Hunting: Castellani of ANUU Migratoristi replies to Sparvoli di Libera Caccia on the unity of the hunting world, “To evolve in order not to become extinct, an obligation for Italian hunters”.
I read the editorial by Paolo Sparvoli entitled "Unity and identity" published in the periodical of the Libera Caccia to comment on the agreement reached between ANUU Migratoristi and FIdC to study a merger project between the Associations. In this regard, some clarifications are undoubtedly necessary. First of all, it should be noted that the ANUU Migratoristi, since last year, has proposed in the Coordination of FACE Italia (composed of ANUU Migratoristi, FIdC, Libera Caccia and Enalcaccia) the idea of achieving a merger between all the Associations to give life to a new and unique Association.
The FIdC has been, to date, the only one to share it, and that is why the agreement was signed with the FIdC (and then it was also shared by the CPA, although it is not an association recognized and adherent to FACE Italy). In any case, the agreement is always open to everyone and I hope that the other associations will take it seriously as well.
There is, therefore, no "identification" with the hunting policy or the management of FIdC, but, on the contrary, the signed agreement identifies and specifies clear and common hunting policy objectives based on respect for all forms of hunting, including those traditional to migratory birds, without any discrimination or prevarication. It must also be said that the ANUUMigratoristi does not care at all to "disperse", which evidently instead fears the Free Hunting, but is concerned exclusively for the future of hunting which should be the concern of all the Associations.
For us the Associations, including ours, are not and must not be the end, but only the means, the tools to achieve the only goal which, I repeat, must be to guarantee a future for our passion. And since the situation in which hunting now finds itself certainly depends on many external factors (political, media, cultural, etc.), but also and above all on the demonstrated inability to operate at its best in the current association structure, logic has it that when tools don't work you should at least try to change them.
We of the ANUU Migrationists have no other interests, we have no “armchairs” to defend. We want to try to give hunting a future which, however, as is unfortunately well known to all, is really at risk. And we want it so much that we do not consider it a sacrifice, the renunciation of the past to look to the future.
ANUU Migratoristi was established on 23 March 1959 and is the oldest Association operating in the area with a long history in Europe in defense of traditional hunts. It is not a question of unity and identity, but of evolving in order not to become extinct as hunters: we will always be proud of our history and our work, but we have long understood that they are not enough to guarantee us a place as hunters in society and in the times that unfortunately, we are called to live.
There are, therefore, some who still delude themselves if they think that it is still possible to maintain the current structure fragmented into different associations, more or less large, recognized and unrecognized; he deludes himself if he thinks that it is enough to maintain a simple coordination like that of FACE Italia, even if it is true that in recent years it has produced important and useful initiatives; he deludes himself if he thinks that the hunting world can work like the environmentalist one; he deludes himself if he thinks that the "competition" between Associations improves effectiveness because it only serves to weaken us, especially when it comes to selling off the cards in order not to lose members ...
It should also be borne in mind that at this moment there is a "merger" between companies with a long history behind them, airlines that find strong collaboration agreements, banking institutions that join forces, etcetera, etcetera!
There are many other challenges that await us and that require us to really create a system, to unite and combine human and financial resources essential to develop a concrete, tangible and, above all, visible action for the entire public opinion (instead of dispersing them by multiplying them unnecessarily in many identical initiatives), thus addressing in a modern and organized way, with adequate professionalism, above all the fields of communication and scientific research, becoming authoritative and credible in front of anyone.
Maybe I am deluding myself too and even working for a single strong Association may not be enough. Maybe I am deluding myself, but maybe we can prove the opposite. Of course, we are facing a path that will not be easy, a path that will ask all managers at all organizational levels - and me first - to put themselves and be questioned. The young people, the most prepared, the most available, are welcome to reconstruct the new unitary framework in compliance with their respective availability, professionalism and representativeness.
I don't care who drives the car, if they drive it well and take me to my destination. And my destination, the destination that is at the heart of the current ANUUMigratoristi, is only the good of hunting. The agreement, therefore, provides that a complex merger project between the various Associations must be drawn up by March 2013 to create a new and unique one.
If it is possible to reach the definition of this project and its approval by the respective associative bodies (the Assemblies), the ANUUMigrators, the FIdC, the CPA and how many other associations want to share this important adventure by merging with each other, the one in the other, they will not die, they will not become extinct, but they will be reborn stronger in a single new Association, more suited to the times and environment in which it will have to operate for the good and for the future of hunting.
I don't know if we will be able to reach this goal, but I am happy to have been able, at least, to contribute to the start of this path. Dinosaurs could not and knew how to evolve, they had no choice and became extinct. Perhaps we have a choice and we can try to avoid the extinction of hunting.
Best of luck!
The President ANUUMigratorists
Marco Castellani