Victory for mycophiles –
The Canton abandons the forced week of rest for mushroom growers
The measure, much criticized in the mycophile community, only lasted six months. Return to free picking from 1is January 2025, under certain conditions.
Published today at 5:29 p.m.
The Canton of Vaud is reversing its ban on mushroom picking on the first seven days of the month.
© KEYSTONE / CHRISTIAN BEUTLER
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BotTalk
Christmas comes early for Vaudois mushroom growers. Picking will no longer be prohibited during the first seven days of the month. By proclaiming this “precautionary measure” on 1is last July, the Canton immediately attracted the wrath of mushroom growerswho cried out for an “absurd” and scientifically questionable law. At the end of August, a motion of the PLR deputy Alexandre Berthoud also asked the government to reverse course, brandishing the example of the Canton of Friborg which had experimented with and then abolished this limitation.
It only took a few months for the government to give in to the pressure. He announced this Thursday that he wanted to “abandon” this restriction, which was part of a large package of measures aimed at protecting nature. As of 1is January 2025, mushroom picking is authorized on the cantonal territory every day of the month, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., within the limit of 2 kilos per day and per person. Harvesting for profit is limited to 6 kilos per day.
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With this new revisionthe Council of State “intends to best reconcile the interests of mushroom enthusiasts and the measures necessary to preserve biodiversity”. Instead of the week of prohibition, the Canton intends to better preserve the most endangered species. It will rely on the field expertise of the Swiss Association of Official Mushroom Control Bodies (Vapko) and the Vaud Union of Mycological Societies (UVSM).
“One tool among others”
Head of the Biodiversity and Landscape Division, Catherine Strehler Perrin does not consider that this is a backpedaling, but a “reorientation of measures”, which ultimately aims at the same result. “The limitation week was just one tool among others. Instead of a general ban, we have chosen to strengthen research in the area of rare species stations. If necessary, we can therefore issue collection bans in a very localized manner.”
Criticisms about the lack of scientific basis for this restriction would, in his opinion, be unfounded: “In fact, the question arises in the other direction: a certain number of studies show that current knowledge is largely insufficient to show that this type limitations has no effect. The opinions were also plural within the mycological societies.
Is the senior official personally disappointed with the short life of this precautionary week? “On the contrary, it provoked a public debate which drew our attention to the lack of mycological knowledge within the population,” she replies. We will therefore take advantage of this to organize awareness-raising activities in schools or during nature festivals.” It is planned to subsidize Vapko romande and UVSM to ensure this work of informing the general public.
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Thibault New Weme is a journalist for the Vaud section. After a Bachelor in political science, he obtained his Master’s degree at the Academy of Journalism and Media (AJM) at the University of Neuchâtel. He also worked with the editorial staff of Le Temps.More info
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