Over the past 10 years, we have tried to make a contribution based on our management ideas on this issue Ungulates in general and in particular on the Boar, we did it with the past administration and we continued to do so with the current one. A case, which we will not call "Trouble", because we have been arguing for some time that the wild boar it can be transformed from a resource problem for the territories both from an economic and a food point of view. Contrary to what various subjects do today with great hypocrisy once again they see an opportunity to take advantage of it for the few at the expense of all, filling their mouths, in a populist way, crying wolf wolf, they rise to the fore in the media with the flag of the Boar problem, only today they realize it? We say ENOUGH… !!!
Enough with the commercials, enough with the personalities, it is enough to always look for someone to bear responsibility for choices that could have been made all together years ago, but no one had the courage to decide .. That we would have come to this point, we already knew for over 10 years ... it would have been it is sufficient to look and analyze the scientific - biological and historical data of this species, which has seen the enormous increase in its wooded and marginal range, the depopulation of the medium-high hills, the continuous cutting of the woods which in part reduce the presence of fruits inside the woods themselves, the climatic variations with the increase in temperatures, and the change in agricultural techniques, has created extremely favorable conditions for this species, in addition to facilitating from a "non-existent Territorial and Management Planning" of both the central and regional government, often left to the decisions of the politician on duty, unaware and ignorant, despite the effects that such choices could have caused.
We do not even want to forget the state of neglect and "abandonment" in which the areas adjacent to the inhabited centers are concerned, without any maintenance, also thanks to the totally wrong actions of unsuspecting citizens who continue to forage wild animals. Here are these FACTS, and more .. that as we repeat, over and over again we have brought to the institutional tables, without ever being taken into consideration, as larger associations that should have taken on the responsibility of managing they shrugged turning away from a problem that has now become a social emergency. Once again, without abandoning the hope that things can change, we want to bring our contribution once again to the discussion table to finally take the road that leads us to a correct management of the wild boar species.
The result of a constant confrontation through with specialists, technicians, zoologists, sole experts on the subject and together with hunters all operating in the area, it was concluded that only real management and programming of a series of interventions to be implemented immediately, and others in the medium and long term, can remedy the continuous expansion of the wild boar, bearing in mind that the rifle alone can't solve the problem. We did not stop at words, but we have provided a concrete management of faunal conflicts which lies forgotten in the drawers of the Region, which has never been brought to discussion tables. Surely not the solution, but a point from which to start in the face of absolute nothingness. We do not want to make a controversy in vain, but we have the duty to say that what hastily put in place (on specific pressures of agricultural associations ... and partly rightly ... and not only) by the institutions, again leaves us perplexed, both as hunters.
As an Association that we have repeatedly tried to involve both agricultural and hunting associations and also environmentalist associations, to which we reproach for not having wanted to dialogue and for having disinterested in implementing actions that perhaps today would have already given tangible results. In this last period, the Region has hastily implemented a series of actions starting from selection hunting, the use of traps and trapping fences, immediate interventions by farmers after four hours from reporting the damage, in a completely disjointed way, without precise planning, spot measures that very often go in contrast with rules and regulations. The introduction of selection hunting or the use of manhole cages are not the only solution to the problem if you do not have in mind what is the goal to be achieved..
Management must be made up of many actions to be put in synergy and for each of which it is necessary to define what the purpose is. Selection hunting should have the function of bringing the population back into a correct ratio of sex classes and age classes. The cages and manhole covers should have the function of removing part of the population in all those areas where the same has reached unsustainable levels for the environment, in particular in protected areas and in all those areas where the species it should be eradicated as foreseen by the various plans, the containment of the species pursuant to article 19 of 157 should have the function of controlling the population and intervening when situations of conflict with agricultural activities arise. A series of measures implemented without planning that they leave many questions open, fueling controversy and criticism, there are fundamental aspects concerning the use of cages and manhole covers, on how they must be made, with what materials, what dimensions, who controls them, how they are housed, how they must be killed, how they must be transported and where, who can the private individual sell sell or is it the Region, since the fauna is an unavailable heritage of the state?
In all of this, it has never been discussed in the discussion tables the fundamental theme of the prevention and protection of agricultural crops, which in the areas where the greatest damage is found and by now after years of collected data we know very well, must be protected with the use of electric fences, bollards, use of repellents in sowing, all so that the conflict is prevented rather than trying to remove it. A whole series of environmental and territorial management interventions are missing, targeted interventions necessary to remove refuge areas in areas where the presence of wild boar is not foreseen, restore habitats and create disposable crops far from intensively cultivated areas in the medium and high hills. All important questions that today are unanswered and risk with yet another action put in place in a hurry, without long-term planning and management programming, to fail miserably, making everyone appear incapable and incompetent in a matter.
The management of the wild boar cannot be left in the hands of sorcerer's apprentices, but must be approached seriously in order to achieve a result. The Region cannot shirk its responsibilities by delegating tasks and functions that are due to it by law, the control room must be the wildlife observatory, in such a delicate game it is no longer conceivable that blame and responsibility be discharged on the ATCs. Precisely for the respect that our association has for farmers and for the environment, we are asking to review the entire regional regulatory system and above all, not to find ourselves in a year always discussing the usual wild boar, then it will be a real problem , because he will see the hunters oppressed and disaffected, no longer available, of course, with the complete failure of politics and management, failing again means putting the entire hunting system in crisis.
We start immediately with a serious dialogue between all the parties and when we say all the parties we mean, the leading region, the hunting and agricultural associations, but also the environmentalist ones that can not only remain on the sidelines and criticize every action taken, but that they make themselves available with actionable proposals, in the elaboration of a real management plan that is far-sighted. THIS IS OUR POINT OF VIEW (Source: Arch Hunting).