Genevieve Mansfield – genevieve.mansfield@thelocal.com

Published: 10 Feb, 2025 CET.Updated: Mon 10 Feb 2025 11:00 CET

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A new study has shown how unpopular hunting is amongst the French public, with more than two-thirds of people supporting some restrictions on the days that hunting is allowed.

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A recent Ifop survey has found that the vast majority of French people are in favour of some restrictions on when hunting (ie shooting, known as la chasse in French) is allowed.

The survey found that 81 percent of French people supported a ‘break’ on hunting during the school holidays, and 79 percent supported not hunting on weekends and public holidays, French news site 20 Minutes reported.

Meanwhile, 78 percent said they supported Sunday being a ‘non-hunting day’, and 73 percent were in favour of combined restrictions – meaning no hunting during the school holidays, weekends or public holidays. 

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Overall, hunting does not have a lot of supporters in France, with 76 percent of the population in favour of banning it outright. 

This may be related to the number of hunting-related accidents. On average, there are around 20 deaths as a result of hunting each year, though the majority of people injured or killed are hunters themselves.

Nevertheless, there have been some reports of bystanders being accidentally shot by hunters. In 2020, a young Franco-British man, Morgan Keane, was shot in the chest by a bullet from a boar hunter in the Lot département.

He had been in his garden chopping wood when the hunter mistook him for a boar. 

Are there any restrictions on hunting in France?

There are several rules regarding hunting in France, including the fact that it is only allowed sanctioned during certain times of year.

France is divided into 94 hunting federations, and different federations have different start dates. Broadly, the season runs from September to February.

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Hunting is also restricted to specific areas – for example, you cannot hunt within 150m of a dwelling or private home. It is also a requirement to place signs around a hunting area, that way passersby are aware if they are entering the designated hunting area. Still, many complain that these signs are often not sufficiently visible.

In order to hunt, you must also hold a permit (permis de chasser), which involves passing a theoretical and practical exam.

The French government has also sought to bring in some new restrictions, discussing a 14-point safety plan in 2023. One change included a new fine of €1,500 for “being in a state of obvious intoxication while carrying a firearm or bow while hunting”, which would rise to €3,000 for anyone convicted more than once.

Do you agree with banning hunting at weekends? Share your views in the comments section below

• Sareen Habeshian,
• Nathan Bomey
• https://www.axios.com/2025/02/08/bird-flu-eggs-chickens

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The escalating bird flu crisis is ravaging the nation’s supply of eggs, leading to increased prices and low-to-no stock at grocery stores, while chicken supply appears largely unchanged.

The big picture: The hens that lay eggs are not the same as the chickens raised for consumption.

• Broiler chickens, raised for meat, are completely different from layer hens raised to lay eggs, according to Tom Super of the National Chicken Council, which represents the country’s chicken producers.
• “They’re raised on different farms in completely different industries,” Super told Axios.

Zoom in: Egg-laying hens typically start laying eggs after around 18 weeks, at which point they can stay productive for a year or longer, said Matt Sutton-Vermeulen, a supply chain expert on eggs, milk and meat for management consultancy Kearney.

• Broiler chickens, on the other hand, are typically led to the slaughterhouse after anywhere from six to eight weeks, he told Axios.
• “It’s a whole different cycle,” Sutton-Vermeulen said. “You don’t have the pressure of time that they can be exposed to the virus.”

Between the lines: This helps explain why Tyson Foods recently projected a 2% increase in its chicken production for its 2025 fiscal year even as the bird flu ravages egg production.

• The company said its chicken business turned in its best performance in eight quarters in the latest three-month period on an adjusted operating income basis.
• Tyson also says it has a strong biosecurity plan to protect its operations from the bird flu.

Yes, but: Chickens have also been susceptible to the bird flu, just not to the same extent.

• Between Feb. 8, 2022, and Jan. 29, 2025, less than .0005% of all broiler production in the U.S. was impacted by the bird flu, per data from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA.
• The age of the chicken, geographic region and relation to migrant bird flyways can affect its susceptibility to avian influenza, Super said. Biosecurity on farms and different housing styles could also be factors.

More from Axios:

• Waffle House adds egg surcharge, citing bird flu-fueled shortage
• Egg shortages, higher prices spike as bird flu grows
• Bird flu causing egg prices to soar to new record high

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Go deeper

• Kate Murphy,
• Kelly Tyko,
• Nathan Bomey

Jan 23, 2025

–Axios San Diego

Bird flu is causing an egg-istential crisis

Bird flu is to blame for the elevated egg prices, rations and empty shelves at local grocery stores.

The big picture: A growing outbreak of avian influenza has affected nearly 13 million birds in the last 30 days, according to USDA data, and it’s causing a nationwide egg shortage.

Go deeper (1 min. read)

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• Nathan Bomey,
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Jan 21, 2025 –Business

Egg shortages, higher prices spike as bird flu grows

The escalating bird flu crisis is ravaging the nation’s supply of eggs, leading to increased prices and presenting an immediate challenge for the Trump administration.

Why it matters: An outbreak of avian influenza is growing and has affected nearly 13 million birds in the last 30 days, according to USDA data.

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Feb 4, 2025 –Business

Bird flu fallout: Waffle House ushers in the era of the egg surcharge

Diana Logan

February 8, 2025 at 5:56 AM

I grew up in Florida, and we heard a lot about the severely endangered Florida Panther back then. The number of cats left in the wild during the 1970s may have been as low as twenty, but thanks to concerted conservation efforts, the population has rebounded slightly—to about two hundred individuals. However, they are still at extremely low numbers and their survival is not guaranteed.

One place you can still find a population of wild Florida Panthers is in the Big Cypress Basin east of Naples, Florida. One area has been designated the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, and it is here there you can sometimes catch a glimpse of this rare and elusive animal, such as in this video of a Florida Panther and her two cubs crossing a flooded stream.

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In the video, a Florida Panther named Broketail is navigating the flooded waterways of her swampy home with her latest litter of cubs. Broketail was born in 2012 and is named that for her notably crooked tail. She has successfully raised many litters in the refuge and is often seen on wildlife cameras successfully navigating the wilderness underpasses and overpasses that have been installed to help these creatures avoid the perils of Florida roads and highways. Vehicle collision is one of the major dangers for the few Florida panthers left in the wild, and refuges and safe passage systems have been instrumental in stopping their utter annihilation.

Related: National Geographic Reveals Sad News About the State of Wild Panthers in Florida

A Family Journey for Florida Panthers

In the clip, Broketail is seen approaching a deep stream, then making a huge leap across it, while her two cubs wander around, looking for an alternative route. Eventually, their mother calls to them, with allow, rumbling growl. (Make sure to turn your sound up to catch it!)

Life in the Big Cypress Swamp is filled with these kinds of explorations, as the water level, and thus the best ways through the swamp, change significantly throughout the season. Like Broketail, her cubs will need to learn the best ways to navigate not only the basin and the changing river courses in their refuge home, but also how to choose the wilderness crossing that help them avoid dangerous traffic.

The Future of the Florida Panther

The subspecies of the Florida Panther remains every bit as endangered as it ever was, but the classification system around North American Cougars has changed significantly since I was younger. What were once considered regional subspecies of cougar all over the country, from the Florida Panther in Florida to the now extinct mountain lions of Pennsylvania, now all North American Cougar species are considered variations on the same animal, like regional variations on a brown bear (Grizzly, Kodiak, etc.)

The Florida Panther has survived where so many of its sister cougars have not given a massive conservation effort. We should keep up the good work.

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