Crimes against wildlife
FACE is the association that brings together all recognized European hunting associations, thus representing 7 million community hunters. A strong body, not only in numbers but also in technical skills and political representatives, which has always protected the hunting activity and the interests of hunters in the European Union. On October 25, the FACE General Assembly unanimously adopted a new resolution on wildlife crime, strengthening its long-standing position on “zero tolerance”. The Resolution recognizes in particular the work of the Bern Convention, the European Commission, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to combat crimes against fauna. wild. It is obviously not a simple argument to support and support but it is equally true that it is neither postponable nor ignorable.
The task of the hunters
If we believe, as a hunting world, that the management of wildlife is also a task of hunters, obviously it cannot be ours alone, then we must also face the issue of crimes against wildlife with great serenity. Federcaccia addressed this topic in time by limiting some legal guarantees for the associates: we did it not because we are the best and most intelligent, but because we believe that ignoring or postponing a problem does not mean solving it but simply finding it bigger a little further. there in time. Hunting management in a broad sense and respect for the rules are the two pillars on which the survival of hunting is based not only in Italy but throughout Europe. Not understanding this means denying the evidence and condemning the hunt for extinction. This is why the FACE initiative is important, as it puts before public opinion an awareness of hunters towards those who break the rules. It is a very different position from that of animal rights activists who prosecute those who commit hunting offenses with the sole objective of demonstrating the inability of hunters to respect the rules, thus proposing the definitive closure of the hunt as the only solution.
Penalties and criminal offenses
We are once again on a very distinct level from that of animal rights activists but we are not always able to clarify our ideas well among us hunters. In this last month, as every year, some records against hunters in our province have been raised. Administrative sanctions were imposed but criminal offenses were also detected. We do not want to take into consideration the complaints for the use of electromechanical recall because Federcaccia's position on the subject has always been one of firm and uncompromising condemnation. The theme linked to the integrity of the irremovable rings of the live decoys in the center is quite different from a couple of years of tight checks and which again this year has led to some complaints. The police have the right to carry out the checks and the hunters have the duty to respect the rules. At the same time, however, hunters have the right to practice hunting and the police have the duty to carry out checks with the utmost objectivity and fairness. This is why we carefully examine the reports raised against our associates, recognizing the responsibilities of hunters when present but also fighting with all our strength what we believe may appear to be abuses.
Lures and rings
Here, then, is the news of some of our associates whose calls have been seized in a province adjacent to ours, whose rings have been measured and certified by an Accredia body before the start of the hunting season. Correctly the police forces of that province will be able to subject the rings to further measurements, but that they do so in a reasonable time and with equally valid methods. The same applies to other high fanciful reports for the use of clearly farmed "mutated" thrushes. Federcaccia supports zero tolerance towards crimes against wildlife but at the same time the institutions, first of all the Prefectures, which issue the decrees to the Volunteer Guards, as well as the Prosecutors who then face the trials, should have equal "zero tolerance ”Towards those who make normative interpretation a kind of flag, a philosophy of life. In the end we do not ask to put anyone in jail but only to limit the most marked errors during the checks by removing the competences of the less prepared controllers. (FEDERCACCIA BRESCIA - CACCIAPENSIERI)