Recent legislative proposals
For months we have been carefully monitoring the evolution of the legislative proposals regarding the trade, breeding and possession of exotic species, including birds of prey and therefore the Falconry itself, strongly questioned in the art. 14 European delegation law 2019/2020. We strongly want to stigmatize any initiative that limits any activity relating to falconry on purely ideological grounds, which we recall is an intangible heritage recognized by UNESCO in dozens of countries around the world, as well as strictly regulated by the Washington convention which defines all the rules for the control , the breeding and keeping of birds of prey, to which Italy has also adhered for decades.
The negative list of exotic species
In particular, we hear that in these days the negative list of exotic species is being defined, among which it is rumored that a bird of prey will also be included, the Lugger (Falco jugger): a choice in our opinion senseless and totally in contrast with any principle of conservation of the species, given that a possible prohibition would have at the same time both an almost null impact for commercial purposes (being a species rarely used in falconry), and at the same time extremely negative for conservation purposes, as the only concrete project of safeguarding this species to date is Project Lugger, supported entirely by the community of falconers who make themselves available to keep this species alive, including many of our members.
The choice of UNCF
For this reason, UNCF affiliates with #EmaF, Exotic but Familiar, to give maximum support to the fight against legislative initiatives detached from the scientific reality of the world of birds of prey and falconry (source: Italian Hunting Federation).