Hunting: Tuscany, a regional resolution changes the hunting of ungulates, highly critical areas have been established with particular actions to contain "problematic" ungulates.
On May 5, 2014, the Tuscany Region approved a resolution that effectively changes the hunting of ungulates on the regional territory with the establishment of highly critical areas within which particular actions to contain "problematic" ungulates will be implemented .
Below we publish an extract from the minutes of the session of May 5, 2014 N.373 proposed by the Councilor for Agriculture, Gianni Salvadori.
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Subject: Guidelines for the hunting wildlife management of ungulates in Tuscany and approval of 42 problem areas.
THE REGIONAL COUNCIL
GIVEN the Berne Convention (Berne 1979) which defines cervids and bovids as “protected fauna species but their exploitation is allowed as long as it is regulated;
GIVEN the Habitats Directive (92/43 / EEC of 21 May 1992) which reaffirms the principles of the Berne Convention relating to ungulates;
GIVEN the Convention on biodiversity (Rio de Janeiro 1992) which develops the concept of biodiversity and admits the sustainable use of its components by establishing the general principles of its conservation and promotes research as a useful tool to guarantee the conservation and sustainable use of environmental resources;
GIVEN the law 11 February 1992, n. 157 “Regulations for the protection of homeothermic wildlife and for hunting”;
GIVEN the regional law of Tuscany 12 January 1994, n. 3 "Transposition of the law 11 February 1992, n.157" Rules for the protection of homeothermic wildlife and for hunting "and in particular article 4 which attributes to the Region the following functions that pertain to unitary needs on the territory regional: direction, coordination, control and regional planning;
HAVING REGARD to article 11-quaterdecies, paragraph 5, of law no. 2 “Conversion into law, with amendments, of the decree-law no. 2005, containing measures to combat tax evasion and urgent provisions on tax and financial matters "which states:" The regions and autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano, having heard the opinion of the National Institute for Wildlife or, if established , of the regional institutes, may, on the basis of adequate selective culling plans, distinguished by sex and age groups, regulate the selection collection of ungulates belonging to huntable species even outside the periods and times referred to in the law of 248 February 30, n. 2005. "
GIVEN the regional law of Tuscany 10 June 2002, n. 20 “Hunting calendar and amendments to the law of 12 January 1994, n. 3 (Transposition of the law 11 February 1992, n.157 "Rules for the protection of homeothermic wild fauna and for hunting) and in particular article 7, paragraph 6 which states:" In compliance with the indications contained in their wildlife hunting plans , the Provinces approve, after obtaining the opinion of ISPRA, selective killing plans for ungulates distinguished by sex and age group and indicating the sampling period in compliance with current legislation. ";
GIVEN the Dpgr 33 / r of 26 July 2011 “Implementation regulation of Regional Law 3 of 12 January 1994, n. 3 "Transposition of the law 11 February 1992, n. 157 “Rules for the protection of homeothermic wildlife and for hunting” and in particular articles 86 and following;
GIVEN the publication of the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) "Guidelines for the management of cervid and bovid ungulates" n. 91/2013;
CONSIDERING that the problem of overpopulation of ungulates, in particular of roe deer and wild boar, is particularly serious in the Tuscany Region, about 200.000 roe deer, as many wild boars, 8.000 fallow deer and 4.000 deer are estimated (throughout the region), we are practically the European region with the greatest presence of these species;
CONSIDERING that this situation is also due to the particular conformation of the territory, covered by woods and forests for more than 50%, as well as the favorable environmental quality for the fauna and in particular for the ungulates;
CONSIDERING that such high densities of large sedentary fauna constitute a serious risk for the maintenance of the natural balance of the territory, a real criticality for the protection of biodiversity with the danger of conservation of plant and animal species, some even particularly protected;
NOTING that these densities also pose serious management problems, given their ability to cause damage to crops and road accidents as shown by the data present in the Regional Wildlife Hunting Observatory;
