In a video released online, Dr. Michael Sorrenti, Coordinator of the Studies and Research Office of Hunting Federation, responded to inquiries from many hunters about the prospects for the hunting collection of the starling in Italy and the concrete possibilities for satisfactory hunting of the species. As pointed out by Sorrenti, there are no changes to the community directive currently in force, as was found by a survey among the various EU nations.
However, a failure to change the text is not judged in a negative way by FIDC and by FACE, as the same directive can be considered good all in all and would risk compromising the small results already achieved. The impression is that Brussels does not want to change anything, therefore the only way to chase the starling in Roman Italy is by derogation. The government should issue guidelines based on the damage caused to agriculture. Also, for Sorrenti if there was the right political will, the areas of intervention could also be increased. Another opportunity for improvement is that of so-called “small quantities”.
In practice, ISPRA (Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) has set a number of animals based on transit during the autumn migration, consequently the withdrawal could be increased according to the ascertained numbers. There is a willingness on the part of some regions to change the rules, despite the reporting of damage in agriculture, precise and important, is always fundamental.
Here is the video released online: