Open meeting
The Madonie Park Council , meeting in open session, unanimously approved the request to the President of the Sicilian Region to declare a state of emergency due to the increasingly problematic presence of deer and wild boar. This situation now affects not only wildlife management, but also ecosystem protection, agriculture, healthcare, and safety. Representatives of the municipalities of Petralia Sottana, Polizzi Generosa, Geraci Siculo, Cefalù, Castelbuono, Isnello, Collesano, San Mauro Castelverde, Castellana Sicula, Petralia Soprana, Pollina, and Caltavuturo participated in the meeting. The Mayor of Gangi and President of the Park, Giuseppe Ferrarello, represented the Metropolitan City of Palermo. Also present were the IRF – Palermo, Forestry Corps Command, with the Departmental Forestry Inspector, Dr. Ciro Pedrotti; The Department of Rural and Territorial Development – Service 3 “Land Wildlife Management,” with Dario Catalanotto, the regional coordinator of the Extraordinary Wildlife Plan, and officials Biagio Sabatino, Pippo Di Noto, Maurizio Sperandeo, and Giovanni Misseri. Dr. Santino Barreca, Head of Veterinary Prevention, spoke on behalf of the ASP Palermo – DS 35 of Petralia Sottana.
The participants
The Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Sicily – Palermo was represented by its president, Dr. Maria Barreca, its director general, Prof. Francesca Di Gaudio, and the scientific coordinator of the Suidi and Faini Plans, Dr. Egidio Mallia. The mayor of Castelbuono and president of the GAL Madonie, Mario Cicero, acknowledged the contribution of the selective controllers and emphasized the need for joint action: "If interventions are undertaken jointly, results can be achieved; alone, we won't get anywhere. Today, we must find a solution, without controversy and speculation. Let's coordinate."
Renewal of the Daini Plan
President Giuseppe Ferrarello then outlined the initiatives already underway by the Park Authority: from the renewal of the Deer Plan to the expansion of the number of game controllers, to the resources obtained from the Regional Department of Land and Environment (ARTA) for damage compensation since 2020 and for reimbursement of expenses related to non-toxic projectiles. There are currently 224 game controllers. Dr. Ciro Pedrotti indicated the potential pool of employable personnel at approximately 800, including PRIO operators. The issue of animal management after slaughter also remains central. Dario Catalanotto highlighted the need to standardize training and procedures for evisceration, health sampling, refrigerated transport, delivery, and slaughter, in order to establish a controlled and traceable supply chain. In this context, the Gangi slaughterhouse, authorized to handle game and equipped with refrigerated facilities, represents a key point of reference. The Park Authority has acquired the relevant ATECO code.
The destination of the carcasses
Biagio Sabatino, head of rural development for the Upper Madonie, also addressed the destination of carcasses, which, with authorization from the ASP, can be left on site to feed vultures. However, as President Ferrarello emphasized, "they can also be used for personal consumption or for charity, as is already the case with deer meat, thanks to an agreement with Biagio Conte's Missione Speranza e Carità." On the environmental front, Pippo Di Noto reported damage to the Abies nebrodensis, experimental areas, and flora of interest such as the astragalus. In thermophilic forests, suidae activity affects leaf litter and the surface layers of the soil, impacting vegetation regeneration. In the C zones of the Park, damage to crops, terraces, and walls has also been reported, while in the Lower Madonie, wildlife is increasingly moving closer to residential areas. The mayor of Cefalù highlighted the issue of safety in particular.
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Possible intervention methods
Scientific coordinator Dr. Egidio Mallia emphasized the need to update the management plans, developed approximately ten years ago, in light of the current fauna distribution, indicating possible intervention methods, including capture using large enclosures. Dr. Maria Barreca, President of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Sicily, confirmed the Institute's willingness to collaborate on the training and definition of the supply chain. Director General Prof. Francesca Di Gaudio highlighted health and nutritional aspects and the possibility of using some of the Institute's facilities as collection centers. The need to digitize data to ensure traceability and monitoring was also highlighted. Councilor Antonio Gaetano Bellavia, Councilor of the Municipality of Polizzi Generosa, requested a meeting with the Region to secure extraordinary funding, also mentioning possible resources from the ARS (Regional Regional Assembly) surplus.
Extraordinary resources
After reviewing the report from the "Tutela Madonie" Social Promotion Association, the Park Council unanimously approved the proposal from President Ferrarello and Councilor Generosa Bellavia, representing the Municipality of Polizzi. The proposal was to request the President of the Sicilian Region to declare a state of emergency and, at the same time, allocate extraordinary resources for wildlife monitoring, updating management plans, and strengthening facilities, addressing environmental and agricultural damage and health and safety concerns. "I thank everyone who participated in this discussion for their professionalism, expertise, and willingness to help. But today, simply acknowledging the gravity of the problem is no longer enough: we must act. The situation in the Madonie Mountains has become too serious to be addressed with ordinary tools. More resources are needed. This is why we are confidently turning to the Sicilian Region. I am confident that this time too, it will support the Madonie communities with decisions, resources, and interventions commensurate with the severity of the emergency," declared Park President Giuseppe Ferrarello at the conclusion of the meeting (source: Madonie Park Authority).
