Overview

• The suspended late‑August decree had authorized netting known as pantes in Gironde, Landes, Lot‑et‑Garonne and Pyrénées‑Atlantiques from 1 October to 20 November.
• The court’s interim decision follows petitions from LPO and One Voice, which argue the species has declined by roughly 25% in France over two decades.
• The ruling reiterates that cultural practice does not meet the strict conditions for derogations under the directive transposed into French environmental law.
• The ecological ministry said it will defend the measure on the merits, contending the captures target migrating, non‑nesting birds in limited numbers and aid monitoring.
• Hunting by shooting remains permitted, and the case continues a series of interventions on traditional bird‑hunting methods since 2021.