An all too well known problem
Solve the boar problem and addressing wildlife damage and management issues together. Coldiretti Turin brought together its territorial representatives and the members of the hunting commission at the headquarters of Palazzo Carpano in a meeting with the wildlife management bodies of the provincial territory, those territorial hunting areas and alpine areas where farmers' representatives are often outnumbered by hunters. They thus found themselves discussing in an open and frank way, in front of the top management of Coldiretti Turin, the presidents of Atc To1 Zona eporediese; ATC To2 Basso Canavese; Atc To3 Pinerolo area; Atc To4 Carmagnola-Poirino area; Atc To5 Turin hills; Ca To1 Valli Pellice, Chisone and Germanasca; Ca To2 Upper valley of Susa; Ca To3 Lower Sangone valley.
The damage of wild boars
A first appointment to build a bridge between two worlds often in opposition but which are driven by the same interest in less confrontational wildlife management. At the center of the discussion is the extremely topical issue of wild boar damage to agricultural crops and the emergence of the plague of wild boars, that Psa virus that does not attack humans but which represents a serious threat to the swine sector. On the table the common will of farmers and hunters to modify the national law on wildlife, which dates back to 1992, when there were almost no wild boars in Piedmont and which had the sole purpose of preserving fauna such as "Unavailable assets of the state". In particular Coldiretti Turin and the leaders of the CA and ATC agreed with the proposal to extend the hunt for wild boar from the current 90 days to 150 days, a proposal ready but never approved by the Council of Ministers.
The urgent need to be hunted
In particular, the need has emerged to extend hunting for wild boar in pursuit until the end of winter when it is easier to locate the flocks and it is easier to kill due to the lack of vegetation. It has also been asked to be able to hunt wild boar in the snow and in areas affected by fires where today hunting is prohibited for 10 years (it is 10 thousand hectares in the Susa valley alone). At the center of the common criticisms, the wildlife management within the protected areas: the parks, for an old concept of absolute preservation that does not manage the natural environment, do not carry out, with rare exceptions, the killing of wild boars and represent refuge areas that frustrate containments outside the protected areas. Among the common requests the simplification of the procedures for reimbursement of damages to farmers, excessively bureaucratic procedures. The same de-bureaucratization was requested to allow farmers to build capture cages, carry out self-defense killing with firearms, request emergency interventions through selecontrollers still completely underutilized in the province of Turin.
The shortcomings of the Metropolitan City
The meeting also revealed that the Metropolitan City cannot manage wildlife with just three gamekeepers on staff: a situation that undermines the credibility of the body which today even proposes the establishment and direct management of new protected areas such as the Parco dei 5 Laghi in Ivrea. It was agreed to meet periodically to elaborate common requests to be brought to the Metropolitan City and to the Region. "A meeting that is certainly a first step to resolve the conflicts and misunderstandings but above all to make a common front for the depopulation of wild boars that are bending Turin agriculture - comments the president of Coldiretti Torino Bruno Mecca Cici - Farmers want ATC and CA to be put in the conditions to carry out the task of managing wildlife.
Goals to achieve
It is about reaching that number of 26 thousand wild boars killed which is the aim of reducing the species to combat the spread of Psa and damage to crops. Farmers, however, also demand from the public system that the reimbursements to which they are entitled are quantified in an appropriate manner and reach farmers quickly. Today the figures are insufficient, the findings are questionable and that little money is seen after 3-4 years. So we really feel cheated ». Then he turned to the hunting component of Atc and Ca: «Your passion must not become our problem».