After the fires, hunting was left to the discretion of the prefects.

Faced with the damage caused to wildlife by the fires that have ravaged thousands of hectares in recent weeks, the government announced on Friday, July 31, that it would leave it to the prefects to adapt, or even suspend, the opening of hunting in the affected areas.

A territorial approach rather than a national ban

In a statement released by the Prime Minister's office, the government justified this decision by citing the significant damage inflicted on wildlife, while favoring a tailored approach for each region rather than a uniform measure across the country. Prefects will thus be able to decide, in consultation with departmental hunting federations, to maintain, modify, or suspend hunting activities in the hardest-hit areas, as each department, according to the government, presents different ecological realities.

This announcement comes after several weeks of exceptionally large fires, particularly in Gironde, where the megafire that ravaged the region was only contained at the beginning of August after eleven days of continuous fighting by the emergency services.

A petition called for a blanket ban

This decision follows a campaign by biodiversity protection associations, which, in a petition addressed to the government, prefects, and the National Federation of Hunters, demanded a total ban on hunting in and around the burned areas. The petition cited thousands of animals that had died from burning, asphyxiation, or dehydration, and survivors who were injured, disoriented, and deprived of food, shelter, and their usual habitats.

By opting for case-by-case management entrusted to prefects rather than a national ban, the government seeks to balance the imperatives of protecting biodiversity with the interests of the hunting community, in a context where heat waves and fires tend to increase every year.