Real campaign fact?
The death of a 25-year-old hiker on Saturday during a wild boar hunt in Cantal has put the debate on hunting back at the heart of the presidential campaign, with several left-wing political figures calling for its weekend ban.
The young woman died on Saturday afternoon while she was walking on a marked path with her companion in a town near Aurillac, mortally wounded by a stray bullet during a wild boar beat.
The author of the shot, a 17-year-old girl, was placed in police custody on Sunday morning for manslaughter.
"There is the question of experience," said the Secretary of State for Biodiversity, Bérangère Abba, adding that the hunter had obtained her license at 16 years old.
"If it turns out that we still have things to strengthen, we will," she added, recalling having announced "the creation of a geolocation app in which we could know around us where the beatings take place”.
Jadot calls for "regulating" hunting
The drama has once again revived the old French quarrel between the pros and the anti-hunters.
“We need more regulation of this activity, it is urgent!
“had demanded on Saturday the environmental candidate for president, Yannick Jadot.
“How many more deaths before we decide to regulate hunting, a dangerous and inhumane practice?
At a minimum, let's ban hunting on weekends and school holidays, now!
added David Belliard, EELV deputy to the mayor of Paris and socialist presidential candidate, Anne Hidalgo.
How many more deaths before we decide to regulate #hunting, a dangerous and inhumane practice?
At a minimum, let's ban hunting on weekends and school holidays, now!
Thoughts for the victim and his loved ones.
https://t.co/66XJSZ5ajn
— David Belliard (@David_Belliard) February 19, 2022
“Hunting must not be possible on weekends and during school holidays, because that is where the risk would be greatest”, estimated the leader of rebellious France, Jean-Luc Mélenchon on France 3. “Secondly, we must stop selling weapons that are so powerful.
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Marine Le Pen defends hunters
“I consider that hunting is an ancestral tradition and that it must be maintained”, argued Marine Le Pen, of the National Rally, on France Inter.
“If you prevent hunters from hunting on weekends, they won't be able to hunt because they still work the hunters.
So we have to succeed in finding a way so that walkers and hunters can safely enjoy our extraordinary domain, ”she said.
Evoking his "sadness", the president of the National Federation of Hunters (FNC), Willy Schraen, indicated that "all the federations of hunters" are being contacted "so that all the rules are recalled of security" and that a meeting will be requested "from the beginning of next week of all the nature federations to recall the security devices".
Dear hunter friends, It was with deep sadness that I learned at the end of the afternoon of the death of a hiker...
Posted by Willy Schraen on Saturday, February 19, 2022
“I am counting on each of you to be extra careful.
Do not shoot in a situation where the slightest doubt or the slightest risk persists must be the only course of action during a hunting action, ”said the president on his Facebook page.
Sources close to the file, it is specified that the rules of signaling of the beat would not have been respected.
“We will have to check if the beat was correctly marked and marked out,” admitted Bérangère Abba.
Very flexible rules in France
Hunting regularly comes up in political debate in France, the European country with the most hunters.
France is also the only European country allowing hunting every day during the season, while the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands or Portugal have introduced one or more non-hunting days.
A petition calling for a ban on hunting on Wednesdays and Sundays had collected more than 120,000 signatures last fall and prompted the Senate to create a commission on security.