FEDERCACCIA: Technical Table 4 August 2011.
Palermo, 05.08.2011 - Yesterday, at the premises of the Agricultural and Food Resources Department of Palermo, a small technical table was convened to which the following were present: for the Administration the Ass. D'Antrasi, Dr. Barressi, Dr. Genna , Dr. Giovanni Di Giunta and Dr. Pistone; for the Hunting Associations: Italian Federation of Hunting, Sicilian Council, ASCN, Sicilian Federation of Hunting, Enalcaccia, Arcicaccia; for the Environmentalist Associations: LIPU, Legambiente and WWF.
We have been made aware that the opening of rabbit hunting will begin on September 3rd, while for turtledove and wood pigeon, disregarding what ISPRA has indicated, on September 10th. In the seat of the Regional Fauna Committee we will propose the pre-opening on September 1st.
We were also informed that the Regional Offices are redoing the counts to determine the Agro Silvo Pastorale Territory with more precision and that the SEA and EIA process has been activated.
As the Italian Federation of Hunting, we asked for information on the possibility of being able to practice hunting within SIC and ZPS, Pantani di Pachino and Isole Minori. If something is moving for the smaller islands, for the others it seems that the situation is stalled, so in the light of what has been mentioned the Italian Federation of Hunting officially reaffirms its position regarding the new provisions of law and everything that, as a consequence, it follows and precisely:
1) We do not agree with the choice of 20% on a regional scale because this initiative by the Regional Government, which certainly derives from the counts reported on the Agro Silvo Pastorale Territory in the new Wildlife Hunting Plan, still in progress, erroneous for us and confirms this 'from what we learned yesterday, over time it will cause serious damage to the environment and to hunting in general;
2) The first negative novelty of the calculation of the Agro Silvo Pastoral Territory (for us always wrong) on the provincial basis of the Hunting Wildlife Plan is the Decree, already published in GURS, on the new regional hunting density index for the next five years which is generating a sea of confusion. Surely it was not necessary at the moment to re-determine the new indices as, in place, another Decree is in force, valid until 2013, which establishes them so, pending the New Plan and the new calculation of the Territory, it was more appropriate not to do nothing. Why this concern? ;
3) As far as SIC and SPA are concerned, we are opposed to any request for bartering, closing or various sops. We are available to discuss the hunting methods that can be put in place for a better management of the fauna, however we believe that a serious discussion can take place immediately after the Sicilian Region will implement the Pecoraro Scanio Decree (in integral form and not as some time fa modified and consequently canceled by the TAR Palermo) with which we could have a document that would allow us to be able to implement the Management Committees of the aforementioned Sites and Zones as required by the European Natura 2000 legislation;
4) The smaller islands deserve great respect and serious discussion. The calculations on the territory must be detached from the major island so that, with truthful data in hand, it will be possible to allow a serious planned hunt based on scientific data. It is clear that any hasty decision can be the result of bartering and commodification that we DO NOT WANT; a new re-measurement of SCI and SPA is therefore requested, taking into account the objective criteria established in the Natura 2000 project;
5) Hunting in the Pantani di Pachino is certainly possible. The correct incidence assessment procedure carried out in the past hunting season has already proved this irrefutably. Consider that the Pantani di Pachino are the last remaining wetland in Sicily of a certain size where it is possible to practice traditional aquatic hunting. Also in this case we are available to discuss the methods of hunting and site management with all interested parties, as long as no hunting prohibitions are proposed;
6) As I have already had the opportunity to explain personally in the restricted technical table, our Federation is opposed to restricted reconvocations as LR 33/97 entrusts these and many other competences to the Regional Fauna Committee.
7) If the Administration wants to convene a technical table, we deem it appropriate that it should be composed of no more than three experts graduates in Legal and Biological Matters.
The President
Joseph LaRussa
- As Received Published -