The World Briefly

January 11, 2023

Very Small Compromises

France

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France is planning to ban hunting under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a move aimed at reducing the number of hunting-related incidents that have risen in the European country in recent years, Politico reported.

Officials said a new fine will be created early in the year to sanction “the act of hunting under the excessive influence of alcohol” as part of a wider government initiative to reform hunting practices. That plan also includes an app mapping out hunting areas and allowing people to “identify hunting-free areas and times” close to their location.

The new measures come as the government faces pressure over the increase in accidents involving non-hunters, including a parliamentary inquiry on hunting safety prompted by the death of 25-year-old Morgan Keane in 2020, the Guardian noted.

The French-British national was shot dead two years ago while chopping wood on his land by a hunter who mistook him for a wild boar.

The French Office of Biodiversity – which issues hunting permits – reported in September that there were 90 accidents during the 2021-22 season, six more than in the previous season, and eight of them fatal.

Environmental and anti-hunting groups initially urged the government to impose an outright hunting ban for one day on weekends, despite opposition from hunting groups. Following the government’s announcement, environmental groups cautioned that the new prohibitions would be unenforceable.

This story originally appeared in the January 11, 2023 newsletter, Breathing Politics.