Legislative changes
The President ofItalian Farmers Union, Mario Serpillo, relaunches with conviction his support for the battle of animal rights associations that suggest reasonable and sustainable solutions as opposed to the culling of bears envisaged by the "Bear Killer" bill which will be examined today by the Provincial Council of Trento, upon decision of the President Claudio Soini. This document provides for amendments to Provincial Law no. 9 of 2018, in order to allow the killing of an annual quota of bears starting from a number of eight specimens. Over the course of about twenty years, in the province of Trento, sixty-two bears have been killed, captured or declared missing. Claudio Groff, of the Forestry and Wildlife Service, reports that in reality the bears attacked the man eight times in ten years, causing one death.
The 2004 bear plan
Faced with potentially dangerous situations that may occur due to their "encroachment" into inhabited centres, it is necessary as a priority to implement all the preventive and dissuasive measures envisaged by the 2004 "bear plan" which have not yet been completed, such as example the installation of anti-bear bins. The presence of such structures is crucial to prevent bears from approaching urban centers and with them the risks for the population would be significantly reduced. On the other hand, the Fugatti Council opposes the removal of the structures used by hunters, despite the fact that they are considered sources of attraction for bears, making them less sensitive to deterrent measures. “For the management of emergencies of this type, linked to wildlife – states the president of the UCI, Mario Serpillo – it is essential to protect the population and at the same time safeguard the animal species and the balance of the ecosystems.
A failed approach
The proposed legislative initiative, known as the "bear killing" bill, by ignoring the alternatives that can guarantee peaceful coexistence, risks creating serious problems for the fauna and biodiversity of the areas involved. The proposal to cull up to eight bears a year is considered populist and unscientific. This policy, aimed in this case at bears, reveals a failed approach that extends to other species essential for the balance of the ecosystem, such as the wolf. It is essential to find solutions that protect both wildlife and local communities, without resorting to extreme and environmentally damaging measures. If on the one hand the culling of bears must not represent a practicable solution, on the other it is essential that local authorities equip themselves as soon as possible with suitable bins and other devices necessary for this purpose, otherwise it is useless to complain that the bears become too confidants.” This position is vital to ensure a balance between nature conservation and the needs of local communities (source: UCI).