FR: the rock ptarmigan and the capercaillie soon to be protected species; "a major step forward" (LPO)

The Ministry of Ecological Transition's proposal to classify the rock ptarmigan and capercaillie as protected species represents "a major step forward for mountain biodiversity", declared the LPO (Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux) on 03/04/2026.

The association welcomes Monique Barbut's announcement to open consultations on this issue at a meeting of the French National Biodiversity Council on 02/04.

The association, along with WWF France, France Nature Environnement, Humanités et Biodiversité and the Société nationale de protection de la nature, welcomes "the end of a persistent inconsistency consisting of authorising the hunting of species whose conservation status is unfavourable".

The LPO points out that the rock ptarmigan exists in France only in the Alps and the Pyrenees, "in the form of isolated and fragile populations. Since the middle of the 20^th century, the number of communes where it is present has fallen by 33% in the Alps and 21% in the Pyrenees.

The capercaillie, meanwhile, "has suffered a spectacular decline in France. In the Pyrenees, its numbers have fallen by almost…