ANUU - From some of our Associates we have learned that the Steering Committees of some ATCs of Piacenza for the next hunting season 2017/2018 would like to divide the territory of their competence into districts and establish hunting by species or by prevalence. All these restrictions are devoid of presuppositions and unrelated to scientific foundations, penalizing the interests of the entire Piacenza hunting world. Instead of making careful censuses on species and investigations or experiments on a scientific basis to ascertain what are the real factors that cause the decline of some species of wildlife (pathologies, anthropization and overbuilding of the territory, intensive agricultural practices, etc.), to solve the problem continues to squeeze the rights of hunters, with fixed hunting days, reduction of schedules, of the game bag, of the species, of the periods allowed, application of ties for slaughtered hares. Lately there has been a significant increase in bureaucracy for hunters, with summaries of the culled animals with certain deadlines, killing of hares with consequent application of the band and immediate compilation of a form of which a part must be delivered to the ATC. Sometimes hunters are forced to hunt in the area with topographic maps, especially in those ATCs where the districts have been established. Speaking of increased bureaucratic tasks: the ATC PC 5 (Bettola-Gropparello - Lugagnano) on January 6th sent to the members who hunt hare a questionnaire to be returned by February 28th and they are owners and handlers of dogs, where in addition to the characteristics of the dogs (if certified or not, number of dogs used) it is also necessary to indicate the names of the regular hare hunting partners. Considering that the average age of hunters is already quite advanced, one can imagine the approach of the majority of them to these bureaucratic innovations that increase with each passing year. The disappearance of hunters will not be a benefit, but it will have terrible consequences for the environment: who will compensate for the damage to agriculture and biodiversity caused by invasive and alien species? Who will protect the safety of people from road accidents and who will monitor possible zoonoses transmitted to humans by wildlife? Who will provide wildlife observations and materials to field researchers free of charge? In light of the above, we ask that the decisions and proposals concerning the next 2017/2018 hunting season of the various Boards of Directors of the Piacenza ATCs be submitted to the Assemblies of registered hunter members, of the tenants of the agricultural funds included in the ATC, which are will take place shortly.
We recall the fundamental tasks of the Members' Assembly (provided for by the various statutes of the ATC), the assembly which should be convened at least twice a year by the Board of Directors of each ATC: 1) approves the Statute and its amendments; 2) approves the budget for the following year by 31 December of each year, any changes thereto and by April of each year the final balance sheet for the previous year; 3) declares the forfeiture of the members of the Governing Council on the proposal of the Governing Council 4) approves the regulations on hunting and management prepared by the Council; 5) takes decisions on any matter that is submitted to it by the Governing Council; 6) approves all acts of extraordinary administration. We also remind you that, as required by the various statutes, hunters in addition to having duties (observing the Statute, maintaining a dignified and consistent behavior with the purposes, participating, to the extent of their possibilities, in the activities of the Association) also have rights: a) participate in the activities promoted by the Association; b) hold associative positions; c) participate in the Assembly with the right to vote (directly or through delegates); d) to view all the deliberative acts and all the documentation relating to the management of the Association with the possibility of obtaining a copy. We therefore invite all hunters to inquire about the dates of convocation of the various Assemblies of the members of the ATC they belong to and participate by exercising their right to vote. We list some proposals and observations that have received from our Associates, of which this Association on February 8, 2017 has already notified the competent offices of the Emilia-Romagna Region and all the Piacenza ATCs by letter, with the hope that these observations and proposals are taken into consideration:
- in the next hunting season to pursue hunting in the Piacenza area according to the provisions of the regional calendar of Emilia-Romagna, without the application at the local level of further restrictions without prerequisites and unrelated to scientific foundations, penalizing the interests of the whole hunting world;
- abrogate specialization hunting - in order to distribute the hunting levy on all huntable species and throughout the huntable territory;
- eliminate the use of ties when picking up the hare - we remind you that, in addition to the rules already provided on the matter, the amendment to law 158 was recently published in the Official Gazette No. on the regional hunting card must be done immediately after killing. Therefore it is an imperative principle and to be applied even if regional laws or hunting calendars express themselves differently. For hunters who do not comply, the sanction provided for by art. 8 lett. “I” of the law n ° 7/2016 on hunting from € 157 to € 31. In addition, for the killed animals not marked on the card, administrative seizure, compensation for wildlife damage to the ATC (where applicable) and any days of suspension from hunting are also provided. We think that this is enough to make those who do not want to register the downed head to give up;
