Regional choices
Referring to hunting calendar of the Marches 2023/24 Federcaccia Marche and Nazionale express their opposition to some choices adopted by the Marche Region, moreover, repeatedly expressed and reaffirmed with written documents promptly sent to the responsible subjects. The Marche Region justifies its work with a view to "giving hunters certainties and security" to prevent any suspensions and/or interruptions following appeals. It is not clear where this certainty comes from, which however demonstrates that the Marche Region thinks that reducing hunting periods is a winning path for hunters, even retreating on the victories obtained at the TAR. It doesn't take long to understand that by continuing to reduce year after year, hunters will be left with the match in hand. Perhaps this is what the Marche Region wants? We reiterate once again that the waivers only serve to encourage anti-hunting associations to continue in their battles. In fact, there is not a single example in any region that demonstrates that having given up hunting periods has led anti-hunting associations not to present appeals, and in any case this cannot be the method of settlement between different interests.
Research methodologies
For us, the protection of the species is not in question (even if there is still much to be clarified on the most appropriate methods for protecting the species) during the reproductive and offspring assistance periods. On the other hand, ISPRA's research and research evaluation methodologies are under discussion, and it is precisely on this matter that Federcaccia and other associations have sent a strongly critical document to the ministries concerned. We hope that the Associations signing this document are consistent in the positions they will take in the Marches. We will see if the calendar will be challenged by the usual acronyms, but if anything these "certainties" should have referred only to the pre-opening since for the closures there would have been plenty of time to evaluate the decisions of the administrative judges, for which we invited the Marche Region not to limit itself in advance and keep the victories obtained at the TAR on last year's calendar and bring the turdids and the woodcock to January 31st. To summarize: the approved calendar has reduced the pre-opening days for wood pigeons, canceled a pre-opening day for quail, reduced the daily and seasonal game bag for the lark compared to what is foreseen in the national management plan, reduced the hunting period for anticipated the closures of turdidi and woodcock with respect to the law 157/92. A legitimate doubt about the "certainties" of the Marche Region, however, comes to us: perhaps a secret agreement was made with the anti-hunters? Only in this way could the "certainties" of the Region be explained. In that case we wonder why this possible agreement has not been made public.
No to discrimination
Furthermore, according to the writers, the calendar as definitively adopted presents important gaps in the motivations, as well as evident inaccuracies in some parts. It is enough to compare the ISPRA opinion with the arguments present in the resolution to verify on how many points the Marche Region has not inserted the necessary rebuttals in a timely manner, thus increasing the risk of acceptance of any appeal. In a spirit of collaboration, Federcaccia has provided the Marche Region with a copious work of our Studies and Research Office, which collaborates with numerous Universities, which would have increased the reasons present in the draft of the Resolution to overcome the ISPRA opinion, making the calendar less vulnerable in the event of appeal. The Region decided not to take advantage of this collaboration. Federcaccia cannot passively accept choices that discriminate against hunters from the Marches compared to those from Umbria, Tuscany and Lazio (who will in fact be able to hunt turdidi and woodcock until 31 January 2024). For this reason Federcaccia will adopt all the necessary initiatives in favor of all the hunters of the Marche region. The hunters from the Marches are penalized compared to others and the responsibilities for this are very clear. Federcaccia thanks all those forces and subjects who have continued to show sensitivity and closeness to the hunting world within the Marche Region. We want to hope that a fruitful confrontation with the Region can be resumed as soon as possible. (Italian Federation of Hunting Marche Region and National Federcaccia)