The proposal of the Democratic Party
It is absolutely necessary to mitigate the conflict between wolves and agricultural activities in the territories. Cia-Agricoltori Italiani therefore welcomes the Democratic Party law proposal on prevention and compensation for damage caused by predation, in order to preserve livestock activities from the dangers of failure to manage wild fauna. The provision provides for three key interventions: the preparation of a capture and management plan to combat wolf hybridization processes; the creation of a state fund for compensation for direct and indirect damage to businesses and the establishment of a further fund aimed at preventing predator attacks. For Cia, the attention dedicated to combating the phenomenon of wolf-dog hybridization is positive, as it safeguards the purity of the wolf species and strongly limits the dispersion of wandering wild dogs across the territory.
The words of Cristiano Fini
For the CIA president, Cristiano Fini: "It is necessary to increase preventive activity and containment measures to avoid overpopulation of the wolf, to protect the livestock sector and rural communities, as well as the faunal peculiarities of our territories". In the proposal, the attention paid to compensation for indirect and indirect damages suffered by companies is essential to avoid the closure of farms and the consequent abandonment of the territories, which would cause environmental, economic and employment damage. “For this reason it will be necessary to further raise the ceiling for European aid under the de minimis regime, a strong limit on obtaining compensation for agricultural companies,” continues Fini. President Fini also considers the decision of the EU Commission to be positive - after having collected data from all member countries - a possible modification of the protection status of the wolf, with the aim of updating the measures that allow the prevention of attacks on livestock.
Packs of wolves
Ursula von der Leyen also expressed her opinion on the matter: "The concentration of wolf packs in some European regions has become a real danger for livestock and potentially also for humans." “The protection of an animal species - recalls Fini - must also take into account the sustainability of farming, especially sheep and goat farming, which sees flocks constantly under attack and companies without adequate compensation. Serious responsible action is urgently needed, both in respect of the environment and wild animals, and towards breeders and farmers, the true custodians of the territory" (source: CIA).