La Chasse Opens in France

The sound of gunshot has started to pierce the calm of the countryside in southern France, as la chasse opens for another season. Whilst the opposition to shooting in France has never been as vitriolic as it has been in the UK, there is unquestionably a growing debate about the place of la chasse. It is a debate that is likely to linger, for it is the second most popular ‘sport’ in France, with around 1.4 million registered chasseurs, far more than any other country in Europe. It is exceeded in popularity only by football. Nevertheless, their numbers have been in decline ever since the 1970s, when there were over 2 million registered with a shooting permit. The profile of the average chasseur has also changed, with an increasing proportion from amongst the professional classes, and lower numbers of young people taking part in the sport. Part of the reason for the decrease may not be entirely unconnected with the growing costs of participation, which can run into several thousand of euros a year. Even those who participate in local shoots can expect to pay around €1500 a year. In an effort to beef up their image, shooting organisations have been at pains to stress the ecological nature of the sport. They recently condemned the proposals from Europe to remove set-aside land, claiming these areas should be preserved to protect the development of wildlife. Environmental and nature groups claim that far from protecting wildlife they destroy it, with millions of birds and animals killed each year, either through being shot, trapped, or poisoned from lead shot left in the ground. Despite the fact shooting in France is now highly regulated, the level of accidents and fatalities in the sport also remains high. Each year around 30 people are fatally wounded, and several hundred are injured. Already this year, three chasseurs have died in shooting incidents. Not all of those killed or injured are chasseurs, and one of the most vocal objections of protest groups is the manner in which the shooting groups monopolise use of the countryside because of safety fears by walkers and others. Whilst, in theory, official shooting groups are even entitled to shoot on your land, they cannot do so with 150 metres of a property, and owners merely need to notify personal objections to shooting in order for this right to be removed. Expect the debate about la chasse to become more vigorous, as more land is taken for development, or put under the plough.