Luxembourg Explores Hunting Reform to Support Climate-Resilient Forests

Luxembourg's Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity has reported that the second "Bësch- a Juegddësch" meeting took place recently.

On Thursday 19 June 2025, Luxembourg's Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Serge Wilmes, brought together key stakeholders from the forestry, agricultural and hunting sectors for the second “Bësch- a Juegddësch” meeting. The aim of this initiative is to jointly develop a coherent and balanced strategy aligning forest and wildlife management practices in order to support the development of climate-resilient forests.

The ministry said this initiative marks a key step toward ensuring forests can regenerate naturally and continue to fulfil their ecological and economic roles while preserving rich and stable biodiversity.

Stakeholders emphasised the need to update the legal framework governing hunting and identified several areas of agreement. A broad consensus emerged around permitting night hunting, clarifying the rights and responsibilities of involved parties and strengthening dialogue among all stakeholders.

“The forest is an extremely sensitive ecosystem that provides many essential services, such as acting as a water reservoir and carbon sink, making it a key ally in the fight against climate change. Forest and hunting go hand in hand. Balanced hunting plays a decisive role in preserving the forest’s natural balance and securing its future,” stated Minister Wilmes.

The Ministry reported that stakeholders welcomed several additional measures, including relaxing rules on game baiting, introducing a weighted voting system based on ownership share within syndicates, strengthening forest damage monitoring and improving continuous hunter training. They also identified forest access by hikers and other leisure users, both during the day and at night, especially during hunting periods - as an important issue to address further.

Other discussion points, such as the reduction of hunting lease durations, will remain on the agenda, with further dialogue planned to reach a compromise proposal to be submitted to the minister.

At the end of the meeting, stakeholders acknowledged the efforts made by hunters in recent years to significantly increase the number of animals harvested. They noted that this has actively contributed to regulating wildlife populations and maintaining the forest-wildlife balance.