The hunt for the fox is a long-drawn-out legal battle between the province and nature organizations.
In the summer of 2020, the Provincial Executive of Utrecht granted an exemption to the fauna management unit. As a result, the predator was allowed to be hunted at night in certain areas in the province.
Nature organizations appealed against this exemption and in February 2022 the court ruled in favor of the organizations: the province had to adjust their decision. In June 2022, the province wanted the judge to suspend that ruling. That didn’t happen. Subsequently, the province took a new decision, with adjustments to the substantiation. Furthermore, the province maintains that foxes may be hunted. And that exemption will take effect tonight – May 3.
The province’s argument for hunting foxes is that they endanger the meadow bird. The nature organizations are challenging this again and are asking the Council of State for a so-called order measure. That means they want the hunt stopped until the judge comes with a final ruling.