"The nutria in Lombardy, and in the rest of the Po Valley, is causing incalculable damage to farms and to the embankments of the water bodies in which it builds its dens, risking to contaminate the production cycles of our food products. This rodent also represents a danger to humans because the tunnels it digs cause subsidence of the embankments and land. The time for small talk is over. Now we need concrete actions. For this the Lombardy region will officially ask the Government to establish a national fund dedicated to the containment of this species.
It is now an emergency for the agricultural world ». This was stated by the Lombard regional councilor for Agriculture, Food and Green Systems Fabio Rolfi on the draft decree on the national management plan for coypu presented by the Government. «The document presented by Minister Costa to the Regions - adds Rolfi - contains many beautiful words and intentions, but provides for zero euros for interventions.
The management plan of nutria, on the other hand, can only be effective if specific funds are made available at the state level, to be allocated and distributed to the Regions with regional containment plan for otters. It is necessary to coordinate the forces between institutions, trade associations and bodies involved such as parks and land reclamation consortia ».