In Lombardia farmers who suffer damage to crops caused by wild boars will be able to indicate two qualified operators, 'selecontroller hunters', to contain the animal on their land. This is what is established by the resolution approved by the Region on the proposal of the Councilor for Agriculture, Food and Green Systems, Fabio Rolfi.
Actions in favor of farmers
"In recent years - said Rolfi - we have introduced the possibility for licensed farmers to intervene directly, we have updated the law, we have introduced selection hunting for wild boar all year round even with a night vision device, we have provided the right to foraging or the positioning of small quantities of food to attract the wild boar ".
Everything that the national standard provides
“Lombardy - he added - has done everything that the national law allows, often ending up even in judicial offices to defend its laws and the right of the territories to manage the plague of the wild boar. Now we need the intervention of the State, which has always been inert: the uncontrolled proliferation of wild boars causes damage to agriculture and is a danger to road safety ”. “The wild boar - the commissioner recalled - is in fact also the main vector of African swine fever. And this should therefore make us reflect on the effects of the lack of interest shown in recent years by the competent ministries ”.
Specific application to the Provincial Police
The owner or tenant of the land on which damage to crops or the agricultural system is certified, in order to incentivize the containment of wild boar populations, can therefore submit to the competent provincial police bodies a specific application for authorization for two operators qualified for the selective control of ungulates. .
The will of the Lombardy Region
"This measure - said the commissioner - confirms the Region's willingness to activate every possible measure to further increase the containment of wild boar with a view to defending crops and the safety of local communities".
Felling over 14.000
wild boars hunters selecontrollers “In 2021 the total culls in Lombardy were 12.972, to which 1.187 in parks and reserves must be added, against the 9.198 total in 2020 and 7.371 in 2019. The regional standard, therefore, works. Farmers, citizens who live in the mountains and mayors - underlined the commissioner - need concrete answers and our commitment goes in this direction ". “With the resolution of Monday 31 January - concluded Rolfi - we have filled a further gap. Some territorial areas and alpine hunting districts in areas unsuitable for wild boar have not prepared the multi-year wild boar management projects or the annual harvesting interventions. Now we have established a time schedule which provides for the preparation of the document by 1 July 2022. Alternatively, the substitute power of the Region will start and we will directly prepare the plans to start the selection hunt everywhere ”.