Conseil d’État rejects appeal regarding fox and marten classification in Vosges

The French Conseil d’État has rejected a request by the association Oiseaux-Nature to suspend a ministerial decree regarding the classification of red foxes and stone martens in the Vosges department.

The decree, issued on August 10, 2026, classifies red foxes in 203 communes and stone martens across the entire department as species capable of causing damage under environmental code provisions. Oiseaux-Nature argued that the classification could lead to the use of non-selective traps, threatening animal populations already weakened by drought. The association also noted the role these species play in regulating rodent populations and preventing Lyme disease.

The court ruled that the conditions for an emergency suspension were not met. The Fédération nationale des chasseurs and the departmental hunters' federation of Vosges intervened in the proceedings to defend the maintenance of the decree.