Marmot Hunting in France Faces Ban Push

Animal rights campaigners are urging the French government to ban the hunting of Alpine marmots, a species that sees about 1,000 individuals shot each year. The campaign, led by Pauline di Nicolantonio of the Association for Justice for Savoie Animals, argues that the practice is driven by recreation rather than necessity.

Campaigners Push for Ban

The Association for Justice for Savoie Animals (AJAS) has staged protests against marmot hunting for the past two years. Di Nicolantonio says, "The question is a moral one. When you tell people that hunting marmots is allowed in France, they are shocked." The marmot is a popular symbol in the Savoie and the Alps, appearing on tourist office logos and as the mascot of ski resorts. AJAS wants a national ban similar to the one introduced in Italy in 1992.

Scientific View on Climate Impact

Christophe Bonenfant, a CNRS scientist at the University of Lyon, studies marmots in the Grande Sassière alpine nature reserve. He reports that climate change is making the Alps more hostile: rock faces fissure and glaciers shrink at an unprecedented rate. Bonenfant and colleague Rébecca Garcia observe that marmot social groups are breaking up, with dominant pairs changing more rapidly and female marmots producing fewer pups. "The cycle of violence and smaller litters is leading to a steady drop in populations," Bonenfant says.

Stakeholder Perspectives

French farmers claim that marmots are a nuisance, making holes in fields and damaging machinery. The National Hunters Federation counters that hunting is "strictly supervised and regulated" and that the open season lasts at most a month. The federation insists there is no justification for a ban, noting that the species is not threatened and that numbers are on the rise.

Di Nicolantonio counters that hunting is cruel, absurd and unpopular, yet it persists because it is considered a tradition. She says hunters often commission scientific reports to claim abundant populations, which she finds "worrying".

Regulatory Landscape

Hunting regulations vary by country. The following table shows where marmot hunting is allowed or banned:

The open season in France begins in September, a few weeks before marmots enter a long winter hibernation. During this period, marmots swell to up to 8 kg as they stock up on food for a five- to six-month hibernation.

AJAS’s campaign is set to launch protests and petitions aimed at persuading the French government to ban the hunting of Alpine marmots. The organization believes that the practice is driven by recreation rather than necessity and that the species is already suffering from climate-related population declines.