The Training Course for Hunting and Territory Management in Lombardy organized by Federcaccia took place in Sant´Angelo Lodigiano (LO).
Seminars organized by the Italian Hunting Federation continue throughout the national territory with the dual purpose of providing local managers with the tools to make the most of the Fauna Database developed by the Federation and at the same time take stock of the various territorial situations by analyzing critical issues and possible interventions. . Last weekend the XNUMXst Training Course for Hunting Activity and Territory Management took place in Lombardy, which will be followed in September by a second appointment that will specifically address the reality of the Alpine Sections present in the Region, which for their peculiarities have "deserved" a dedicated appointment.
To host the provincial leaders of Lombardy, to which many presidents of ATC and wildlife technicians have been added, a room in the splendid Castello Bolognini of Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, made available to conference participants thanks to the perfect organization of the provincial Federcaccia of Lodi, which through the president Giorgio Marazzina and his collaborators gave life to a dense but extremely usable session of works.
After a brief welcome by Marazzina and the regional president Mauro Cavallari, the Mayor of Sant'Angelo Lodigiano and the President of the Adda Sud Park had words of praise for the cultural growth and the growing management commitment that hunters demonstrate, also through events such as the one in place. The work then began with an interesting report by Dr. Giorgia Romeo, head of the Fidc Wildlife Hunting Environmental Management Office. Dr. Romeo tackled the issue of immissions, presenting a series of food for thought on repopulation, addressing the aspects that sanction failure or success in a schematic but extremely effective way; the latest techniques tested to guarantee, in addition to quantitative results, above all qualitative ones, also in terms of the behavior of the wild animals introduced; the fundamental importance of careful planning, health aspects and environmental improvement interventions.
On the latter point, the report by Doctor Michele Sorrenti, head of the Avifauna Migratoria Fidc Office, was inserted, who addressed the issue of habitat management, highlighting its importance also for migratory species. A commitment made even more necessary by the continuous decrease in agricultural land, which in the case of Lombardy has been particularly sensitive in recent years (188 thousand hectares of agricultural land lost from 90 to 2000 with a trend that if confirmed by the 2011 census data will be even more alarming).
Dr. Sorrenti illustrated with practical examples and with data relating to observations and surveys both in Italy and in Europe how important a certain type of habitat is, and therefore the related interventions to maintain or recreate it, on the presence of numerous species of avifauna, of hunting interest or not. A well-managed environment, with the presence of different species, disposable crops, adequate agricultural practices to be developed with the collaboration of the fund managers, means an increase in biodiversity which translates into a greater presence of wild animals with the double positive impact of a more satisfactory hunting , but also of a better image in society than the figure of the hunter.
It was then Dr. Romeo who intervened again, this time to present in detail and provide those present, who will have to manage it themselves, the instructions to better operate with the ATC, CA and RA wildlife database, the unique tool of its kind. genus developed by the Federation to collect data relating to the hunting fauna management of our country in practically real time.
Words of praise for this initiative came from Dr. Franco Postorino, Director of the Economic and Organizational Service of Confagricoltura, who underlined how the Federation, with the creation of this tool, has taken on a task that would not have been due to it, being rather the duty of the institutions. and the public administration to provide these data, which has never occurred until now except in a fragmented and incomplete way.
During his speech, Dr. Postorino then pointed out how the changing economic context, not only in Italy, leads the farmer to focus on the yield of his business, giving less space to less profitable wildlife management interventions. The solution lies in identifying collaboration models capable of combining economic returns for the agricultural enterprise and the production of quality game or other services for the hunting world. “On this ground - he concluded - our willingness to collaborate is absolute”.
Before giving the floor to the national president Dall'Olio for his conclusions, Mauro Cavallari thanked all those who took part, and underlining his conviction of the need for greater growth of the leading cadres of the Federation, he said he was "pleased with the great success of this seminar. An appointment, which in the intentions of the regional will be repeated every year, to become a moment of learning, but also of exchange of ideas and experiences ".
"Federcaccia is an association of hunters and it is hunting that must be dealt with - began the national president - Not with a slightly romantic look at the past, but at today and tomorrow, in a perspective that is increasingly aimed at research of professionalism. This is what we have done with the technical office, with its managers and with the secretariat that supports them in an excellent way. An office and a job of staff unknown until a little over a year ago. Added to this is the richness of a peripheral structure which is, with all due respect to others, the most important structure present in our country today, an unsurpassed force of people and ideas.
This is our strength, this is the way to continue to be proactive and proactive for hunting, leaving the corner of simple defense. A qualitative leap is necessary. This tool presented to you today is a first step that with your help and collaboration will become a formidable tool not only for Federcaccia but for all hunters. As soon as it was presented, it has already attracted the attention of the agricultural world and also of the environmentalist one. It is a tool that can lead to openings of dialogue, but also allow us to bring our data and advance our proposals, based on facts and not on impressions.
This too is part of the change we need - concluded the president - If we do so we will still have a precise and important role and at the same time the certainty that hunting will have a future and that our children will also be able to practice an ancient activity such as 'man, but which, like all activities, needs to be updated ”.
Hunting Federation