Should the red fox remain on the list of “species likely to cause damage” (ESOD)? Seven wildlife protection groups have reignited the debate by publishing a petition on the Assemblée Nationale website calling for the “immediate removal” of the wild canid from the list and an end to what they describe as an “unjustified massacre.” More than 25,000 people had signed the petition as of Monday, February 2, while a new government decree setting the ESOD species list for the next three years is expected to be published this summer.
The inclusion of the fox on this list has long been criticized by animal protection groups. Between 400,000 and one million individuals are reportedly killed each year, mostly through hunting. “The fox is a species of major ecological importance,” said Mickaël Paul, co-president of Pôle Grands Prédateurs (Large Predator Center). “We are seizing the right moment to put pressure on the state and rally citizens before the decree is published.”
The Fédération nationale des chasseurs (FNC, National Hunting Federation), however, opposes any removal from the list. “An ESOD status does not mean we are going to eradicate the fox – this is not an extermination plan,” said Jean-Michel Dapvril, deputy director of legal affairs at the FNC. “It allows us to intervene in areas where there is damage at times when hunting is not allowed.”
You have 73.35% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
