The red fox and the European pine marten have been classified by various organizations from multiple European Union countries as harmful animals to humans and ecosystems. However, today they are actually protecting agriculture.
Accordingly, the French Mammal Research and Protection Association (SFEPM) has lobbied and provided ample evidence to ensure that the red fox and the European pine marten are no longer considered harmful species.
Instead, they have been placed on the list of “potentially damaging species” (ESOD).
According to SFEPM, French law stipulates that “certain species of carnivorous mammals that are harmful to life and the environment are allowed to be hunted and culled to reduce damage to agriculture, forestry, livestock, biodiversity, and health risks.”
Predators harmful to agriculture but now they help in pest control. (Illustration: Ondrej Rosicky).
However, society has changed, and these animals are no longer on the list of threatened species. When they were considered harmful, it meant that humans had the right to hunt and consume them.
Unjust Reputation
These mammals have been “demonized” for centuries as destroyers of chicken coops, spreading pathogens that pose risks to agriculture and certain livestock.
They often hunt and consume birds, insects, and rodents.
In reality, these animals have protected agricultural crops from pests, helping farmers reduce pesticide use.
Meanwhile, the European pine marten also preys on rodents, playing a role in regulating the ecosystem and protecting agricultural fields.
On the other hand, the organization also mentioned that the damages they could cause to livestock can easily be avoided by building fences or sealing off any gaps they could sneak through to enter farms.
No Longer a Health Risk
As for health risks, especially those attributed to foxes or martens, these have become increasingly irrelevant in today’s life.
The French Environment Agency points out that red foxes are no longer intermediaries for transmitting rabies to humans.
“In 2001, fox rabies (vulpine) was eradicated, with the last known case occurring in 1998,” the organization stated.
According to a study conducted in 2017 by the French Royal Society, red foxes and martens are insectivores and may even represent an effective weapon to reduce the risk of tick-borne infections like Lyme disease.
