Partial information
In recent days we have read yet another gratuitous invective against hunting and hunters by the usual self-styled friends of the Marshes of Fucecchio. As usual, things are not as they say. Without going into too much detail, we would like to inform both the “friends” of the Padule and the citizens who risk receiving only biased information, often incomplete and, indeed, not corresponding to reality, that as far as we know, in the past few days there were few hunters present in the marsh and certainly not in the very rare or non-existent areas with frozen water. And Federcaccia Pistoia is not aware of any interventions by the competent authorities nor of any complaints for episodes of poaching.
Protected areas
As for protected areas, a recent research has highlighted that in Tuscany they reach 40%, much more than the maximum foreseen (the current provisions foresee 20 to 30% excluded from hunting). In any case, if we take into account the real surface of our marsh crater, which is around 1.200 hectares, even the percentage of the protected surface largely exceeds 20%.
Deep crisis
"The protected wetlands in Tuscany are in a state of deep crisis. This was declared by the representative of ISPRA, the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, the State's technical-scientific body and certainly not a hunting association or its emanation, at the Castelmartini Visitor Center during the last LIPU seminar - declared the provincial President of Federcaccia Franco Biagini -. So the question arises spontaneously: what are they trying to achieve with these alleged complaints? Increase the state of crisis also in the Padule di Fucecchio? Or are they still looking for more money in addition to the thousands of euros already received at the expense of the taxpayer, including hunters? I believe that before making statements with accusations without evidence regarding supposed and alleged crimes, perhaps it would be better to pay more attention and ask a few questions about the state of abandonment in which those protected areas that should have been managed are. We reserve the right to investigate this aspect further and to verify whether what should have been done for their maintenance and thus avoid environmental damage has really been done. In the meantime - concludes Biagini - it is important to reiterate that if the Padule is still in minimally acceptable conditions, it is thanks to the hunters and owners who dedicate themselves to it on a daily basis, thanks to their voluntary work and with their exclusive resources" (Italian Hunting Federation, Province of Pistoia