Where is the phenomenon concentrated?
They are among the main factors in the degradation of riverbanks, causing damage to agricultural crops and altering wetland ecosystems. Coypus continue to represent one of the most significant wildlife emergencies in the Veneto region , where in the last year alone, control interventions have led to the culling of between 60.000 and 65.000 individuals out of an estimated population of 800.000-1.000.000 animals. The phenomenon remains concentrated primarily in the provinces of Verona, which alone accounts for 53% of regional culls, and Rovigo (33%), followed by Venice (9%) and Padua (3%), while Belluno and Treviso together account for the remaining 2%. It is against this backdrop that the Region, ANBI Veneto and Provincial Police are taking a new step in their plan to contain the species, presenting an IT system that digitizes and accelerates the entire authorization process for interventions in the area.
New phase for the project
One year after the launch of the experimental agreement between the Region and the ten Land Reclamation Consortia in Veneto, the project is entering a new phase: thanks to a platform developed within the Land Reclamation Consortia Information System, volunteer controllers will be able to request, receive, and manage authorizations directly from their smartphones, while Provincial Police will have a single monitoring and coordination environment. The goal is to drastically reduce the time currently elapsed between reporting and intervention, while maintaining all necessary safety controls. "Coypu management is measured not only by the number of kills, but above all by the ability to intervene quickly when a problem arises," emphasizes Regional Councilor Dario Bond. "The new platform was created precisely to eliminate downtime, immediately connect volunteers and Provincial Police, and make a system that involves many different stakeholders more effective. It's an investment in organization even before it's in technology."
Critic situation
"The Land Reclamation Consortia are making themselves available to the Region to address a problem that directly affects agriculture and the safety of all citizens," adds Alex Vantini, president of ANBI Veneto. "The tunnels and burrows dug by these animals cause the degradation and collapse of riverbanks, putting residential areas and rural areas at risk. The situation is also critical for roads: the summit roads are at real risk, as are those who travel them, especially agricultural vehicles. This is an issue that must be addressed decisively and promptly, especially given the profound negative impact and ecological damage this presence is causing to our ecosystems." The agreement approved by the Region in 2025 provided an annual allocation of €500.000 for the three-year period 2025-2027, for a total investment of €1,5 million, giving the Land Reclamation Consortia an increasingly central operational role in controlling the species.
The territories most affected
In the first year of operation, resources were allocated primarily to the areas most affected by coypu presence, particularly Verona and Rovigo. At the same time, the Consortia established operational teams, organized the logistics for carcass collection and disposal, finalized agreements with the Territorial Hunting Areas, and launched the first control interventions. "The first year was primarily a year of building the organizational network," Bond emphasizes. "Now that network is becoming more efficient thanks to a digital tool that allows us to involve a greater number of qualified operators and provide much faster responses." The new system maintains the central role of the Provincial Police, who are responsible for evaluating each request, verifying safety conditions, and authorizing interventions or intervening directly in the most sensitive cases. Communication between operators and the competent authorities is thus virtually instantaneous, significantly reducing the time between reporting the presence of coypus and the actual control action. In a subsequent phase, the platform will be further implemented, also allowing citizens to submit reports directly, thus expanding the local monitoring network.
What favors the spread
The spread of coypu in Veneto is favored by the region's dense network of waterways. Native to South America and introduced to Italy in the last century for fur farming, the species has gradually become naturalized, reaching very high densities. In addition to damaging agricultural crops, their burrowing activity compromises the stability of irrigation canal and waterway banks, increasing flood risk and requiring ongoing maintenance. "The challenge is to build a stable and structured control system, not sporadic interventions," concludes Bond. "We have already allocated the entire three-year funding because we are convinced that technological innovation and collaboration between institutions are essential to effectively address a problem affecting water safety, agriculture, and land protection." (Source: Veneto Region)
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