CONSIDERING that the damage to agricultural crops recorded in Tuscany, as highlighted by the provinces and agricultural professional organizations, is serious for Tuscan agriculture since, being affected by the plains only for eight per cent of the territory, it mainly produces high quality and not quantity with a selected market. Therefore, damage to olive groves, vineyards, orchards and crops typical of Tuscan agriculture are particularly serious because they are closely linked to market losses;
GIVEN that in Tuscany there are 23.607 technical-economic units (UTE) with vineyards with an average area of 2,45 hectares, distributed in different percentages in all the provinces of the Region, and that more than half of the UTEs have a lower vineyard area to one hectare;
NOTING also the high qualitative level reached by the regional productions demonstrated by the presence of wines with denominations of origin (DOCG and DOC) corresponding to about 67% of the total vineyard areas in Tuscany;
NOTING also that viticulture represents a leading sector of the regional agricultural economy with an economic value recorded in 2012 of € 329 million, corresponding to 13% of the total value of crop and animal husbandry products;
CONSIDERING that the Tuscan situation constitutes a particularity in the national panorama given that the densities of ungulates present in the territory are similar to those in Austria and well above the national average of Italy and other European nations, as is clearly shown by the following graph extracted from the report by Prof. Marco Apollonio at the conference of 13 December 2013 entitled “Proposed strategies for the natural balance of the territory. Wild boars, roe deer, fallow deer, red deer and mouflons in Tuscany ";
HAVING CONSIDERED it appropriate to coordinate the hunting and hunting management of ungulates throughout the region to ensure an urgent and effective intervention that concretely protects the environmental balance of the territory and the Tuscan agricultural crops;
CONSIDERING it necessary to activate all forms of hunting envisaged for ungulate species, in a synergistic and organized manner by the ATC, mainly in the areas of the Tuscan territory qualified as problematic on the basis of the aforementioned document published by ISPRA "Guidelines for the management of cervid and ungulates bovidae "n. 91/2013;
CONSIDERING therefore that it is necessary to identify the problematic areas of Tuscany in accordance with the aforementioned document published by ISPRA;
DATE that 42 problematic areas have been identified in the Tuscan regional territory, that is areas in which "agriculture is strongly directed towards particularly sensitive crops" or "characterized by a high presence of anthropogenic infrastructures" in which it is desirable to maintain populations of ungulates. an extremely low density (target density indicated by ISPRA tending to 0);
GIVEN that the 42 problem areas of the Tuscany Region have also been identified at a cartographic level, mainly taking into consideration the following criteria: damage to crops recorded in recent years and georeferenced, land use, road network, anthropogenic infrastructures, agricultural crops and protected areas and represent a total of 470.982 hectares equal to about 23% of the entire regional territory;
NOTING that the individual problem areas have been identified following consultation with the competent provinces for the territory and the professional agricultural organizations;
GIVEN that in the province of Arezzo 5 problem areas have been identified that measure a total of 105.504 hectares as described below:
o Arezzo 1 (Casentino) measures 9.047 hectares and affects the municipalities of Pratovecchio-Stia, Poppi, Castel S. Niccolò, Ortignano Raggiolo, Bibbiena, Chiusi della Verna, Castel Focognano;
o Arezzo 2 (Cà Raffaello) measures 1.508 hectares and concerns the Municipality of Badia Tedalda;
o Arezzo 3 (Sestino) measures 3.105 hectares and affects the municipalities of Badia Tedalda and Sestino;
o Arezzo 4 (Valtiberina) measures 11.956 hectares and affects the Municipalities of Anghiari, Monterchi,
Pieve S. Stefano, Sansepolcro, Caprese Michelangelo;
o Arezzo 5 (Arezzo area) measures 105.888 hectares and affects the Municipalities of Castelfranco-
Piandiscò, Terranuova Bracciolini, San Giovanni Valdarno, Montevarchi, Cavriglia, Laterina,
Bucine, Castiglion Fibocchi, Arezzo, Pergine Valdarno, Monte S.Savino, Lucignano,
Arezzo, Subbiano, Capolona, Castiglion Fiorentino, Cortona.
