Bavarian Hunting Association receives PETA's negative award

Animal welfare benefactor or rather animal welfaredestroyer?

PETA's negative award «Speciesism of the Month» for November goes to the Bavarian Hunting Association e.V. and its campaign «ANIMALwelfare benefactor».

Under the title «Animal Welfare Benefactor – We Are the Good Guys», the campaign attempts to convey thathobby hunting of wild animals is a necessary form of animal and nature conservation. PETA firmly disputes this portrayal: according to the animal rights organisation, the legitimacy of hobby hunting rests on the speciesist assumption that the interests of wild animals in their lives and in an existence as free from suffering as possible count for less than those of humans. For in hobby hunting, animals are exploited to satisfy human interests: to produce food from their carcasses, to display their dead bodies as “trophies”, or simply to satisfy the desire to kill.

«The title of the Bavarian Hunting Association's campaign is the epitome of cynicism», said Peter Höffken, specialist adviser at PETA. «In stark contrast to the Bavarian Hunting Association's portrayal, hobby hunting does nothing whatsoever to promote animal welfare; on the contrary, it extinguishes the lives of countless wild animals every year in an agonising and entirely unnecessary manner. The campaign ‘Animal Welfare Benefactor – We Are the Good Guys’ is a transparent attempt to transfigure hunting, pursued primarily as a hobby, into active animal and nature conservation. In other words: an all-round worthy winner of our ‘Speciesism of the Month’ negative award.»

Hobby hunting not necessary according to experts

Recognized wildlife biologists agree that from an ecological perspective there is no necessity for hobby hunting. According to renowned biologist Prof. Dr. Josef Reichholf, natural regulation of animal populations living in forests occurs through environmental influences such as weather conditions, food availability, and disease. English scientists also concluded that in particularfox populations regulate themselves based on food availability and social factors. Hobby hunting, on the other hand, destroys the age and social structures of animal populations, which leads to increased reproduction among survivors. Losses in the population are thus quickly offset or even overcompensated by offspring and immigration. Hobby hunting is therefore unnecessary, counterproductive, and cruel. The approximately 436’000 hobby hunters in Germany are contrasted by only around 1’000 professional hunters, primarily forestry officials.

PETA's Negative Award “Speciesism of the Month”

In 2024 as well, PETA again monthly presents individuals, companies, or products that have demonstrated themselves to be particularly speciesist and hostile to animals with the negative award “Speciesism of the Month.” After one year, the title “Speciesism of the Year” is awarded for the most scandalous case among the previous “winners,” determined by a public vote. Prince Marcus had received the title last year in this manner. PETA aims to use the award to raise public awareness of the topic of speciesism and to encourage critical reflection, rethinking, and animal-friendly action. For speciesist thinking creates the foundation upon which animals are used, mistreated, and killed for human purposes as a matter of course.

Speciesism – the Discrimination Against Other Species

Analogous to the terms racism and sexism, speciesism a form of discrimination – more precisely, the devaluation of sentient animals based on their species membership. Humans are regarded as superior to all other species. In addition, distinctions are also made between different animal species, divided into so-called pets and livestock: dogs and cats, for instance, are lovingly cared for, while pigs, cattle and chickens are killed and eaten. Due to their belonging to the “wrong” species, animals are reduced to research objects, food, clothing material or toys. Yet they are all capable of experiencing joy and suffering and therefore have an interest in, and a right to, living and not being harmed. PETA advocates an anti-speciesist perspective and emphasises that this shared characteristic of all sentient beings is decisive when it comes to determining who holds moral rights. Animals have the same right to life, liberty and physical integrity as humans.