Onwild boar emergency, between criticisms and proposals, intervenes Flavio Duretto, Chairman of the Asti section di Free Hunt, one of the hunting associations present in our province. And it does so with a reasoning that is based on a fundamental distinction of roles and on a simple one mathematical account. The distinction is one that strictly relates to hunters. "Hunting is a hobby for which hunters pay regional, territorial and state contributions - says Duretto today emeritus director of the Asti Arpa - As a hobby, those who practice it have all the freedom to exercise it without impositions, except for the sacrosanct ones imposed by the hunting rules ». The problem arises when, to stem the proliferation of wild boars, hunters are employed for the control activities of the species.
The hunting season lasts just over four months, control activities all year round. They are two very different roles. "If a hunter adheres to the control activity he must undertake to do everything possible to make the hunts effective, both during the day with the teams, either at night in the role of tutor or OFS (specialized wildlife operator). But all of this happens purely on a voluntary basis. To date, confirms Duretto, no hunter who goes wild boar receives a single penny in terms of reimbursement of expenses.
«And there are many expenses, because in addition to those of qualification for hunting gasoline must be calculated for the kilometers traveled on the hills, ammunition, veterinary expenses for dogs, equipment for safe night hunting ». On several occasions it has been pointed out that the hunters are not employed by ATC, Province, Region or farmers: they are volunteers who make their passion available to solve a problem in the area. "In 2021 the ATC of Asti received complaints of damage from wild boars for about 680 thousand euros - continues Duretto - If instead of paying them in compensation we provocatively hypothesized the recognition of 50 euros for each wild boar killed, with that money 13.600 could be eliminated. Far more than those present in the province of Asti ».
Because in the end, the president still argues Free Hunt, contrary to what has been said on several occasions, hunters are the only ones who can help farmers to lower the pressure of the wild boar on the territory. "And then find a system to recognize this activity to teams and tutors day and night, throughout the year, they hunt the countryside in search of wild boars ». A system that must be calibrated based on the results in order to reward those who are more effective and represent an incentive for those who have invested their time and money in hunting for years.
Taking into account that the reduction in the presence of specimens in Piedmont must be absolutely pursued, as required by the rules on restraint of the diffusion of African swine fever, very dangerous infection found between the province of Alessandria and Liguria. Places where, however, hunters are pounding the territory inch by inch in search of infected wild boar carcasses without any recognition of expenses, not even personal protective equipment. "We must not divide, we must keep in mind the roles (hunting and control) of hunters and aim for maximum collaboration for an extraordinary campaign of killing that brings the number of specimens in balance with the environment (LaNuovaProvincia.it).