STORNI emergency: A single figure is enough to understand the extent of the problem: the damage to agriculture caused by starlings amounted in 2010 to almost 35 euros in the province of Lucca alone and 170 in the whole of Tuscany.
The previous year, 2009, the figures were lower (respectively about 20 thousand euros and 54 thousand euros on a regional scale) because specific containment measures were adopted for the species which, together with wild boar and roe deer, is among those responsible greater damage to agricultural crops in Tuscany.
To underline the gravity of the situation is the provincial councilor for agricultural policies, hunting and fishing Diego Santi who, also by virtue of the document illustrated in the Regional Council in recent days, explains that "currently Italy is the only state of the southern area of the European area where the canceled it is not huntable.
For this reason, requests have been made by the Region to the competent ministries so that the European Commission also includes our country in the list of those where the animal species can be contained, or in any case that we proceed to apply derogations ".
“The Province of Lucca - declares Santi - is attentive to the problem and is ready to accept the indications that will arrive from the Tuscany Region. This is why we are in contact with both farmers' associations and hunters to monitor the situation ”.
Finally, Santi himself recalls that, in 2009, the Tuscany Region was able to approve a provision that made it possible to meet the needs of farmers and hunters to safeguard crops.
In 2010, when containment was not possible, the damage to agriculture increased dramatically, especially in the provinces of Lucca, Pisa, Pistoia and Massa Carrara. Not to mention that the actual damages are certainly greater than those mentioned because small farmers or private individuals often do not report them.
Source: La Gazzetta di Lucca