A belief that lasts over time
How many years has it been since theANUU Do you firmly believe that Italian hunters should participate wholeheartedly in every survey and study of avifauna? Many. Our unforgettable Honorary President Gianni Bana made this one of his main focuses for decades, seeking in every way and in every venue to involve hunters in science—certainly not as professionals, but as competent collaborators in gathering data and observations that professional scientists and researchers would then process. He did this both in Italy and in Europe. Satellite telemetry and radar for ornithological purposes did not yet exist, yet both he and several other enlightened association leaders always sought to encourage migratory bird watchers to get involved, and this had a twofold purpose: on the one hand, to increase knowledge for better management of species and habitats; on the other, inevitably, to defend migratory bird hunting, which involved—and continues to involve—hunters in a responsible and conservative approach during the harvest phase.
The research that made history
Some research has made history: consider Alauda 2000, the first-ever Italian study on skylark migration, which took place along the Tyrrhenian coast of Campania using vertical nets and ringing. The ANUU supported the project financially for a decade, but was then forced to abandon it due to force majeure (the study was later taken over by Federcaccia, which continues it today). This activity should have been promoted by the competent public bodies, but instead was developed thanks to hunters. Or consider the collection and cataloging of the wings of song thrushes, song thrushes, and redwings, shot during the hunting season to estimate the age ratio of autumn transiting flocks. This study has continued uninterrupted since 1985 and has produced a remarkable amount of data. And then there's the legendary Sky-Way Project visual census, conceived and implemented through a partnership between ANUU, Federcaccia, and Italcaccia, overseen by the late Ettore Medani for its duration. How could we forget the annual meetings to illustrate and discuss the data, hosted in the main hall of the INFS headquarters in Ozzano dell'Emilia? Arguably, despite its inevitable shortcomings in scientific rigor, the SWP was the pinnacle of those efforts, because it saw cooperation between different hunting associations and, above all, because it attracted the attention of the institute that, at the national level, held and holds the primary expertise and technical role in matters of warm-blooded wildlife.
The past…and the present?
Not all INFS leaders, admittedly, welcomed this opportunity for cross-disciplinary collaboration with equal interest, yet we have no doubt that paving this path was sensible and far-sighted. Finally, let's not forget the scientific ringing program, which the association spearheaded since the 70s, as an intelligent and useful method for reusing bird traps that were at risk of being abandoned following the ban on bird trapping established by Law No. 799 of 1967, which came into force on March 31, 1969. Thus, numerous historic facilities were able to survive thanks to this purpose, along with those that survived because they were converted to live decoy capture facilities (another brilliant idea from the association's leaders at the time). The ANUU then contributed to many other studies promoted by other associations or specialized clubs, such as the collection and cataloging of woodcock wings, censuses of the autumn migration of wood pigeons conducted from antlers, and more. This, the past: but how are we doing today? The answer, "better!", should be unequivocal and indisputable; instead, we have the feeling that this isn't quite the case, and this is unfortunate, because today more than ever, despite what is commonly called "citizen science" being a common heritage of communities almost everywhere, including in Italy, there's a risk that hunters will be left out.
Hunters of the Future
The polarization of hunting debates, in a climate that, partly due to social media and the internet, seems to have returned to the pre-1990 referendum era, represents a further risk of ghettoization of the hunting world, which instead could and should find a source of proud participation in field research. Of course, there are hunting associations, particularly the majority one, that are conducting or sponsoring significant research—satellite telemetry being a prime example—but the impression one gets from reading and listening to the average hunter is of a growing disinterest, almost as if we've somewhat surrendered to the inevitable decline in hunting demographics, to the disturbing legal disputes at regional administrative courts and the Council of State, and to the shameful and preconceived anti-hunting campaigns promoted by some media outlets and supported by some political parties. However, this historical period cannot see hunters backing away, nor limiting themselves to complaining on social media. We must become active, commit ourselves to the best of our ability and ability, and also work to support studies. Hunting calendars and every other document issued by the relevant public administration require data like we need oxygen to breathe: without data, nothing good or lasting can be achieved. As the French would say, "continuons le combat," meaning let's keep fighting, because it will be worth it as long as there is even one hunter active for a single day of hunting and for a single huntable species. We owe this above all to the hunters who will come after us, but also to our founding fathers, who understood this and acted accordingly when the hunting landscape was much, much more serene and peaceful than it is today. Let's not give up! (Source: ANUU).
You May Also Like ..
