Will forest fires lead to hunting ban in France?
Petition to introduce three-year moratorium on hunting has over 380,000 signatures
A petition to ban hunting in forests impacted by France’s record wildfires has gathered massive support in recent days, bringing the question of this autumn’s hunting season to the forefront of many communes.
The petition has gained more than 380,000 signatures since being launched three weeks ago, with most of these coming in the last week.
It makes three main requests:
A total ban on all forms of hunting in the upcoming season (shooting, mounted, underground) in all forest areas affected by fires during the summer of 2026
A protection zone around burned areas to allow animals to find refuge without being hunted
A moratorium of at least three years (the time needed for vegetation to regenerate and for breeding cycles to resume naturally) in certain areas including Fontainebleau, the Aude, the Ardèche, the Var
You can view the petition here.
Local officials can choose to ban
Following the growing popularity of the petition, the government quickly announced that any decisions to ban hunting would not be made at a national level, but a departmental one.
“In light of the forest fires affecting several departments and the significant damage to wildlife, the government is authorising the relevant prefects, working closely with departmental hunting federations, to assess on a case-by-case and area-by-area basis, the necessary adjustments to the hunting schedule,” the office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Friday (July 31).
The ministry for Ecological Transition confirmed that France’s Environmental Code allows for hunting activities to be suspended following a natural disaster – including wildfires – to prevent further damage to the area.
Authorities are expected to announce any bans in the coming weeks.
Groups to support the petition include the Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux (LPO, Bird protection league).
Bans should be implemented to “allow populations to rebuild,” said LPO Director Cédric Marteau to AFP.
However, the president of the Fédération nationale des chasseurs (national hunting federation) Willy Schraen believes that those against hunting are using the ”context of misery and intense emotional crisis,” to push for bans.
However, “there are plenty of places where there will be no hunting… it isn't just the area that actually burned off that should be closed to the hunting of certain species,” he said to AFP.
“We already take many factors into account, and now we’re adding the fire factor… some species cannot be hunted, while others can be, because they weren't as severely affected,” he added.
Species including wild boar are likely to be less impacted by the fires, however roe deer populations in the affected areas will have seen significant damage, he believes.
Hunting season to begin soon
The federation is determined that the start of the hunting season will not be delayed due to the fires.
The season typically begins in early to mid-September, with each department having their own opening and closing dates.
These have not been finalised for the 2026 - 2027 season, but will be available through the hunting federation website once confirmed. Any modifications to the season can be found through the government’s website here.
The mayor of Lherm (Haute-Garonne) recently caused a stir with the local federation after banning hunting in 29 hectares of forested land in the commune from January 2028.
It is the first ban of this type in France, taken after several accidents in the department including an accidental shooting in 2007 during a hunting session and a stray bullet being lodged in a commercial building in 2021.
Do you think hunting should be banned in areas impacted by the wildfires? Should this be a one-off for the upcoming season or last for several years? Let us know your thoughts via feedback@connexionfrance.com
