Nutria from Mantua
The count relating to the capture of nutria inside the lagoon stops at 62.082 province of Mantua for the year 2022. This is what emerges from the data obtained by the provincial administration. In total, 233.010 kilograms were disposed of, with numbers slightly decreasing compared to 2021, when 67.357 specimens were caught, equal to 245.740 kilograms.
The comment of Confagricoltura
«Compared to a few years ago - explains Alberto Cortesi, president of Confagricoltura Mantova - the numbers have definitely improved, and for this we thank the municipalities who have actively spent themselves to implement effective containment. However, let us repeat that, in order to implement real eradication, at least 100.000 coypu should be captured every year. We invite the municipalities stuck to "zero catches", still too many, to do more, to provide their contribution to a cause that affects everyone, no one excluded. Those catching between 100 and 200 coypu should also increase their efforts." In fact, coypu "besides causing serious damage to crops in the field - continues Cortesi - are also a danger in terms of road traffic and safety in general. There have been numerous accidents caused by specimens on the roadways, or also due to structural failure of embankments or bridges, eroded by the burrows excavated in depth".
Growing numbers
Despite the decline in the last year, the numbers, as mentioned, are growing overall. Suffice it to say that in 2016 there were 14.648 nutrias caught, which then increased to 26.975 in 2017, 41.497 in 2018, 41.514 in 2019 and 50.474 in 2020. Only in the last two years, therefore, have we gone well over 60.000. At the level of individual municipalities, Borgo Virgilio excels for the second consecutive year, which in 2022 removed 3.686 specimens. On the podium also Roncoferraro with 3.493 and Asola with 2.983. The top ten is completed by Ostiglia (2.594), Sabbioneta (2.432), San Giorgio Bigarello (2.397), Bagnolo San Vito (2.383), Bozzolo (2.346), Viadana (2.276) and Castel Goffredo (2.250). "Black shirt" for zero catches instead for fourteen municipalities, namely Solferino, Cavriana, Monzambano, Ponti sul Mincio, Rivarolo Mantovano, Porto Mantovano, Mantova, Pomponesco, Sustinente, San Giacomo delle Segnate, San Giovanni del Dosso, Poggio Rusco , Magnacavallo and Borgo Carbonara (Confagricoltura Mantua).