After a year of intense discussions with the Member states, a proposal put forward by the European Commission for a general ban on hunting (and fishing) in a new category of strictly protected areas covering 10% of the EU territory, was considered an unwarranted measure to stop the loss of biodiversity. The final document, in which the "hunting ban" was removed, is published online. The first draft of the European Commission document placed hunting (and fishing) in the same category as mining, considering these activities incompatible with strictly protected areas.
This has had repercussions in many parts of Europe, including for several MEPs. The objective of this work in the context of Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 was to preserve the integrity of areas with high biodiversity with particular attention to carbon-rich ecosystems such as peat bogs and ancient forests. A positive sign is that EU policy no longer considers climate change and the loss of biodiversity as isolated factors, but as two intrinsically linked phenomena. Importantly, hunting will not interfere with the natural processes of these types of habitat.
Conversely, the conservation efforts of hunters are important in the management of the protected area and are critical to ensuring community support and conservation efforts at the local level. This recent work on strictly protected areas originates from the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, which it envisages a coherent network of protected areas covering 30% of the EU, of which 10% will be under strict protection. The criteria and guidelines are non-binding and aim to help Member States fulfill the political commitment. The next step will be for Member States to commit to the 30% and 10% targets using existing protected area networks or, if necessary, providing for new designations.
Whatever happens, the best chance of success will be achieved explicitly involving local populations in the conservation of the sites. The global experience of protected areas has shown that increasing the level of protection is not the key factor in stopping the loss of biodiversity, but rather should be foreseen. strengthening and maintaining cultural benefits and sustenance of local populations.
The President of FACE, Torbjorn Larsson, he has declared: "We are very pleased that common sense has prevailed and that there is no hunting ban in this new category of strictly protected areas. FACE actively opposed the unjustified ban on hunting, stressing that hunters play a key role in the management of protected areas in Europe". Thanking FACE members for actively discussing this document at national level, Torbjörn Larsson added: “This shows how important it is for Europe's 7 million hunters to work together".