The intervention of Federcaccia Puglia
The regional President of Federcaccia Puglia Luigi Scalera sent a letter to the institutional leaders, President of the Puglia Region Dr. Michele Emiliano, Councilor for Animal Health and Welfare Dr. Rocco Palese, President of the Reg. Council Dr. Loredana Capone and Councilor for Agriculture Dr. Donato Pentassuglia, regarding the hunting ban provision in the province of Lecce Bird flu.
The suspected outbreak
Below is the text: “With Ordinance no. 574 of 20 December 2023 "Protection measures relating to highly pathogenic avian influenza of the H5N1 subtype around the outbreak in the province of Lecce", signed by you, the Puglia Region has imposed a ban on hunting wild birds and the use of live recalls (of any species) for at least 30 days unless new ordinance is issued, in an area of 10 km radius in the province of Lecce, following a single outbreak in a rural farm. The regional and national hunting associations have always collaborated with the institutions and in particular with the reference body (the I.Z.S. Venezie) for the avian problem, through constant collaboration which has lasted for years and in organizing both the collection of swabs on birds killed and recalls, both in the checks on the stakeouts and in both passive and active surveillance, but now the provision of the Puglia Region leaves us decidedly surprised and disconcerted".
Unmotivated measure
“Avian influenza is a disease that has been ongoing for many years, with outbreaks mainly located in northern Italy, particularly in areas with a high density of intensive breeding of poultry species. Well, in no case has there ever been a ban on hunting in these areas, not even once in the last 10 years, but the use of live decoys has simply been regulated or partially suspended. The measure of the Puglia Region is therefore the first ever, and is frankly completely unmotivated. Even in the Italian high-risk areas, zones A and B of the national avian surveillance plan, where the presence of wild animals and the concentration of large industrial farms recommend adequate measures and attention, the hunting ban has never been implemented".
The surveillance plan
“Even more so, both on the basis of the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/87 of the Commission of 17 12 2019 which integrates Regulation (EU) 2016/429, and in the aforementioned national surveillance plan for avian flu and related manuals, the total ban on hunting activity has to date never been applied despite hundreds of outbreaks having been reported in the eastern Po Valley area (particularly during 2022). We then underline that for the area of a possible outbreak, a first radius of 3 km is envisaged as a protection zone and subsequently a second area of a radius of 10 km as a surveillance zone with more contained measures. No hunting ban has ever been established not even in the 3 km radius protection zone. On behalf of the many enthusiasts, local and otherwise, who have suddenly found themselves inhibited in their hunting activity, we are available as soon as possible to discuss overcoming the provision by finding a modus operandi for a fair and proportional solution that rightly takes into account both the necessary health and social needs including hunting activity, offering collaboration in particular in passive surveillance which would allow us to verify whether and how many other outbreaks may be present in the affected area".
Using live recalls
“We therefore ask that point q be removed from the ordinance, which states the ban on hunting in the restriction zone. We are available for any type of collaboration for the surveillance and regulation of the use of live decoys. We also want to highlight that the continuation of purely political and poorly technical decisions and choices on the part of the regional administrative bodies are expanding and multiplying the detachment between citizens towards the administrators but above all the rise of widespread disinterest in correct and shared management of the territory and of resources without which every imposition and/or decision is effectively nullified. While waiting for your kind response, we send you our best regards” (FIDC President of the Puglia Region – Luigi SCALERA).