“I was informed of the letter sent to the prefect, to ask for support and support from the Province, Region and Government”. This is the comment of the president of the Province of Ferrara, Gianni Padovani, to the initiative signed by Coldiretti Ferrara to ask for a strengthening of actions to combat the proliferation of otters. “I already plan - continues the president - to schedule it as soon as possible a meeting with all interested representatives, to agree on every possible action and effort to respond in the most effective way to this problem that affects the agricultural world in particular ".
In the meantime, with the economic and human resources available a end of 2021 About 60 thousand otters have been killed, thanks to the voluntary commitment of the hunters and the involvement of the respective associations. The Province by law cannot put own financial resources, but despite this over the years it has concluded agreements with the 21 municipalities of the territory, the reclamation consortium, the regional agency for civil protection, with Aipo and Parco del Delta del Po. Agreements that in 2021 made it possible to make administration based in the Estense Castle about 60 thousand euros, spent to reimburse the assistants, through their associations, and for the purchase of cages to be distributed to farmers who have requested them.
Last year about 200 were purchased and distributed by the provincial police. To this we must add that the interventions of the hunters are the result of their voluntary availability and collaboration, "For which, however - says Padovani - I believe our thanks are never enough", in addition to the costs caused by acts of vandalism or theft of cages for catching otters. “The good news - continues Padovani - is that this year the Region has allocated 97 thousand euros on the nutrie chapter".
Money that, in practice, will be reimbursed in the final balance in 2023 and in the meantime anticipated by the Province, to finance the interventions to be implemented, in turn to be reported to Viale Aldo Moro. "Additional resources - concludes Padovani - which will certainly be spent down to the last cent to strengthen every action and intervention, which it is my precise commitment to define jointly with all the stakeholders involved" (source: Province of Ferrara).