For the Marche hunters this weekend will be a holiday. Yes, because thanks to the decision of the Tar Marche last Thursday, enthusiasts will be able to exercise in serenity what, with all due respect to the visceral anti-hunts, as well as being an ancient art that has been able to evolve to keep up with the times in a sustainable and regulated activity by laws and regulations that protect fauna and the environment, it remains in our region one of the most heartfelt and relevant activities. We had declared from these same pages that spurious and instrumental appeals would not be enough to bend us and so it was. We have proved this once again not in words but in deeds.
The one obtained in front of the TAR is a success of common sense and legal correctness that will allow the regular running of the hunting season, without penalizing thousands of citizens who had planned their activities on the basis of decisions legitimately taken by the regional government bodies. Duty, but sincere and heartfelt, is therefore the thanks we address primarily to the Regional Administrative Court, to the lawyer Alberto Bruni of Florence, who as always gave Federcaccia a fundamental contribution, to which the lawyer Paolo Cecchetti joined, who in the Council Chamber made a passionate and lucid defense of the hunting calendar, proudly emphasizing his being a hunter.
Our thanks obviously also goes to Dr. Sorrenti and our technical-scientific offices, who as always have provided timely and irrefutable opinions in support of the arguments presented, and to the lawyers of the Region. Of great importance are the decisions of the TAR to legitimize the hunting seasons provided for by law 157/92, which Federcaccia has always supported, against the ISPRA proposals for reduction in opening and closing. The validity of the provincial plans and the "eventuality" of changes to the regional plan was affirmed, which is therefore not an obligation. Furthermore, the application of the “decade of overlap” envisaged by the EU Guide was considered correct, as well as the arguments for maintaining the hunting of the tufted duck and fighting species. The only bitter note remains the incomprehensible suspension of the levy of pochard and lapwing, on which Ispra himself had given a positive opinion, but we will also have the opportunity to investigate this aspect of the question, on which we have no intention of yielding or mediating downwards.
We cannot accept restrictions that are not justified by a state of difficulty of the species in question and neither of them is in our country to the point of prohibiting their collection. Federcaccia is evaluating the appeal to the Council of State for these species, as there are official data showing a recovery of the pochard in winter and an increase in the lapwing in Italy both as a breeder and as a winter visitor. What we brought before the TAR to support the Marche Region was an important and burdensome commitment, in human, professional and also economic terms. Therefore, I cannot accept that those who now enjoy its fruits without having participated in this effort define it as “useful only to advertise their presence”. I am referring to the regional hunting Arci, which after having presented and supported a calendar proposal that we can only define mortifying, now finds no better way to justify its absence and lack of courage in defending its members and all the hunters. Marche what to say that after all the only real counterpart was the Region.
I hope this latest episode will finally open the eyes of the hunters. A sincere appreciation must instead be addressed to Libera Caccia and Enalcaccia, who took part in the trial with us. I inform all hunters that Federcaccia is considering taking responsibility actions against those who, with this questionable appeal, made the citizens of the Marche hunters lose a day in pre-opening and various huntable species. It has never been and never will be our habit to bow our heads in the face of abuses. I conclude with a sincere "Good luck!" to the Marche hunters, accompanied by an equally heartfelt and firm call to observe the rules of the law, common sense and attention towards ourselves and others. And remember: we will always fight for what we believe in!