REPORT TO THE UNIFIED TEXT N. 5-52-59 - Amendments to the regional law 29 July 1998, n. 23 - (Rules for the protection of wildlife and for hunting in Sardinia)
Speaker: Hon. Artizzu
The Fifth Commission approved the unified text in the session of 8 September.
For some years now, the Sardinian hunting world has expressed the need for an organic revision of the discipline of hunting in Sardinia, with the participation, comparison and sharing of farmers and environmentalists.
During the preliminary investigation, the Commission considered it appropriate to audit the representatives of the most representative environmental associations, hunting associations and agricultural associations present in the region on the proposed laws.
The approved text is the result of an in-depth study and the synthesis of three legislative proposals (PL n.5, PL n.52 and PL n.59) all aimed at modifying the current text of regional law n.23 of 1998 making it more adherent to the current needs of the regional territory.
A modern, responsible hunting, closely linked to science is what Sardinian law will have to outline and guarantee in the years to come, to protect an activity that is at the same time a significant economic engine and a heritage of millenary traditions that constitute a a part of the culture of our people and in the recognition of hunting as an activity that is not only not harmful, but indeed necessary for proper environmental management and for the protection of wildlife.
This revision work was initiated by pursuing some main objectives:
- clarification of the regulatory body in order to give as much "legal certainty" as possible to hunting and to operators in the sector, to the environmentalist and naturalistic world;
- possibility for Sardinian hunters to carry out hunting activities within the entire regional area regardless of the province of residence;
- definition of a duration of the hunting period adapted to the specificities of the territory;
- containment of management costs by rationalizing and reducing the number of bodies responsible for planning and managing hunting;
- strengthening of regional study and consultancy bodies in hunting matters;
- greater involvement and empowerment of those interested in the environment.
Among the numerous innovations introduced, the following ones assume particular importance.
- The Single Territorial Hunting Area is established, through which it will be possible to carry out a more rational management of wildlife planning and hunting activities throughout the region and Sardinian hunters, equipped with a hunting card, will be allowed to move freely within the Region without barriers and bureaucratic complications and without additional taxes, and, therefore, to carry out hunting activities in the places to which each hunter feels most connected.
- With a view to rationalizing and concentrating expertise in wildlife matters, the responsibility for the management of the Single Territorial Hunting Area is transferred to the Regional Wildlife Committee, which already carries out numerous, important functions of a deliberative, consultative and proactive nature, particular reference to wildlife programming and the organization of hunting within it.
- An extension of the hunting period to the whole month of February is arranged, in the belief that, given the faunal, climatic and territorial peculiarities of the Sardinia Region, this choice represents a fair balance between the needs of environmental protection and the development hunting activity. At the same time, in order to adapt the regional legislation to the provisions of the national framework law, the limit within which hunting can be allowed during the hunting period is extended to three days a week.
- In order to arrive at a complete discipline of the matter, in compliance with the provisions of Community legislation, a precise regulation of the institution of "withdrawals in derogation" is introduced with a precise identification of the conditions and methods of implementation.
- Various important competences are attributed to the IRFS essentially consisting in the issuance of binding and indispensable opinions for wildlife-hunting planning, replacing those previously provided by the National Institute for Wildlife.
- In order to ensure a more rational use of the resources available for wildlife management as well as the streamlining of the technical investigation procedures pertaining to the provinces, the abolition of the provincial wildlife committees is ordered. The change will allow for more resources to be allocated to activities such as restocking and environmental improvements.
- As regards the permanent oases for wildlife protection and capture, it is expected that they can be established exclusively in special protection areas (SPAs) within state-owned areas, so as to avoid that, through the multiplication of protected areas of various nature, too large a portion of the regional territory is subtracted from hunting.
- The establishment in each municipality of the registry of resident hunters and their constitution in committees, which will collaborate with the municipalities in the implementation of interventions for the protection and increase of wild fauna, is arranged.
- The legislation concerning hunting activities in agri-tourism-hunting companies and the killing of fauna within the dog training and training areas is partially revised and updated.
In consideration of the fundamental importance of the surveillance activity carried out by the voluntary hunting guards, the rules envisaged for obtaining the qualification are modified, so as to simplify the procedure and allow an increase in the number of hunting guards present in the area.
- It is foreseen the introduction of the compulsory attendance of training courses, preparatory to the hunting qualification exam, by aspiring hunters.
- There are also significant changes to the articles that regulate the tools and vehicles that can be used for hunting, in such a way as to allow the right to use, even in Sardinia, rifles with rifled barrels, the broken ammunition for hunting wild boar , the hawk, the bow and the crossbow.
- As Received Published -