They have the gift of raising the hair of environmentalists but delight the shepherds of Couserans. Of them signed decrees Monday by Sylvie Feucher, the prefect of Ariège, again authorizes the agents of the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) to carry out non-lethal shots to scare bears in two summer pastures, those of Ustou-col d ‘Escots and Arreau. These decisions are taken while the administrative court of Toulouse has just canceled the previous decrees less than a week ago.
The process shocks the association One Voice. “The very existence of these decrees is so much spit thrown in the face of Justice”, she is indignant in a press release, which simply asks for the resignation of the representative of the State. One Voice also announces its intention to attack the arrested in summary. But the latter authorize scaring during the next two nights, which leaves little time to challenge them.
This new controversy comes as a “rock drop”, the massive fall of a herd from the top of a rocky peak, killed around fifty sheep in the Ariège Couserans ten days ago. According to pastoral sources, OFB agents would have found bear droppings on the spot.