On Tuesday 21 September the Milan TAR suspended the hunting in Lombardy accepting the request for suspension of the hunting levy advanced by the LAC through an appeal presented to the administrative judges just the day before, Monday 20 September. For months Federcaccia has raised the alarm on the danger of a potential appeal: on the pages of the Giornale di Brescia, on other information channels, but also to the Lombardy Region itself, always remaining unheard. The president Lorenzo Bertacchi wrote in an official letter to Councilor Fabio Rolfi and the then manager Roberto Daffonchio on May 14, 2021: "In light of these considerations, I reiterate that it would have been of the utmost importance to approve the 2021/2022 calendar by the end of May (but it would have been better within these days) in order to expire the terms of the appeal (60 days) by July.
The reason - wrote Bertacchi - was and is obvious: to avoid discussing the suspension a few days before the start of the season or, worse, as usual, during the current season, and by arranging indeed, at least two months before the hunt opens in order to intervene ". Is our president a seer? No, just a trained technician. But it is not the only communication, in fact on July 7, again to the councilor and the new manager, Franco Claretti, wrote more or less the same thing: "With reference to the timing of the adoption of the calendar, I hope that the publication will take place as soon as possible: in front of the TAR Milan, which already suspended the last resolution adopted on catches (the roccoli), the same day of the filing of the appeal, the adoption of the calendar immediately before opening it would put at least a month of hunting at risk ”. And so it happened! Why did the Region choose to present more administrative acts instead? Why was Federcaccia not listened to?
Who are the responsible? The choice not to present the regional calendar before June 15 as provided for by article 40 paragraph 5 of regional law 26/93 on hunting can only have been made by Director General of the Agriculture Department or in any case endorsed by the same. Who supported the goodness of this strategy with Councilor Rolfi who more than once declared unconditional trust in his offices? And what justifications does the Regional Legislative Office provide in the face of this disaster? We have always been told that if the administrative acts were challenged the calendar law nr 17 of 2004 would remain valid, why does the Region not put pen to paper that we can go hunting with that law without risking anything?
Today is not the day to find those responsible for this disaster but solutions must be found. Federcaccia Brescia asks Councilor Rolfi, as he himself announced in a press release, that a new resolution be made on Friday 24 September, a temporary calendar until the date of the hearing set by the TAR on 7 April, immediately executive. Obviously this temporary calendar, this new resolution, will have to comply with the Ispra opinion sent to the Region on 14 April, which we recall provides a whole series of prescriptions starting from the beginning of the season, scheduled for October 2.
We then ask that a solution be found to protect the hunting from fixed stalking for these last ten crucial days of September: if the hunt for the migratory from fixed stalking started also on 2 October, half of the season for the sheds would already be over. We are angry, very angry. Our warnings were not heeded, our advice always provided with education and professionalism: Federcaccia Brescia has never asked for the impossible but only respect and honesty towards the hunting world. Respect for a category whose activity is permitted by law and honesty and professionalism in the choices and strategies that have an impact on the hunting world. If we had made the calendar in time, the appeal would surely have arrived, with the hunt closed.
There would be time for go to the hearing and explain to the judges the technical reasons why the Region had deviated from the Ispra opinion. In case of victory, the calendar would have remained intact, in case of defeat the Region would have made a new resolution, opening the hunt on 2 October. But the hunters would then have been able to choose whether to go hunting or not but above all they could have explained the reasons why the 2 October. Instead the disaster happened. The hunt is closed. Breaking the ban entails heavy penalties. We invite all those who practice wild boar selection hunting, which is still open because it derives from an administrative act prior to the calendar resolution of the August 2th, not to go hunting. Both in solidarity with those who stay at home and to leave the resolution of the damage caused by wild boars to animal rights activists. We also urge all hunters who volunteer for coypu control to stop all activities.