IThe Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, has declared his intention to reform Law 157/92 on hunting by the summer, with the aim of making it operational before the start of the new hunting season. The announcement was made during the “Caccia Village” event in Bastia Umbra, where Lollobrigida met representatives of hunting associations, including the president of Federcaccia, Massimo Buconi. The reform proposal aims to modernise the current legislation, dating back more than thirty years, to address new challenges related to wildlife management and the containment of invasive species. According to Lollobrigida, the aim is to ensure a balance between the protection of biodiversity and the needs of agricultural and hunting activities..
The main proposed changes
The draft reform, consisting of 18 articles, introduces several significant changes:
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Extension of hunting areas, including public lands and protected natural areas.
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Hunting is also permitted at night and beyond the traditional limits of the hunting season.
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Reopening of bird snares and increase in the number of species that can be used as live decoys, from 7 to 47.
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Possibility of hunting in previously prohibited areas, such as beaches and dunes.
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Reduction of protected areas if they exceed 30% of the regional territory.
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Recognition of hunting licenses of foreign citizens to facilitate hunting tourism.
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Elimination of the binding opinion of ISPRA, replacing it with a Technical Wildlife and Hunting Committee.
Political and institutional reactions
The reform has provoked mixed reactions. The Lombardy regional councillor for Agriculture, Alessandro Beduschi, expressed support for the initiative, underlining the need to update the legislation to address the emergency linked to the uncontrolled proliferation of wild fauna, which causes damage to agriculture and increases the risk of road accidents.
On the other hand, the Democratic Party, through the group leader in the Agriculture Commission of the Chamber, Stefano Vaccari, criticized the proposal, calling it a "wrong path" and lamenting the lack of an in-depth analysis of the results obtained by the current law and its possible shortcomings.
Concerns of environmental associations
Environmental and animal rights groups have expressed strong concern about the proposed changes. Among the main criticisms are the extension of hunting areas, the authorization of night hunting, the increase in species that can be used as live decoys and the reduction of protected areas. According to these associations, these changes represent an “attack on biodiversity” and an “overturning” of current legislation.
Next steps
Minister Lollobrigida reiterated that the reform will be presented to the Council of Ministers by May, with the aim of approving it in Parliament before the end of the summer. He stressed the importance of a constructive dialogue with all interested parties to reach a balanced text that meets the needs of the country.
The reform of Law 157/92 represents a turning point in the management of hunting activities in Italy. The debate between supporters and opponents of the proposal highlights the need to find a balance between the needs of hunting activities and the protection of the environment and biodiversity.
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