Uri rejects protection of mountain hare and ptarmigan

The cantonal government of Uri rejects a hunting ban on ptarmigan and mountain hares and opposes the corresponding popular initiative.

Editorial Wild beim Wild — 21 November 2024

Ptarmigan and mountain hares are to remain huntable in the canton of Uri. The cantonal government rejects a popular initiative calling for a hunting ban.

The popular initiative «Let ptarmigan and mountain hare live!» seeks to overturn a decision by the cantonal parliament from October 2023. At the time, parliament had decided by 30 votes to 23 that the two wild animals should remain huntable.

From left: Chancellor Roman Balli, Director of Education and Culture Georg Simmen, Director of Economic Affairs Urban Camenzind, Landammann Christian Arnold, Landweibel Erwin Gisler, Landesstatthalter Daniel Furrer, Director of Finance Urs Janett, Director of Security Céline Huber and Director of Construction Hermann Epp.

Cantonal government sees no need for action

The cantonal government rejects the popular initiative, as it announced on 20 November 2024. Given the very low kill figures, a ban on hunting ptarmigan and mountain hares in the canton of Uri would be an unnecessary restriction, it states in its report to the cantonal parliament. IG Wild beim Wild criticises this position: precisely because the kill figures are low, recreational hunting of species threatened by climate change is neither ecologically nor ethically justifiable.

The heart is one. The same wretchedness that leads a person to mistreat an animal is immediately reflected in their relationship with other human beings. Any cruelty towards any creature is contrary to human dignity. We cannot consider ourselves great lovers if we exclude any part of reality from our concerns. – Pope Francis

More on the subject of recreational hunting: In the dossier The Role and Criticism of Recreational Hunters we shed light on the training, power and self-image of recreational hunters. The scientific evidence is presented in the overview Studies on the Effects of Recreational Hunting.

The position of IG Wild beim Wild: IG Wild beim Wild rejects recreational hunting. Our model is the canton of Geneva, which has managed without recreational hunting since 1974: without hunting seasons, without hunting dogs, without driven hunts, without high seats, without the animal cruelty and crime that go hand in hand with hunting season elsewhere. What has worked there for over fifty years disproves every position paper by JagdSchweiz. An association that bases its policy on claims it refutes in its own documents is not a professional organisation, but a factory for misinformation.