre-Review	State Chancellery of Bern (German and French text)	Month 4–5
Publication & Start of Signature Collection	6-month deadline; target: 18,000+ signatures as a buffer; professional signature-collection organisation from day one	Month 5
Party Contacts & Coalition Building	SP, Greens, GLP, EVP; Pro Natura Bern; BirdLife Bern; WWF Bern; wolf policy as a coalition issue	Month 1–10
Submission of Signatures	State Chancellery, official verification	Month 11–13
Grand Council Debate	Parliamentary anchoring; intensify media work	Month 14–22
Referendum Campaign	Final mobilisation, wolf argument, federal capital effect, bilingual campaign	Month 22–28

7. Campaign Materials

The Geneva dossier on wildbeimwild.com as the central body of arguments.
The Psychology of Hobby Hunting in the Canton of Bern as background material.
Local media: Berner Zeitung, Der Bund, Berner Oberländer, Thuner Tagblatt, Journal du Jura, Bieler Tagblatt, TeleBern, Radio Bern1.
Infographic: wolf as natural regulator in the Oberland, lynx in the Bernese Jura, federal capital effect as a visual element. Cost comparison BE vs. GE.
French-language materials for the Bernese Jura and Biel/Bienne from the outset.

8. Further Sources

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

Fact-Check: The Claims of the Hobby Hunting Lobby

The brochure «Hunting in Switzerland protects and benefits» by JagdSchweiz reads like a promotional leaflet – yet its central claims do not withstand a fact-check. Ten narratives put to the test, from «state mandate» to «biodiversity» to «80% approval»: Dossier: Fact-Check JagdSchweiz Brochure →