In the aforementioned problem areas there are agricultural crops, especially vines, cereals, corn and forage, subject to damage caused mainly by the wild boar species which is also the cause of road accidents;
GIVEN that in the province of Florence 2 areas have been identified, which measure a total of 110.997 hectares as described below:
o Firenze 1 (Chianti) measures 97.521 hectares and affects the municipalities of Certaldo, Castelfiorentino, Impruneta, Florence, Greve in Chianti, Incisa-Figline Val d'Arno, Mercatale, Montespertoli, Panzano, Poggibonsi, San Casciano Val di Pesa, San Polo , Rignano sull'Arno, Strada in Chianti and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa;
o Firenze 2 (Pontassieve) measures 13.476 hectares and affects the Municipalities of Fiesole, Pelago,
Pontassieve and Rufina.
The aforementioned problem areas are characterized by the presence of valuable agricultural crops, especially vineyards, subject to damage caused mainly by the roe deer, wild boar and fallow deer species. The aforementioned ungulate species are also the cause of road accidents.
GIVEN that in the province of Grosseto 7 problematic areas have been identified that
they measure a total of 48.749 hectares as described below:
o Grosseto 1 measures 9.948 hectares and affects the municipalities of Follonica, Gavorrano, Masa
Marittima and Scarlino;
o Grosseto 2 measures 14.425 hectares and affects the municipalities of Castiglione della Pescaia and
Grosseto;
o Grosseto 3 measures 11.231 hectares and concerns the Municipality of Grosseto;
o Grosseto 4 measures 4.028 hectares and affects the municipalities of Castell'Azzara, Semproniano and
Sorano;
o Grosseto 5 measures 2.654 hectares and concerns the Municipality of Manciano;
o Grosseto 6 measures 4.501 hectares and concerns the Municipality of Pitigliano;
o Grosseto 7 measures 1.962 hectares and affects the municipalities of Cingano and Castel Del Piano.
The aforementioned problem areas are characterized by the presence of agricultural crops or by particular environmental connotations that make them unsuitable for an excessive presence of roe deer and wild boar.
GIVEN that in the province of Livorno 3 problem areas have been identified that measure a total of 46.083 hectares as described below:
o Livorno 1 (Northern Livorno) measures 22.317 hectares and affects the municipalities of Collesalvetti, Livorno and Rosignano Marittimo;
o Livorno 2 (South Livorno) measures 12.257 hectares and affects the municipalities of Campiglia Marittima, Piombino, San Vincenzo and Suvereto;
o Livorno 3 (Livorno Center) measures 11.509 hectares and affects the municipalities of Bibbona, Castagneto Carducci and Cecina.
The aforementioned problem areas are characterized by the presence of agricultural crops, especially cereals and forage, and by road, productive and tourist-recreational infrastructures that make them unsuitable for an excessive presence of wild boars. Ungulates are also the cause of many road accidents.
GIVEN that in the province of Lucca 7 problematic areas have been identified that measure a total of 30.192 hectares as described below:
o Lucca 1 (Corubbio) measures 78 hectares and affects the Municipality of Minacciano;
o Lucca 2 (La Fratta - Gragnana) measures 141 hectares and affects the Municipality of Piazza al
Serchio;
o Lucca 3 (Caprignana Valle) measures 126 hectares and affects the Municipalities of Piazza al Serchio and San Romano Garfagnana;
o Lucca 4 (Pianacci) measures 81 hectares and affects the Municipality of Villa Collemandina;
o Lucca 5 (Piana di Lucca) measures 7.237 hectares and concerns the Municipality of Lucca;
o Lucca 6 (Borgo a Mozzano) measures 4.199 hectares and affects the Municipality of Borgo a
mozzano;
o Lucca 7 (Pietrasanta) measures 18.330 hectares and affects the Municipality of Pietrasanta.
The aforementioned problem areas are characterized by the presence of agricultural crops, especially forage and cereals, and by a territorial context susceptible to hydrogeological instability that make them unsuitable for an excessive presence of wild boar.
GIVEN that in the province of Massa Carrara 4 problem areas have been identified that measure a total of 5.032 hectares as described below:
o Massa 1 (Pontremoli) measures 1.298 hectares and affects the Municipality of Pontremoli;
o Massa 2 (La Dorbola) measures 723 hectares and affects the Municipality of Aulla;
o Massa 3 (I Pilastri) measures 1.003 hectares and affects the Municipality of Fosdinovo;
o Massa 4 (Candia) measures 2.008 hectares and concerns the Municipality of Massa Carrara.
