An attitude that leaves one perplexed
Browsing social media these days, one can see a strong wave of negativity from a hunting association regarding the new Regional Wildlife and Hunting Plan for Tuscany, recently approved by the Regional Council and now before the Council for final approval. This attitude is perplexing. Only last summer, the same association's press releases regarding the same Plan were completely opposite: enthusiastic and proud of the active role it played in drafting the document. What prompted this sudden reversal? To understand more, AB – Agrivenatoria Biodiversitalia took a close look at the Plan. The document is extensive, but the key part is Annex 2 ("Planning Document"). From the online comments, it's clear that few have read it carefully. Yet, to make this easier, the differences from the text adopted by the Council are clearly highlighted in yellow. All it took was a quick read. As AB, we proposed some changes through the channels made available by the Region, some of which were accepted.
Changes to the Plan: What's Really Changing?
The section that has undergone the most significant changes is the preamble. The additions and deletions may not be to everyone's liking, but ultimately they have no practical impact on wildlife management. Once this formal hurdle has been overcome, an objective fact emerges: the further changes to the text were requested by the Hunting Associations and the ATCs. At the meeting convened by President Giani on June 1, 2026, it was publicly demonstrated that most of the comments incorporated by the Council were those proposed by the hunting community (as shown in the Summary Declaration – Attachment 9).
The Natura 2000 Network node and the opinion of the NURV
The other changes stem from the mandatory opinion of the NURV (Unified Regional Evaluation Unit), which confirmed the Plan's compliance with European and national environmental regulations. The opinion focuses on Natura 2000 sites. There has been much misinformation on this point:
The fake news: The press releases mention “over 848.000 hectares” of protected land.
The reality: Tuscany is home to 158 Natura 2000 Network sites (including SCIs, SCAs, and SPAs) and 14 SIRs. Net of overlaps, the actual area is approximately 327.000 hectares, or just 14% of the region's total territory.
The idea of managing the interior of these protected sites as if they were ordinary hunting grounds is completely unreasonable under European law. Already today, a new hunting post or dog show in these areas requires an Environmental Impact Assessment (VIncA). The Plan merely implements existing European regulations.
The Wildlife Hunting Plan in detail: 5 key points
To clarify and avoid unjustified alarmism, here is a schematic summary of what the text provides on the most pressing issues:
1. Lead Use in Wetlands (pp. 121, 214)
The text simply incorporates national legislation and Regulation (EU) 2021/57, which has been included in the Tuscan hunting calendar for two years. Law 166/2024 requires wetlands to be identified on a cartographic basis by the competent Ministries (MASE and MASAF); pending these maps, nothing changes from the current situation.
2. Review of public and private institutions (page 29)
For reserves and institutions that fall (even partially) within or border Natura 2000 sites, proposals for new establishments, revocation, or modifications to their perimeter will be subject to an appropriate assessment. This is nothing new: this was a requirement in the past as well.
3. Fixed Posts (p. 57): A Historic Success
This is the point that has sparked the most controversy, when in reality it represents a victory for Tuscan hunters. For the first time, even in Natura 2000 areas and in historically restrictive provinces (such as Lucca), the "change of ownership" of fixed hides (from father to son, between friends, etc.) is guaranteed. This ensures the safety of thousands of hides.
Regarding numerical limits:
A limit of 0,8 posts per km2 has been introduced only in Natura 2000 Network areas.
The blocking of new stakeouts is triggered only when this parameter is exceeded.
There are only 19 areas above the threshold in the entire region and in any case the existing posts in these areas are not at risk of being decommissioned.
4. Wild boar hunt (page 84)
It's important to clarify that we're talking about control activities (pursuant to art. 37 of Regional Law 3/94) and not ordinary hunting (for which absolutely nothing changes). The Plan provides for controlled hunting in Natura 2000 areas from March 1st to August 31st, subject to an impact assessment. The rest of the control activities do not require it.
5. Hunting Calendar and Key Concepts
The NURV provisions do not contain any significant prohibitions or limitations, but rather guidelines to be implemented within an indefinite period (e.g., increasing the number of protected areas), or activities that require an impact assessment to be carried out, as is already the case today. There are also warnings, for example, to follow national/European regulations, the most striking example of which is the recommendation to "refer" to the "Key Concepts document on Period of Reproduction and Prenuptial Migration of Huntable Bird Species in the EU" (2021) and the European Migration Atlas (2022), something the Tuscany Region has already been doing for years.
Conclusions: Constructive criticism or political attack?
If you think carefully, you might think the recent scathing criticism stems from a hasty and superficial reading of the technical documents. If you think badly, however, you suspect it's a politically motivated attack.
A game that risks proving counterproductive for hunters themselves. The 2026 Tuscan Wildlife and Hunting Plan, while still capable of improvement like all things, has the great merit of having secured and legally safeguarded wildlife management and hunting in Tuscany for the coming years, protecting it from future appeals. It would be enough to simply read the texts before condemning them (source: AB – Agrivenatoria Biodiversitalia).
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