According to the latest estimates (even if there is no real census by the competent authorities) there are at least 100 thousand otters currently present in the low Paduan. These are very dangerous specimens: they usually dig their burrows in the banks of canals, drains and ditches. When they pass over the areas close to the same embankments, agricultural vehicles are in danger of overturning, as has happened several times in the past, precisely because the land - dotted with holes - is more "landslide". The new alarm is launched by Emilio Cappellari, the new president of the area Cia Este-Montagnana:
"We are worried, these beavers seem to multiply excessively. They move in groups of four, five specimens. Among the many critical issues, they destroy crops with consequent huge losses for agricultural entrepreneurs. In particular, in these days the durum wheat seedlings are devastating: where they pass, then there is nothing more ». In any case, it should be remembered that last August the Veneto region launched the regional control plan for nutria: “Also following the various requests that we have submitted in the most appropriate fora - says Cappellari -.
Now we hope that the containment operations proceed with regularity. In parallel, another viable solution to put a stop is the activation of a general sterilization program". The damages caused by "beaver" in the whole province amount to over half a million euros per year; however, this figure is calculated by default. Hence the battle that the CIA has been carrying out for several years, or the request for the modification of law 157 of 1992 called "Rules for the protection of wildlife". «The legislation that regulates the matter must be changed closely - adds Cappellari - in order to reach a point of equilibrium, in the context of a biodiversity that provides for a natural coexistence of the different varieties of fauna.
Today, more than ever, it is necessary to go beyond the principle of protection to arrive at that of a correct management of the wildlife itself. It should be sought what it is the optimal density of each individual species, in the context of environmental, social and economic compatibility. If from now on the otters will not be adequately contained, with the methods allowed by the regional administration, the damage could even increase. It would be a further blow to a sector that, with difficulty, is trying to pursue a real recovery "(Padua Today).