The aforementioned problem areas are characterized by the presence of agricultural crops, especially forage, but also prestigious vineyards, and by a territorial context susceptible to hydrogeological instability that make them unsuitable for an excessive presence of wild boar.
GIVEN that in the province of Pisa 2 problem areas have been identified that measure a total of 4.394 hectares as described below:
o Pisa 1 (Volterra) measures 2.270 hectares and affects the Municipality of Volterra;
o Pisa 2 (Pomarance) measures 2.124 hectares and affects the municipalities of Pomarance and Castelnuovo Valdicecina.
The aforementioned problem areas are characterized by the presence of agricultural crops, especially arable land and cereals, and by road infrastructures that make them unsuitable for an excessive presence of wild boars. Ungulates are also the cause of many road accidents.
GIVEN that in the province of Pistoia 4 problem areas have been identified that measure a total of 29.855 hectares as described below:
o Pistoia 1 (Montalbano) measures 5.567 hectares and affects the Municipalities of Monsummano Terme, Larciano, Lamporecchio, Quarrata and Serravalle Pistoiese
o Pistoia 2 (Pistoia plain) measures 10.989 hectares and affects the municipalities of Pistoia, Agliana, Montale, Quarrata and Serravalle Pistoiese;
o Pistoia 3 (Valdinievole) measures 12.029 hectares and affects the municipalities of Monsummano Terme, Pieve a Nievole, Montecatini Terme, Massa and Cozzile, Buggiano, Uzzano, Pescia, Ponte Buggianese, Chiesina Uzzanese, Larciano, Lamporecchio;
o Pistoia 4 (Fucecchio Marshes) measures 1.270 hectares and affects the Municipalities of Monsummano Terme, Pieve a Nievole, Ponte Buggianese, Chiesina Uzzanese, Larciano, Lamporecchio.
The aforementioned problem areas are characterized by the presence of agricultural crops, especially arable land, vines and olive trees, nurseries and floriculture as well as road infrastructures and heavily man-made areas that make them unsuitable for an excessive presence of ungulates. Ungulates are also the cause of many road accidents.
GIVEN that in the province of Siena 8 problem areas have been identified that measure a total of 90.176 hectares as described below:
o Siena 1 (Val di Cecina-Val di Feccia)) measures 14.552 hectares and affects the municipalities of Casole d'Elsa, Radicondoli and Chiusdino;
o Siena 2 (Chianti) measures 13.800 hectares and affects the municipalities of Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti and Monteriggioni;
o Siena 3 (Chianti) measures 13.200 hectares and affects the municipalities of Gaiole in Chianti and Castelnuovo Berardenga;
o Siena 4 (Montalcino) measures 15.800 hectares and affects the Municipality of Montalcino;
o Siena 5 (Valdichiana Nord) measures 9.214 hectares and affects the municipalities of Sinalunga, Trequanda and Torrita di Siena;
o Siena 6 (South Valdichiana) measures 15.010 hectares and affects the municipalities of Montepulciano, Chiusi and Chianciano Terme;
o Siena 7 (Castiglione d'Orcia) measures 4.690 hectares and affects the Municipality of Castiglione d'Orcia;
o Siena 8 (Rosia-Val di Merse) measures 3.910 hectares and affects the Municipality of Sovicille.
The aforementioned problem areas are characterized by the presence of valuable agricultural crops, especially vineyards, subject to damage caused mainly by ungulates. The aforementioned ungulate species are also the cause of road accidents.
