Espalion. Game damage, a recurring problem in Aveyron

Even if hunting pressure is rather good in Aveyron, areas are still under tension due to damage from large game, mainly wild boars but also deer, particularly in North Aveyron. A meeting was recently organized in Espalion to properly address the subject.

As part of the meetings organized by the FDSEA-JA of Aveyron ahead of the Chamber of Agriculture elections, departmental elected officials wanted to address this sensitive subject during a public meeting at the CDANA in Espalion.

To moderate the debate, they invited Cédric Tranquart, member of the FNSEA office and president of the Wildlife and Predation commission. Alongside Marie-Amélie Viargues president of the FDSEA, we noted the presence of Léo Makich president of the JA de l'Aveyron, Jean-François Fabry and Nicolas Albouy co-presidents of the game damage commission and Laurent Saint-Affre former president of the FDSEA and member of the national office.

Around twenty farmers responded to the invitation. First observation, while the damage is rather decreasing at the national level, it is increasing at the department level.

And everyone agreed to understand that the real situation on the ground was partly camouflaged by many non-declarations (we don't want to get angry with the hunting neighbor but also by ignorance of the approach to follow now on the internet). With the damage to crops, the health risks in a department largely devoted to livestock farming have been raised. In addition to the problems of wolves, vultures and coypus, an increase in damage linked to badgers has been noted, for which they are not compensated.

Tools exist

Cédric Tranquard did not fail to point out that agreements exist between the National Federation of Hunters, the State and the agricultural world. A global national agreement aimed at lifting the obstacles relating to the reduction of wild boar, strictly regulating wild boar harvesting and facilitating access to the non-contentious compensation procedure was legally translated at the end of 2023.

In North Aveyron, despite the extensions of the deer hunting plan, the farmers present explain that the animals are still too numerous. For the next season, the extension of the hunting plan will be renewed.

Several other measures can be put in place at the departmental level with the hunting FD and the State through the DDT which have obligations but the main difficulty encountered comes from the lack of recognition of the areas concerned because a lot of damage is not declared . The national agreement presented by Cédric Tranquard can make it possible to deploy certain innovative measures and thus provide a response to these problems. And therefore to insist that these declarations of damage be made if we want to move this issue forward.