Hunting and Migration: Sicily, the National Hunters Union announces that the Region has postponed the closing of the hunting ai Tordi as of January 19, 2015.
We just learn now that the new Councilor for Agriculture, Avv. Caleca, has signed the decree amending the Hunting Calendar 2014/15 extending the season of thrush hunting until January 19th. In fact, Sicily was the only Italian region in which the hunting activity of this species was banned starting from 10 January. The result of this is neither due to chance nor to some sort of repentance by the Administration. It is simply due to the "painstaking" work of those who are now used to solving the problems inherent in Sicilian hunting. It is thanks to the patient work of the Hon. Friend Roberto Clemente that the Sicilian tordaioli will be able to hunt the "marvizzi" with ease until the 19th of the current month. Once again it has been shown that when the best policy, and we refer to the Hon. Clemente, Ruggirello, Sammartino, Germanà just to name a few, is supported by jurists, agronomists and biologists freely made available by the National Hunter Union, then the 'Administration can only bow to the evidence. And the evidence in our case was that beyond the Strait of Messina the thrush can be hunted until January 31st, while just three kilometers away, in Sicily, the hunt for the species was closed well 20 days in advance.
Of course, there remains the regret of not having obtained the canonical closing date of 31 January; a shame, also because the European Commission considers this closing date to be compatible with Community principles. Who knows, if the traditional hunting associations had made themselves heard, perhaps we would have hit the target. For now, all that remains is to say thanks to the aforementioned Deputies, in particular to Hon. Clemente for the case in point: thanks Roberto, heartfelt thanks from Giovanni Di Giunta, Santo Pulvirenti, Paolo Augliera, Vincenzo Salamone, Stefano Privitera responsible for various sectors of the Union; hunters will have a long memory.
National Union of Hunters
(January 10, 2015)