GIVEN the maps relating to the areas described above (attachments 1 to 9) which form an integral and substantial part of this provision;
GIVEN the general summary cartography of all the problem areas of the Region (attachment 10),
CONSIDERING it appropriate to indicate specific hunting strategies to be implemented in the aforementioned problem areas, which must be organized by the Territorial Hunting Areas (ATC) on their own territory of competence;
GIVEN the document "Guidelines for the management of ungulates in Tuscany - hunting season 2014-2015" (attachment 11), indicated strategies and management methods relating to the ungulate species that the individual Provinces are required to implement in their own territory to guarantee a coordinated intervention hunting on the regional territory;
CONSIDERING that the Province, if it verifies the ineffectiveness of all preventive methods of damage to crops adopted in problem areas (prevention and hunting activities) with the consequent occurrence of damage, immediately activates the procedures for wildlife control;
GIVEN the opinion issued by ISPRA on 22 April 2014 prot. 0016978, filed with the Wildlife Hunting, Amateur Fishing, Environmental Policies Sector, which acknowledges "the relevant problems linked to the reported increase in damage caused by ungulates, in particular to agricultural production of significant economic value in the Region, and the urgent need to prevent and mitigate such impacts "
GIVEN the act that ISPRA expresses a favorable opinion on the general approach proposed while reserving the right to evaluate the adequacy of all the investigative material sent by the individual provinces in the coming weeks;
CONSIDERED the need to proceed to launch targeted wildlife control actions for the protection of Tuscan wine production to be carried out by 25 May 2014 in problem areas where damage prevention measures have given negative results;
With unanimous votes
RESOLUTION
1. to approve the problematic areas of Tuscany as described in the introduction and represented cartographically in annexes 1 to 10 which form an integral and substantial part of this deed;
2. to approve the document “Guidelines for the hunting wildlife management of ungulates in Tuscany - hunting season 2014-2015” (attachment 11) for the purpose of guiding the collection of ungulates coordinated in the next hunting season;
3. to invite the Provinces to initiate targeted wildlife control actions for the protection of Tuscan wine production to be carried out by 25 May 2014 in problem areas where damage prevention measures have given negative results.
From attachment 11 to Resolution No. 373 of 5 May 2014 "Guidelines for the hunting of ungulates in Tuscany Hunting season 20142015-XNUMX":
Premise
In Tuscany the presence of ungulate species is so widespread and numerically high as to constitute a serious risk for maintaining the natural balance of the territory, a real criticality for biodiversity with danger for the conservation of plant and animal species, some even particularly protected.
On the whole regional territory there are estimated about 200.000 roe deer, as many wild boars, 8.000 fallow deer and 4.000 deer, practically we are the European region with the highest presence of these species, also due to the particular conformation of the territory, covered by woods and forests for over 50 %, as well as the particularly favorable environmental quality for fauna and in particular for ungulates.
Certainly such high numbers also pose serious management problems, given their ability to cause damage to crops and road accidents, the latter constantly increasing. In particular, the roe deer appears to be constantly growing in numbers, going from 100.000 heads in 2004, registered in the hunting districts alone, thus excluding parks, protected areas and other faunal institutes, to 160.396 in 2012.
Faced with a situation of this type, described in detail through the data of the Regional Observatory, responsible and shared choices by the Public Administration are necessary to recover the balance of the territory and not further compromise the Tuscan environment. It is necessary to be aware of the fact that the phenomenon of the increase of ungulates, present in all European countries, in Italy is affected by a national legislation, the law 157/1992 which, although valid in many respects, does not adequately consider this type of fauna in as at the time it was not very widespread and of little hunting interest. As regards the wild boar species, it is believed that the estimate is equivalent to double the culling of the period, therefore the 2012 wild boar estimate = about 165.000 heads. Therefore, the estimated load of ungulates for 2012 amounts to about 400.000 head.
It is also important to check the total damage caused by wild boar and the relationship between the same in relation to the total damage caused by wildlife. In 2012, wild boar damage accounted for 60,98% of total damage. Damage from ungulates in 2012 generally accounted for 88,19% of total liquidated damages. A regulatory intervention at the national level could really give answers to the many problems caused by the aforementioned faunal situation and consequently heal the conflict with agriculture. Pending the much-desired amendment of law 157/1992 or an ad hoc regulatory provision for large wild herbivores, the Tuscany Region intends to intervene immediately for a wildlife hunting management that concretely protects agriculture and the environmental balance of the territory.
In addition to coordinating the ordinary wildlife hunting planning of the territory by collaborating with the competent provincial administrations, we are working on a project to activate all forms of hunting envisaged for ungulate species in a synergistic and organized manner by the ATCs. The project mainly concerns areas characterized by particularly sensitive crops or characterized by significant anthropogenic infrastructures and precisely identified on the territory on the basis of objective criteria in order to eliminate or drastically reduce the impact of the species with the present agricultural economy and other anthropogenic activities.
