Hunting: the Chamber of Deputies approved the rule that prohibits the capture of live decoy birds to remedy the infringement of the Birds Directive; next step is the examination of the Senate, satisfied the animal rights activists.
With the approval of the Chamber of Deputies of article 19 of the European law 2014, Italy effectively prohibits any possible capture of wild birds for the purpose of recall for the hunting and is about to remedy its Community infringement of the European Directive 2009/147 / EC (Birds Directive). The infringement had already been highlighted in 2010 with an investigation (EU-Pilot procedure 1611/10 / ENVI) through which the European Commission denounced how Italy, capturing wild birds with nets for the purpose of recall for the activity hunting, infringed Article 8 of the Birds Directive. The legislative interventions adopted last year by the Government and Parliament were found to be unsuitable for responding to the findings of the European Commission, which, moreover, did not limit itself to requesting that the catches be stopped by prohibited means (and therefore, in fact, by any means) but he also pointed out to Italy the opportunity to definitively renounce the use of live birds as hunting decoys. Hunting, the European Commission argues, can very well be practiced without the aid of live calls. The subsequent infringement procedure activated by Europe (2014/2006) finally forced Italy to adopt an appropriate solution, which yesterday led to the approval of article 19 of the European law which prohibits the use of nets to capture wild birds and, in essence, puts an end to all forms of capture of birds for lure purposes.
The animal rights and environmentalists satisfied, "It is a very important step, awaited for decades, for which we thank the deputies who fought and the government itself which, after the hesitations of recent years, has finally convinced itself to act for the best. Now the text passes to the Senate, which will have to confirm it without changing a single comma and transform it into law, so that finally, once the sad chapter of wild bird catching has been archived, we can work towards the complete abolition of live calls ”.
Even more satisfied the promoter of the online petition against the capture of live decoy birds, Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, former Minister of the Environment, who declared "The action of the Lipu and many environmentalists and animalists and the 65.000 subscriptions to the petition in progress they obtained a first victory against hunting extremism now we await confirmation from the Senate to end with a torture unworthy of a civilized country ”.
The former minister then added, "The Chamber of Deputies approved a formulation of article 19 of the 2014 European law (the so-called EU law) in which Italy effectively prohibits any possible capture of wild birds for the purpose of recall and is about to remedy its Community infringement of the European Directive 2009/147 / EC (Birds Directive) albeit indirectly, as the Lipu acknowledges, a first result is achieved even if I fear more for fear of EU sanctions than for a real growth of ecological awareness of our legislators ".
Finally Pecoraro Scanio concluded, “The European Commission had denounced how Italy, by capturing wild birds with nets for hunting purposes, infringed article 8 of the Birds Directive. Today a positive answer is given. I hope action will also be taken as soon as possible on the strengthening of controls, therefore strengthening and not dismantling the State Forestry Corps and not losing the powers of the provincial police ”.
(June 13, 2015)
Source: PPN - Daily Environment