70 breeders and the corpse of a heifer in front of the sub-prefecture
Last Saturday, more than 70 breeders, belonging among others to the FDSEA, demonstrated in front of the sub-prefecture of Pontarlier (Doubs) to demand the issuance of authorization for simple defense shots in the face of the explosion of wolf attacks on the herds of the department. To support their demands and make an impression, the demonstrators placed the corpse of a heifer, predated by a wolf, just in front of the entrance to the public building.
Defense shots limited to an experimental zone of 17 municipalities
Indeed, for several weeks, while attacks have increased, defensive shooting has only been permitted in an “experimental zone” covering only 17 municipalities. Outside of this zone, requests for defensive shots are systematically refused by state services. » Every heifer that will be predated from today and that will not benefit from a simple defensive shot will end up in front of the sub-prefecture! “, declared Florent Dornier, president of the FDSEA of Doubs.
Pro-wolf associations take legal action against orders authorizing shootings
The breeders of Doubs are also angry at the action of pro-wolf associations which attacked the principle of defensive shooting in the department and obtained from the administrative court of Besançon the annulment of two decrees authorizing shooting, for because of the “strictly protected species status” of the wolf at European level. These legal victories can only make the State services reluctant to issue shooting authorizations… In any case, despite their mobilization on Saturday, the Doubs breeders have still not obtained a response from the prefectural authorities