Identification of problem areas
The problematic areas were identified in application of the "Guidelines for the management of Ungulates" published by ISPRA in September 2013, therefore the "areas in which agriculture is strongly directed towards particularly sensitive crops" and "those characterized by a high presence of anthropogenic infrastructures "in which it is desirable to maintain the populations of ungulates at an extremely low density (target density tending to zero).
Each problem area has been precisely identified at a cartographic level, mainly taking into consideration the following criteria:
- damage to crops recorded in recent years and geo-referenced,
- land use,
- road network,
- anthropogenic infrastructures
- agricultural crops and protected areas.
For each problem area, the total hectares, the municipalities involved, the crops present and the other environmental and anthropogenic characteristics that characterize the area are indicated.
For each problem area, the species or species whose presence constitutes a critical element was indicated.
A total of 42 problem areas have been identified throughout Tuscany: a total of 470.982 hectares corresponding to approximately 23% of the regional territory. In the problematic areas of Tuscany where the critical species is represented by the wild boar, the following hunting strategies will be initiated:
- selection hunt organized by the ATCs:
o wild boar hunters qualified for selection hunting for the same species, enrolled in the teams operating in the districts of the neighboring areas,
o farmers authorized to select wild boar hunting on farmland owned or managed.
- driven hunt starting from 1st October.
In consideration of the period in which spring sowing begins, including corn and sunflower, the following timing is indicated for the felling in selection:
BOAR
1 April - 31 January (all age groups males, all age groups females with the exception of adult females with children)
1 September - 31 January (adult females with young)
In the problematic areas of Tuscany where the critical species is represented by roe deer and other cervids:
- selection hunt organized by the ATCs:
o hunters authorized for selection hunting for the reference species,
o farmers authorized to hunt for selection of owned or managed agricultural land.
Conditions for a correct management of the Roe deer:
1) assessment of a significant level of damage, also on a temporal basis (last 3-4 years) differentiated by species and type of crop damaged with the relative cartographic data,
2) application of preventive measures (electric fences, olfactory deterrent, organic-based products, bollards with April / May spraying) at the institutional scale, i.e. with a significant proportion of companies and fields that have adopted appropriate measures. Appropriate verification by the competent province of the correct application and maintenance of the prevention systems,
3) strengthening of hunting in non-critical areas with the normal times and techniques of the guidelines aimed at completing the abatement plans. In addition, always in the venable area, the plans will be modulated according to the general objectives of damage containment, based on predefined density objectives and compatible with the proximity to critical areas and with the nature of the territory. Local modulation must also be envisaged: in specific farms, which are particularly vulnerable because they are surrounded by suitable habitats, abatements may also be carried out such as to determine densities close to zero.
If the aforementioned conditions exist, it will be possible:
1. adopt the following timing for the abatements in selection:
CAPRIOLO
1 January - 15 March (males and females of all age groups)
June 1 - July 15 (adult and young males)
August 15 - September 30 (adult and young males);
2. authorize felling under control systems in non-venable establishments and only in vineyards and fruit orchards within problem areas by May 2014, after monitoring damage and populations. Selection hunting in problem areas must be carried out from fixed shooting points with adequate booking systems for the hunting day that facilitate the operations of control and verification of the hunting activities actually carried out as well as of the results achieved. Each firing point must be adequately marked on the territory for reasons of public safety. If at the end of the hunting season the objective of eliminating or drastically reducing the impact of the species on the crops or infrastructures present is not achieved, the Province must provide for adequate "charges" in the annual management and collection plan pursuant to paragraph 4 of article 90 of the dpgr 33 / r / 2011 and adequate "contributions" pursuant to paragraph 5 referred to in the same article 90. Please note that the management and withdrawal plan referred to in article 90 of dpgr 33 / r / 2011 it is an integral and substantial part of the annual management plan referred to in Article 9 of Regional Law 3/1994 where in paragraph 4 it is specified that failure to achieve the planned objectives may lead to a reduction in the transfer of the assigned resources.
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At the Official website of the Tuscany Region or at the address 301.regione.toscana.it it is possible to view the resolution in question and the related attachments including the maps defended by province where the critical areas are identified.
The Tuscan Regional Authority
(May 26, 2014)