France wildlife management controversy

In July 2026 the French government drafted a revision of the 1986 hunting decree that would allow battue hunting of chamois, isard and mouflon, including a quota of up to 330 chamois in the Doubs department from September 2026 to January 2027. Conservation group Aspas denounced the plan as an ecological and ethical affront and called for an end to recreational chamois hunting and the summer red‑deer cull.

A report from the Cher department later showed a 47 % rise in wild‑boar damage to crops, with 487 incidents recorded by June 30 2026, half of the department’s annual agricultural compensation linked to maize losses. State‑run control actions continue despite heat‑wave constraints.

By the end of July, wildlife‑protection organisations expanded their criticism, launching petitions that gathered around 300 000 signatures demanding a suspension of hunting in areas hit by recent forest fires. The LPO and the ministry of ecological transition urged a pause in the hunting season until habitats recover. Regional bird‑conservation groups also asked prefects to postpone the water‑fowl hunting season, citing drought‑driven wetland drying and the vulnerability of water birds.

These developments illustrate escalating tensions in France over wildlife management, hunting policy, and the balance between agricultural protection and biodiversity conservation.