A difficult daily life
«That of the Lupo English: It is a serious problem that many of our farms experience on a daily basis. Often these are small businesses, but they make a fundamental contribution to the entire community in terms of enhancing and protecting the territories. We believe that their appeals and requests for help should be listened to, otherwise we risk repeating the mistake made with the wild boars. When years ago, only Coldiretti was the first to launch appeals, there was no response and now we are experiencing the consequences of African Swine Fever, which broke out precisely because of the uncontrolled proliferation of these animals, already responsible for the destruction of crops and road accidents, unfortunately also fatal ones. " Words of Roberto Gallizioli, director of Coldiretti Piacenza, who intervenes on the subject of the presence of the wolf in our territory. "The situation that our members report every day is very serious, wolf attacks cause the death of thousands of sheep, goats, calves and lambs every year with massacres in farms that are causing the collapse of the internal and mountain areas, worsening the risk of abandonment of these areas. Without forgetting the many domestic animals, dogs and cats, also torn to pieces in the Piacenza area".
Resident safety
According to the Life WolfAlps Eu study, there are more than 3.300 wolves in Italy, of which 950 in the Alpine regions and almost 2.400 along the rest of the peninsula. Sightings in the Piacenza area are also daily and with them the concern that Coldiretti shares with the inhabitants grows, also for their own safety. "These data - explains Adriano Fortinelli, head of wildlife at Coldiretti Piacenza - demonstrate that the wolf is no longer at risk of extinction while the danger of the disappearance of the human presence from the mountains and inland areas increases - and every year we unfortunately see evidence of this with the closure of companies and farms - with devastating effects on the economy and employment of these territories, but also on the hydrogeological structure. Without the constant maintenance work ensured by agricultural companies, environmental degradation increases, bringing with it landslides and floods, made even more devastating by the effects of climate change".
Protection of the species
Even the Permanent Committee of the Bern Convention has expressed its opinion on the issue of protection for the wolf, which has changed the protection status of the wolf from a “strictly protected” species to a “protected” species. According to the new classification, it is no longer necessary to maintain the highest category of protection for the species. As soon as the modification of the international treaty comes into force – explains Coldiretti Piacenza – on 7 March 2025, the European Commission will be able to propose a legislative amendment to adapt the Habitats Directive, which will have to be adopted by the European Parliament and the Council. “While the European Union is finally realizing the seriousness of the problem – comments Gallizioli – we trust that there will be greater sensitivity in the territory. Coldiretti stands alongside farmers and breeders who are experiencing a serious and real problem and who often cannot even prove the predation of their animals, as wolves also make the carcasses disappear. In addition to the damage, the mockery of not being able to ascertain it”. This is confirmed by the story of some breeders from the middle and upper Valtrebbia associated with Coldiretti: «In some areas we have our cattle grazing from May to October and every year we suffer more and more terrible predations of our calves, unrecognized because the predatory wolves make the prey disappear or leave remains that are not identified. It is a situation that is constantly worsening, we see packs with ten specimens roaming, they are scary and we need to raise awareness». On the subject of wolves, Coldiretti has been active since the first reports to institutions and competent bodies and now highlights the seriousness of the situation: «We need – concludes the director – concrete and urgent interventions».
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