A provocative article
The title used by, to say the least, provocative Il Fatto Quotidiano to address one of the main emergencies that have been gripping the country for some time now, that of African swine fever (ASF). The newspaper now has a strongly animal-environmentalist imprint and in this case it went unbalanced in its blog with a sentence like this: "Wild boars and swine fever: it's always hunting that wins."
The version of the Fact
How did we arrive at this conclusion? Here is what we read in the piece that appeared a few days ago: “The link between wild boars and the expansion of hunting in Italy is an emblematic story. A path that allows us to understand how it is possible that the cause of an alleged problem can become its alleged solution. We are talking about a precise and effective strategy that has also derived an extraordinary opportunity from zoonoses, from mini pandemics which often if not always have a direct relationship with human activity. For decades hunters, directly or through related subjects, have promoted the breeding and introduction of wild boars, now prohibited but still widespread, coming from Eastern European strains, characterized by much larger and prolific specimens".
Hunting season
The article continues: “Thanks to this, the species spread, and people started shouting about the emergency. The answer? Everywhere the same: the indefinite extension of the hunting season through culling plans. Thus the first objective was achieved. But it was only the beginning, because large-scale hunting, carried out above all with hunting, produces an effect opposite to the declared objective of containment, because the resulting fragmentation of the packs leads to a strong reproductive reaction carried out by the most young".
Accusations against hunters
It also reads: “In short, the population, rather than decreasing, increases, and this time the real objective is within reach: the recent changes to the law and even more so, the current unconstitutional bill (C.1548) for a total hunting deregulation by deputy Bruzzone they entrust hunters who are guardians of public order with the possibility of shooting anywhere, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with any means and even in parks and urban areas. It couldn't have gone any better, but to make things even better, African swine fever (ASF) arrived: a viral, contagious and often lethal disease that affects pigs and wild boars. Yes, because despite the fact that EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, has clearly written that it is senseless to allow armed individuals to move around the territory who shed blood from the carcasses by transporting and eviscerating them, transforming themselves into possible spreaders of the virus that kills thousands of farmed pigs, Regions and agricultural associations have asked for and implemented exactly this. EFSA writes that "the circulation of infected animals, contaminated pork products and the illegal disposal of carcasses are causes of contamination". So why was it decided to multiply the possible spread of the problem by allowing the hunters who caused the proliferation of wild boars to shoot, slaughter and take the effect they created for a walk even further?".