French wildlife groups demand hunting bans in fire‑hit and drought zones

Following extensive forest fires across France, wildlife protection groups have launched petitions that have gathered around 300,000 signatures urging a suspension of hunting in the burned areas. The petitions argue that surviving animals are exhausted, hungry and without shelter, and cite the French environmental code, which allows prefects to halt hunting after a natural disaster. LPO director Cédric Marteau and the ministry of the ecological transition, represented by Minister Monique Barbut, have called for a pause in the hunting season until habitats recover.

In Normandy, the regional branches of the Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux, SOS Estuaire and France Nature Environnement have written to the prefects of the five departments asking to postpone the opening of the water‑fowl hunting season scheduled for 1 August 2026. They cite successive heatwaves and droughts that have dried wetlands, threatening the health and survival of water birds. The groups warn that adding hunting pressure would exacerbate the mortality of already weakened bird populations and urge that hunting practices be adapted to current environmental conditions.