Calendar proposal
Below we report the open letter from the President Gabriele Sperandio of Arci Caccia Marche on the Hunting Calendar, a letter addressed to the hunters of this territory: "the date of February 22nd was discussed by the Marche hunting associations at the hunting department of the Marche, the proposed regional hunting calendar 2024-2025. Proposal previously provided to the Region by the Federcaccia and Liberacaccia associations. As a result of the discussion, in which all the other hunting associations found themselves in agreement "perinde ac cadaver" in supporting the calendar proposal signed by FIDC and ANLC, only the undersigned, representing Arcicaccia Marche, raised serious doubts".
The critical aspects
“In particular, as critical aspects I wanted to highlight:
• the sampling of teal, mallard and garganey in 5 pre-opening days and from 15 September
2024 to January 17, 2025;
• the sampling of the Wood Pigeon in 5 pre-opening days and from 2 October 2024 to 30 January 2025;
• the reintroduction of the Lapwing among the huntable species;
• the closures of the Turdidae and Woodcock sampling on 30 January 2025;
• the concession of 6 hunting days in February for Corvids.
“It is also necessary to point out that at the end of the meeting the President of Federcaccia Marche (enthusiastically supported by the President of Liberacaccia) engaged in a real coup de théâtre, asking the Region to reintroduce the chaffinch among the huntable species in derogation! In practice, catapulting the meeting to more than 30 years ago, in a surreal and surprising leap in time.
Points to clarify
But let's go in order:
− Regarding my doubts about the reinstatement of the Corvid hunt in February, I find it unjustifiable to return to a choice already discussed last year "data in hand" and which was abandoned in 2023, in favor of the pre-opening Corvid hunt, because few dozens of withdrawals in February did not support the opportunity to
extend the hunt in this month, because an efficient control plan for these species is already active in the Marche and because the general closure of hunting in January without delays for some species is preferred by all responsible hunters.
− The uncertainties and risks are enormous regarding the legitimacy of the closures of the hunting of Turdids and Woodcock on 30 January, since this date exceeds the deadline imposed by the Key concepts of the Birds Directive and on this issue an EU Pilot procedure is underway for the Italy. The burning issue of overcoming the KC is still current and, this year, has been made extremely complicated by the recent amendments to Law 157/92 which have
imposed an enigmatic double technical opinion on the calendar, both from ISPRA and from the National Wildlife Technical Committee. It is obvious that the KC affair can only be resolved by unequivocal rulings from the TAR or, better yet, from the Council of State, if not even from the European Commission.
− The reintroduction of the Lapwing among the huntable species in the Marche is a dangerous provocation towards the Marche TAR which had already expressed itself clearly on the subject in 2021, imposing a ban on hunting of the Lapwing until the national management plan for the Lapwing is adopted species which, to date, has not yet been drawn up.
− An even more serious provocation is that relating to the hunting times of some Anatidae and the Wood Pigeon proposed by FIDC and ANLC. In fact, the choice to grant 5 pre-opening days, followed by a temporary suspension of the withdrawal and a resumption until January is clearly in contrast with National Law 157/92 and has already been censured by none other than the Constitutional Court with the sentence no. 69 of 2022 which clarified that "the time frame must correspond to a continuous time interval and cannot refer to the sum of the days in which killing is permitted during the entire hunting season beyond the terms indicated by the art. 18, paragraph 1, of law no. 157 of 1992".
The continuous appeals
Having said this, it should be remembered that in the last three years, compared to the past, also in light of a clash in the administrative courts which did not spare the majority of the regional administrations, the Marche Region had given an important signal in the drafting of the hunting calendars, in terms of compliance with community and national regulations and, despite the continuous appeals, all in all a certain solidity was guaranteed to the hunting season. On the contrary, the current proposal for a regional hunting calendar actually risks compromising and upsetting the overall balance that protected the hunting season as a whole; not only for the age-old issue of the violation of the Key concepts (as mentioned before, far from being resolved yet at a national level), but above all for the obvious, unjustifiable and absurd violations of the sentences of the TAR Marche and the Constitutional Court.
Compliance with standards
Arci Caccia Marche, in coherence with its associative history, has always demanded full compliance with the rules, staying far away from a harmful exercise of demagogy useful to deceive and deceive hunters with false expectations but, on the other hand, fruitful. In this context, not only regional but national, I have the sad conviction of being among the few to complain that the perpetuation of these reactionary, even subversive, attitudes by other hunting associations will not lead to anything good for hunting in Italy. Because it is now clear (even if not to everyone) that on the one hand there are the gentlemen, immobile like paleontological finds, in the worn-out search for "more times" and "more species" even for an "extra little finch", even at the cost to circumvent community rules, sentences, directives and regulations. On the other, a world that has changed profoundly in the last 25 years. In society, increasingly distant from understanding hunting and hunters. In the size of the hunting world which in the Marche has been reduced by half in the last 5 years and which, with a similar national trend, in Italy represents only about 0,5% of the population. In nature and wildlife, largely in obvious difficulty due to environmental, agricultural and climatic upheavals that are clear to everyone and undeniable.
Regulatory framework
Well, in this context it is my firm belief and that of the association I represent that hunters do want to go hunting, but in full compliance with the complex regulatory framework (community primarily) which protects nature, biodiversity, fauna, the of the interests of the social components differently interested in wildlife and, finally, hunting itself. With an eye to the future, in which the practice of sustainable hunting is also a guarantee for future generations to enjoy this extraordinary passion. If this belief of mine and if, in particular, the position of Arci Caccia proves to be a failure, therefore, if the 2024-2025 hunting calendar as proposed by FIDC and ANLC and accepted by the other associations will not suffer in the face of reasoned sentences from the TAR or of the CdS any limitation, with full awareness and consistently with the intellectual honesty that has always distinguished me, I will resign as regional president of the association. This is to show you hunters how strong my feeling is for better, sustainable and forward-looking hunting. Likewise, I would like to offer a request to the presidents of the regional hunting associations who proposed and supported the hunting calendar in question. Dear colleagues, if you are intellectually honest and consistent with what you have asked, or rather demanded, from Marche region, also to demonstrate that you are not making fun of the Marche hunters (as I supported), resign without reservations and hesitation from your position as regional presidents in the event that your hunting calendar suffers any limitation as a result of administrative justice appeals. Be consistent. Because only in this way will you be able to give a sufficient demonstration of respect for institutions and hunters (source: Arci Caccia).