The choice of the Marche Region
La Regional Council of the Marche, on the proposal of the Councilor Andrea Maria Antonini, has started the approval of the Regional Hunting Calendar 2023 - 2024, with the main objective of adopting an act, respectful of the regulatory and technical principles, aimed at avoiding as much as possible any suspensions and interruptions of the hunting season following appeals to the Administrative Court.
The timing of action
Councilor Andrea Maria Antonini's goal was to adopt the hunting calendar by May 2023. A revolution compared to the past, given that last year this similar resolution was adopted on 18 July and final approval on 1 August . Following the TAR ruling of 15 February 2023 on the last hunting calendar, it was possible to start the evaluation of the first proposal for a hunting calendar. These are the operational phases:
– On 14 March, with the convening of the Control Room of the regional hunting associations, a first proposal for a hunting calendar was drawn up which collected all the requests from the Associations. This proposal represented the most extensive form of hunting calendar, with the largest number of huntable species and hunting days.
– On 17 March 2023, the proposal was sent to ISPRA to obtain the opinion required by national legislation.
– On 15 May, having acquired the opinion of ISPRA, the control room of the regional hunting associations was convened. to discuss the definitive proposal for a hunting calendar.
As a result of the meeting, the aspects of the definitive Hunting Calendar were shared by all the representatives of the regional hunting associations present, also on the basis of mediations.
A well-calibrated calendar
The ruling of the Marche TAR on the 2022-2023 regional hunting calendar rejected the appeal of the Environmental Associations which censured the excessively extended times of the sampling. In the light of this, the Assessor Andrea Maria Antonini and the Regional Council propose to approve a Hunting Calendar aimed at allowing the collection of the greatest number of huntable species for the maximum possible period of time, in compliance with the laws and recent sentences. The purpose of the resolution, therefore, is to propose a hunting calendar that ensures hunters the certainty of collection times, protected from appeals in the administrative, tax and civil courts. For this reason, the most guarantee references are identified in the sampling times and relative huntable species reported in last year's hunting calendar which was legitimized by the sentence of the Marche TAR.
The hunting calendar at a glance
a) Turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur): on 2, 3, 6 September 2023 and from 17 September to 22 October 2023 according to the methods specified in the paragraph "Hunting turtle dove".
b) Teal, Mallard and Garganey: on 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, 13 September 2023 according to the methods specified in the paragraph "Pre-opening hunting" and from 17 September 2023 to 15 January 2024.
c) Wood pigeon: on 9, 10 and 13 September 2023 according to the methods specified in the paragraph "Pre-opening hunting" and from 17 September 2023 to 22 January 2024.
d) Quail: on 13 September 2023 according to the procedures specified in the paragraph "Pre-opening Quail hunting" and from 17 September to 30 October 2023.
e) Jay, Magpie, Hooded Crow: on 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, 13 September 2023 according to the methods specified in the paragraph "Pre-opening hunting" and from 17 September 2023 to 15 January 2024.
f) Hare, wild rabbit, pheasant, gray partridge, red partridge: from 17 September to 3 December 2023:
− for the hare, pheasant and gray partridge species, the Region, on proposal of the ATC Management Committee, limits access to the collection and/or reduces the time limits for collection in the respective territory under management competence;
− in the AAFFVV, where the Hare and the Pheasant can be hunted on specific annual sampling plans, the hunting season ends on 10th December for the Hare and on 31st December for the Pheasant.
g) Partridge: the taking of the species is not allowed with the exception of the ATC MC 2 through the specific Management Plan approved by the Region and according to the provisions of the National Management Plan for the Partridge approved by the Permanent Conference for relations between the State, the Regions and the autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano.
h) Fox: from 17 September 2023 to 31 January 2024 according to the methods specified in the paragraph "Fox Hunting".
i) Merlo: from 17 September to 31 December 2023.
l) Song thrush, Cesena, Redwing: from 17 September 2023 to 20 January 2024.
m) Skylark: from 1st October to 31st December 2023.
n) Gadwall, Codone, Widgeon, Shoveler: from 17 September 2023 to 31 January 2024 (from 21 to 31 January 2024 hunting is permitted only in the "stalking" form).
o) Moriglione: from 17 September 2023 to 31 January 2024 according to the methods specified in the paragraph "Hunting for Moriglione".
p) Tufted Duck: from 15 October 2023 to 31 January 2024 (from 21 to 31 January 2024 hunting is permitted only in the "sneak" form).
q) Common Snipe, Water Rail, Whisk, Coot, Moorhen: from 17 September 2023 to 31 January 2024.
r) Fighter: from 17 September to 8 October 2023 according to the methods specified in the paragraph "Hunting the Fighter".
s) Woodcock: from 1 October 2023 to 20 January 2024 according to the methods specified in the paragraph "Hunting for Woodcock".
t) Wild boar with collection in collective form (hounded and turned) and in individual form (with the exception of the selection hunt): on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays according to the following calendar:
– provinces of Fermo, Ascoli Piceno: from 15 October 2023 to 14 January 2024.
– provinces of Pesaro and Urbino, Ancona, Macerata: from 1 November 2023 to 31 January 2024.