The Canton of Vaud is relaxing its restrictions on mushroom picking on its territory, set this summer. From January 1, 2025, picking will again be authorized every day of the month up to 2 kg of mushrooms per day and per person. The State is thus waiving the total ban on harvesting for the first seven days of the month.
It will still only be possible during the day, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Harvesting for profit is limited to 6 kg per day. “The Council of State wants to best reconcile the interests of mushroom lovers and the measures necessary to preserve fungal biodiversity,” he said on Thursday. Fungi play an important role in the health of trees and forest floors.”
The Environment Department notes that “due to ignorance, many mushrooms are trampled or destroyed by walkers”. The Swiss Association of Official Mushroom Control Bodies (VAPKO) notes that a large proportion of the mushrooms submitted to them for verification should not have been collected, either because they are inedible or because they are too old or too young, explains the Canton.
Better awareness
The Council of State had introduced provisions aimed at regulating the picking of mushrooms and encouraging their reproduction, through the implementing regulations of the law on the protection of nature and natural heritage (RLPrPNP) which came into force on 1 last July. After a few months of practical implementation, it decided to revise one of the provisions of this regulation by abandoning the principle of a total harvest ban period, which was set for the first seven days of the month.
In order to raise public awareness of the value of this resource and the good practices to adopt, the Canton has decided to entrust the VAPKO romande and the Vaudoise Union of Mycological Societies (UVSM) with the organization of awareness activities. For example in schools or during nature festivals or forest days which take place each year.
To ensure the preservation of the most threatened species, the Canton also intends, with the help of the UVSM, to identify the sectors displaying either the greatest diversity of rare species, or very specific species, dependent on particular habitats in particular. old wood or dead trees. Based on data from the red list of mushrooms currently being revised and the local knowledge of these local companies, the objective is to establish the sites which should appear in the cantonal inventory of species habitats. priorities. Its establishment is planned by the end of 2027 at the latest.
