On the morning of two days ago, Tuesday 14 July, at Palazzo Piloni in Belluno, the new hunting calendar, approved byprovincial administration. This is the main instrument of the autonomous management of the hunting and fishing function ensured by the Province of Belluno in agreement with the Veneto region. The calendar was drawn up in concert with the stakeholders, following meetings with hunters, farmers and environmentalists. As already happened last year, the pre-opening deer collection is started. "The plans approved in previous years are confirmed»Explained the provincial delegated councilor, Franco De Bon.
"This is the second year of experimentation for the killing of females and young deer, starting immediately after August XNUMXth to meet what is becoming a real emergency for agriculture and beyond: the excessively high density of ungulates constitutes a strong damage to the crops and also to the entire ecosystem. This year, with the favorable opinion of Ispra which represents the reference body for wildlife management, we have increased the culling plan by 20% ». In 2019, 2.673 deer were collected, equally divided between males, females and young. A number that touches 91% of the animals allowed by the abatement plan. For 2020, with the new increase authorized by Ispra, the total authorized reaches 3.234 heads. "A number functional to a scientifically correct management of the ungulate population, which is constantly growing", underlined the director De Bon.
"Last year's estimates tell us that we had about 40 thousand animals in the province, excluding the territory of the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park: 10.400 deer (they were just over 900 in 1990, ed), 13.600 roe deer, 2.400 mouflons, 7.250 chamois, to which we must add an unspecified number of wild boars, in very strong growth. The wild boar is a problem for the damage it produces to agricultural activities and together with the green table the eradication has been arranged. In this case too, the levy is growing: 400 animals slaughtered in 2018, 705 in 2019 ». Two souls of the green table, farmers and the hunting world, also took part in the presentation of the hunting calendar. On the part of farmers it is raised the cry of alarm for the difficulties related to the extensive damage caused by deer and wild boar.
"We thank the Province for the continuous listening to the problems relating to wildlife", said Michele Nenz (Coldiretti Belluno). «For farmers this is a difficult moment: in the upper part of the province the greatest damage comes from the deer; in the lower part we have deer and wild boar at the same time. The presence of the wolf has certainly affected the wildlife, but it has also changed its behavior, making it reach the valley floor even in summer ». "The future of hunting is to move increasingly towards sustainable management of the environment and fauna", added Alberto Colleselli, representative of the hunting world. "The hunter must be the one who helps to rebalance the demographics of wildlife, also by controlling some species that are increasing in a problematic way and protecting those species that, precisely because of the growth of others, could enter survival difficulties».
The president of the Province, Roberto Padrin, was also satisfied with the new hunting calendar: «This is the result of a concerted effort with all the parties involved, which has led to an excellent result. We thank the Veneto Region for the willingness it has given us to independently manage the hunting and fishing function. It is an act required right from the start in the path of our autonomy. Thanks to the provincial structure and to Franco De Bon for his commitment. When our territory collaborates, we always manage to obtain great results. We are also seeing it in the green table, for the benefit not only of agricultural activities, but of the whole Belluno environment "(Amicodelpopolo.it).