The mother of all emergencies
In recent days, Coldiretti held its Provincial Member Assemblies in Campobasso and Isernia to approve their respective financial statements. Furthermore, in addition to defining these statutory requirements, the meetings provided an opportunity to discuss with local management several general issues that significantly impact the activities of our farmers. The mother of all emergencies is the spread of wild fauna , a veritable scourge that is compromising our regional agri-food heritage as well as the environmental system. To protect agriculture, the environment, and public safety, selective hunting has been implemented for several weeks, complemented by culling through Selecontrollo; both measures can certainly play an important role, although they do not resolve the issue.
Wild animal raids
The uncontrolled increase in wildlife is certainly a national problem, but past decisions, influenced by more or less veiled interference from individuals motivated by other interests, have likely had a negative impact here in Molise. "We're talking about a region, Molise," says Claudio Papa, regional president of Coldiretti Molise, "recognized for its beauty and authenticity and always cared for by its custodian farmers. For years, however, this unique environment has been at the mercy of the rampages of wild animals that defy electric fences and all the anti-wildlife measures adopted." In recent months, thanks in part to strong union action by Coldiretti, as well as numerous complaints from mayors of several Molise municipalities, following the continued reports of ungulates and other wildlife species within residential areas, the Region appears to have shifted gears, implementing some of the tools needed to combat the phenomenon.
Regional Observatory
"We are referring," says Regional Director Aniello Ascolese, "to the aforementioned selective hunting and selective control measures, as well as the recent reorganization of the Regional Observatory of Natural Habitats and Wildlife Populations, which we hope will be able to fully resume its scientific and coordinating role in combating invasive species." Coldiretti considers the actions of local governments to be extremely important, strengthening the motivation and initiatives we have been proposing for years to ensure we remain vigilant in the face of a problem that is disruptive not only for agriculture but for everyone's health and safety.
Objectives and actions to be defined
"The operational guidelines, linked to the PRIU and implemented by the Molise Region, certainly represent a first response for us," continues Claudio Papa, president of Coldiretti Molise, "but it is only a beginning. We hope the Region will adopt a five-year extraordinary plan, not linked to the ASF health crisis, for the management and containment of wildlife. We refer specifically to Article 19-ter of Law 157/92, which defines objectives and actions, as well as roles and areas of intervention, which are much broader and completely distinct from hunting activities. In fact, as specified in the law, containment activities do not in any way constitute the exercise of "hunting activity" and are carried out even in areas where hunting is prohibited, such as parks and/or protected areas, without time limits and with the aid of all the tools provided for by the Ministerial Decree of 13 June 2023. Furthermore, the Plan referred to in Article 19-ter identifies, among other things, Authorized representatives also include owners or managers of agricultural land with a hunting license. Coldiretti Molise, along with its entire membership, trusts in the willingness of Regional Councilor Salvatore Micone to do so, as expressed repeatedly in recent times, and will continue to encourage and make proposals so that these proposals are implemented as quickly as possible.
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