Approved the Hunting Calendar in Liguria, debate in the Region
The draft law “Regional hunting calendar for the seasons 17/2, 14/2011 and 2012/2012. Amendments to articles 2013 and 2013 of the regional law 2014 July 6, n. 34 (Regional regulations for the protection of homeothermic fauna and for hunting) and subsequent amendments and additions ".
The calendar establishes hunting periods and times in the Ligurian territory, the huntable species and the relative hunting periods, the forbidden species, the hunting of wild boar and ungulates in selective form, the exercise of hunting in the area of the Alps and in the areas of special protection (SPA), the maximum bags allowed per day and throughout the season.
Basically the calendar is the same as the previous one, the innovations concern in particular the introduction of the minilepre among the huntable species and the reduced game bag for woodcock: from three to two head per day per hunter and the obligation to collect cartridges and shells.
The calendar does not foresee the introduction of an extra half hour after sunset to hunt migratory fauna, as instead had been requested by the Northern Liguria League and the hunters' associations. The Constitutional Court has not yet ruled definitively on the regional law 15/2010, which had introduced the half hour in the previous hunting calendar.
To allow hunters to hunt up to half an hour after sunset, Francesco Bruzzone (Northern League) presented two amendments with which he asked that regional regulations on the matter be respected. As he himself explained, the reference is to the laws 29 of 1994, modified in 2011, "which - he said - already provides for hunting half an hour after sunset".
The junta rejected the request for modification, which was rejected by the Council, fearing that, in the event of a negative opinion of the Constitutional Court on the regional law 15/2010, the challenge of the hunting calendar and sanctions against hunters, such as they had the opportunity to explain, among others, Massimo Donzella (Us with Claudio Burlando), Valter Ferrando (Pd), Alessandro Benzi (federation of the left), Antonino Miceli (Pd).
Also rejected were the amendments presented by Aldo Siri (Civic List for President Biasotti) which intended to reduce the game bag of some huntable species.
Valter Ferrando (Pd), majority speaker, underlined: "among the most interesting aspects in this law are the discipline on hunting days, timetables, various types of hunting and the periods in which the activity of dog training ». Ferrando recalled that "as foreseen by the decree of the Ministry of the Environment of 17 October 2007, the two days of January were identified on Saturday and Sunday in which hunting from fixed, temporary and in-form stalking is allowed. wandering ". Ferrando also underlined the possibility of suspending or reducing the hunting activity by the Provinces in the event of unfavorable conditions relating to the fauna or environmental and climatic conditions as well as for diseases ascertained by the competent local health authorities and the obligation to collect cartridges. The bill also provides for "the rewriting of article 6 of regional law 29 of 1994, to extend the term for the preparation of the provincial hunting wildlife plans from one to two years in order to allow the Provinces to fully proceed with the joint planning expiry which, unlike in the past, must necessarily take into account the environmental protection legislation ".
Francesco Bruzzone, (Lega Nord) minority speaker, as anticipated, presented some amendments and lamented the delay with which the calendar was presented in the classroom: "Tomorrow a few hunters would have the right to go hunting, but not they will go there. In fact, the calendar, once approved, will have to follow a long process and, if we talk about it today, it is only thanks to the minority that on March 29 presented a bill, which was followed by the bill under discussion today ". Buzzone went on to condemn the fact that the calendar does not provide for hunting after sunset and also launched accusations against the Government and in particular the Ministers for the Environment and the Regions: "The Government - he remarked - contradicted itself with respect to some year ago ». According to Bruzzone "this matter is subject to excessive bureaucracy" and, defending his own amendments, concluded: "Specify that this is the calendar but that other regional laws in force must also be approved, I do not think it can be contested".
Franco Rocca (Pdl), announcing his abstention, criticized the delay in the elaboration of the hunting calendar.
Aldo Siri (Lista Biasotti), presented his own amendments, which aimed to reduce the amount of huntable species foreseen in the calendar, and underlined: "I remember that there are types of game that risk a process of gradual reduction and possible extinction, at on the contrary, I recognize the damage caused by wild boars in the area and therefore I am not opposed to an extension of the hunting calendar and also to allow those who do not have a residence in the municipalities concerned to participate in hunting parties anyway. I have no prejudices towards hunters, - he concluded - but I remind colleagues that on issues of depth such as the crisis in the working sectors, on the problems of protecting the family, health and infrastructure, the Council should be more committed than it happens. ".
Ezio Chiesa (Mixed Group) called for moderation: «On hunting we need to keep a very low profile trying to avoid conflicts that penalize hunters in the long run. I am in favor of supporting hunting, but we must increasingly not oppose animal rights activists with hunters but to make the two worlds converge together with the world of agriculture. This three-year calendar continues an action begun in the previous legislature: then on the half hour of hunting after sunset there was a wide debate in the council when the law was approved, then challenged by the Constitutional Court ».
In this regard Massimo Donzella (Noi con Claudio Burlando) recalled that last year the Council almost unanimously approved law 15 of 2010 which provides for the possibility of hunting even after sunset "But there is a national law, 157 of 1992 , which has superordinate power and which in article 18 establishes that hunting is not allowed one hour after sunset. The national government challenged the regional law before the Constitutional Court, reiterating that there is a violation of the national law, if, on the other hand, there had been a willingness to accept the regional law, the Government would have modified the national law157. I believe, therefore, that attributing to the Region, which is concerned with trying to match its legislation to the national one, cannot be considered a reason for grievance. If the Constitutional Court says that we have done well to introduce the half hour of hunting after sunset, we will immediately introduce with an amendment in this calendar the possibility of hunting up to half an hour after sunset ».
Alessandro Benzi (Federation of the left) announced the group's abstention on the measure, while acknowledging some positive elements: «Councilor Briano accepted some environmental proposals to reduce the game bag and adopted scientific criteria for the management of ungulates. Finally, we acknowledge the councilor that he did not lend himself to the instrumental operation of the hunt allowed half an hour after sunset. We will always be opposed to hunting but in this case safety reasons also prevail for the very safety of the hunters. We will always be against hunting after dark. '
Matteo Rossi (Sel) declared himself in favor of the bill defining it «very balanced, which allows planning with a responsible approach - he underlined - and is a synthesis between the hunting and environmental world. The left - he concluded - must recover dialogue with the hunting world, adopting a secular approach ».
The Councilor for the Environment Renata Briano replied to the interventions in the classroom "This calendar differs little from the previous one and a dialogue was shared with the hunting faunal associations which gives legal certainty on the periods, on the huntable species and on the times, - he said - it is a balanced document and placed within the national legislation, it seems to me that the contrasts of the past legislature have dissolved and I thank the councilor Bruzzone, for having facilitated the approval of the calendar. It is right, however, to wait for the sentence of the Constitutional Court on the previous regional law, because otherwise there would be no certainty for the hunters not to incur sanctions, assuming that, according to the opinion of the Council, we will act accordingly ".
Edoardo Rixi (Northern League), Antonino Miceli (Pd), Gino Garibaldi (Pdl) also intervened in the debate.
source: www.levantenews.it