La Province of Alessandria try deleting again all the otters from the territory. In fact, it approved the plan for the years 2022-2026, which will also be valid in protected areas. A plan that has been approved byIspra, the higher institute for environmental protection. The areas of intervention in particular concern the land along large watercourses, such as the Scrivia, the Po, the Tanaro and the Bormida.
For the killing of the otters the use of cages-traps is foreseen, considered the preferential method. The so-called beavers are then shot to death or asphyxiated. The other method is direct shooting with a firearm. To perform these operations are called the agents of the provincial wildlife surveillance, the traffic police or the farmers authorized by the Province while the hunters can shoot the otters during the hunting period.
The latest felling plan has seen 2.700 otters killed between 2018 and 2021. They are animals considered harmful to crops, especially corn, sugar beet, rice and vegetables. They create problems for the canals by digging the burrows on the banks and to many water birds (source: Newspaper 7).