The Italian Hunting Union harshly criticizes the "absurd resolution" of the Municipality of Mantua containing the ban on hunting and other measures for the "protection of fauna" of clear animal rights.
With regard to the Resolution n.10 / 2015 of the Municipality of Mantua, concerning the Regulations for the protection of the Welfare of animals signed by the Mayor Nicola Sodano, and in particular art. 23 which verbatim states “hunting is prohibited throughout the municipal area. The national and regional provisions for the eradication of alien species for health and / or safety reasons are without prejudice "We can only acknowledge that the aforementioned resolution appears completely illegitimate, as it is important to remember that the national law that regulates the hunting activity is 157/92 while the regional one is established by law n. 23/93. These regulatory provisions make no reference to the derogation inherent to the performance of thears venandi at the head of the municipalities. Remember that the municipalities have only the power to limit hunting activity for short periods and only for urgent reasons while still guaranteeing the carrying out of the aforementioned activity as established by the Hunting Calendars which, we remind you, are issued with REGIONAL law. See TAR Abbruzzo Sent. N. 137 Sect. 1 15.03.2011: trade union ordinance pursuant to art. 54, c. 2 of Legislative Decree N. 267/2000 - Prohibition of hunting due to unsustainability of the hunting load - illegitimacy. The trade union ordinance issued pursuant to art. 54, paragraph 2 of Legislative Decree 18 August 200 n. 267 with which hunting is prohibited for thirty days due to the unsustainability of the hunting load for the safety of the population and of the hunters themselves.
The purposes pursued by the Mayor, in this case, are not in fact consistent with those strictly established by the law (see Piedmont Regional Administrative Court n.88 / 2006), given that the unsustainability of the hunting load is a fact that can be evaluated ONLY by the body in charge. by the administrative functions on the matter (the Province), with the consequence that the Mayor cannot overlap this exclusive, in the function of control or substitute for this power.
Therefore, from the reading of the aforementioned sentence it is well understood how other, clumsy attempts by other mayors have already been averted with energetic interventions at the competent judicial offices which have the sacred task of restoring order and in this case the competences of the individual local authorities. Therefore it can be well foreseen that a further economic burden will be placed on the citizens of Mantua as the Municipality will have to use additional public money to justify its own wicked decisions in the Courts. Furthermore, it is noted that once again these decisions are taken without contradiction with the trade associations (hunting, agricultural etc.) having instead as the only interlocutor the environmental associations, which as foreseen in the resolution in question will have a collaborative role, hoping only that this does not translate into yet another attempt to recover funds.
Finally, those of competence are invited to use all the tools that the legal system makes available to us in order to counter the aforementioned resolution so as not to create a precedent that can only lead to a disaster for the world of hunting and beyond. So I believe that this resolution must be challenged promptly at the competent TAR in order to cancel this attempted coup by the Mayor of Mantua.
Barbara Mazzali
Spokesperson for the Italian Hunting Union
(February 28, 2015)