A law to change
Sergio Berlato, MEP of Fratelli d'Italia-Ecr and number one of the Association for Rural Culture, was interviewed by Il Secolo d'Italia. Here are the statements made by the Honorable Member: “With the proposal to amend the national law on hunting, we aim to include the concept of "hunts by period and by species". It means defining time spans within which the species considered to be in a good state of conservation at European level and abundantly present on the national territory can be taken. The hunting must in no way negatively affect the state of conservation of the species. Hunting in Italy must not be conceived as an element of damage or destruction but as an indispensable element to ensure correct management of the fauna and natural habitats. A recent study by the European Environment Agency shows that hunting affects the conservation status of animals by only 0,6 percent. The impact on the ecosystem caused by other factors such as pollution, overbuilding and the destruction of natural habitats is quite different".
The role of hunting
Berlato then added: “The second qualifying point is «respect for the local uses, customs and traditions of the individual Italian regions, sometimes very different from region to region but no less deserving of equal respect for this. We want to remind you that hunting is an important and irreplaceable part of our history, our culture and our traditions which is exercised by people with a perfectly clean criminal record who, through wise management, guarantee a balance between the various species of wildlife, guaranteeing the compatibility of the fauna itself with human activities".
The bearers of rural culture
Finally, the honorable concluded: “Thanks to the work carried out in synergy between all the bearers of rural culture, i.e. by farmers, breeders, fishermen, hunters and the proactive and non-fundamental part of the environmentalist world, we have seen remarkable results for the benefit of the ecosystem with a consistent increase in wildlife, both huntable and non-huntable. To make our concept better understood, we want to use a well-known example in rural culture: the faunal heritage is like a fruit tree which, in order to produce luxuriant fruit, must be subject to continuous maintenance and interventions by expert hands. The fruit tree must be kept free from weeds, it must be watered when needed, but above all it must be pruned. Hunting - he concludes - represents an indispensable balanced pruning action for the wildlife heritage made by expert hands, thanks to which the fruit tree will guarantee luxuriant fruits not only for the present but also for future generations".