- do not allow early closures to certain species, maintain the same hunting periods provided by the regional hunting calendar, unify the regulations governing hunting in the various Piacenza ATCs, with equal days and without additional restrictions - early closure for certain species does nothing else that increasing the hunting pressure on other huntable species or on other territories;
- raise awareness of the control of predators to better protect other species, including protected ones, at the same time also to monitor the presence of carriers of the "West Nile Virus" and "Trichinella spiralis", through the provision and subsequent analysis of a sample or of all the animals killed at the “Tadini” experimental prophylactic zoo center in Gariga di Podenzano (PC). Furthermore, ISPRA has already expressed itself favorably for the implementation of similar plans in this province and in many neighboring provinces of Emilia Romagna and Lombardy;
- greater commitment to environmental requalification which is currently insufficient both due to the abandonment of agriculture in the Apennine area and in the plains due to the lack of hedges and meadows due to intensive farming - providing for throwaway crops of cereals in the Apennine areas; planting of hedges and planting of trees on the banks and disposable crops of corn and sorghum in the plains, with the aim of increasing the sources of food and shelter and nesting of the various species, not only huntable;
- by May 31, before the deadline for payment of the registration fees to the ATCs, obligation for the same to inform hunters about: game bags, hunting times, hunting periods, etc. - so that the hunters have the possibility to choose whether to pay the ATC fee or not. Currently it happens instead that the hunters are informed with considerable delay and the ATC for those who pay the late fee apply days of suspension or an increase in the quota itself;
- greater vigilance by the competent Authorities on the ZRC, Tourist Hunting Companies, Wildlife Hunting Companies, Private Game Production Centers, so that the objectives set out in the appropriate authorizations are respected;
- continue to allow the possibility of hunting migratory game with the use of live calls, also allow certain hunters expressly authorized by the competent authorities to capture live specimens to be used as calls;
- allow the possibility to certain subjects (e.g. Hunting Associations) expressly authorized by the competent Authorities to capture live specimens of fauna (migratory and sedentary) and then be released immediately, for biometric surveys, ringing and / or application of satellite transmitters. With the sole purpose of monitoring their movements, habitat preferences and to be able to possibly recover deceased specimens and ascertain the causes of death;
- involve all hunters (also through the awareness of the various Hunting Associations to which they belong) in the census operations (both huntable fauna and predators) and in environmental restoration operations, by scheduling the dates so that there is no overlap between the various ATCs with the aim to have the maximum participation of the hunters;
- to standardize the daily closing times and hunting days to the regional hunting calendar for all Piacenza ATCs - by not doing so, the only result is to increase the hunting pressure on certain species or in certain ATCs;
- reduce the costs of ATC quotas on the basis of the hunting days allowed, in case it is necessary to anticipate the closure for certain species (eg: hare) - through a discount to be made in the following hunting season;
- allow the possibility of training dogs, until the complete closure of the hunt on 31 January - for the benefit of their auxiliary faithful as well as for the wildlife itself, which would be trained to better defend itself from any predators;
- allow wild boar hunting as a team until January 31 of each year - doing so would reduce damage to agriculture and decrease road accidents, with a consequent saving of public money and hunters;
- favor the selection hunt for deer (e.g. roe deer) now widespread throughout the provincial territory (mountains, hills and plains) - through the purchase and placement of roof terraces by the ATC (in order to increase safety) and reduction of the annual quota and cost of the animals (in order to encourage hunters to carry out this type of hunting), in this way traffic accidents and damage to agricultural crops would be reduced, with consequent savings of public and private money;
- eliminate the districts within the ATC, which create nothing but further divisions of the territory, which also divide the hunting world;
- abolish the restrictions that have recently been imposed on woodcock hunting without any foundation.
PROVINCIAL ANUUMIGRATORISTI PRESS OFFICE
THEANUU, Association of Italian Migrationists, was established on March 28, 1958 in Bergamo, for the study, protection and conservation of traditional Italian hunts for migratory birds. It has a widespread presence on the Italian territory. The ANUU family is now very large and includes hunters practicing all forms of hunting, from fixed stalking to ungulates, through the sedentary feathered, hare and wild boar, as well as the generic migratory. Our Provincial President Franco Mazza has been present in Piacenza since 2012 and is also responsible for relations with ATCs within the ANUUMigratoristi National Executive Committee. Relations with the media are of paramount importance for the association, so that even hunters can have the spaces in which to make their voices heard, to requalify the important cultural and managerial aspects connected to hunting as the oldest. expression of man and as one of the main elements of rurality, in which we all sink our roots.