The Lombardy Region has published a decree concerning the authorization to pigeon control (or city pigeon ") to prevent damage to agriculture. Control that will be carried out through "hunting sampling", in the period 20 September 2020 - 20 January 2021. The maximum number of animals that can be killed is 20.000 and have been authorized for control 600 hunters, against 736 requests for authorization. The exceptions to hunting have been approved by the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research. “The city pigeon is a species that creates massive damage to fields of wheat, sunflower, corn, barley, pea, rice and soy - recalled the Lombard regional councilor for agriculture, nutrition and green systems Fabio Rolfi - Moreover, it carries a health risk in farms.
Since we are one of the first livestock regions in Europe we can't take any chances. Pigeons can host a number of pathogens of various kinds that can be transmitted by air and beyond ». In Lombardy the amount of damage ascertained to agricultural production by the city pigeon was 932.000 euros between the 2004 and the 2019. In order not to exceed the total maximum limit of animals that can be taken, each hunter authorized to control the city pigeon may take a number not exceeding 33 total animals during the allowed period and a number of daily animals not exceeding 30.
«Lombardy is the first agricultural region of Italy and agriculture must also be defended through an increasingly close alliance between the agricultural and hunting world - added the commissioner Rolfi - In our region the primary sector employs over 230 thousand people and we intend to take every possible action to enhance our system agri-food, which will be the main protagonist of the economic restart". Number of authorized hunters by province: Bergamo 67, Brescia 227, Como 18, Cremona 19, Lecco 2, Lodi 12, Mantova 132, Milan 88, Monza Brianza 17, Pavia 13, Varese 5 (Varese News).