Unsustainable damage
"The reform of the wildlife law is an opportunity we cannot waste. The bill proposed by Minister Lollobrigida is a good thing , but Parliament must act quickly to put an end to an emergency that is causing unsustainable damage to farms in many inland areas of the country, even forcing them to abandon operations." This was stated by Igor Varrone, the provincial director of Cia-Agricoltori Italiani in Cuneo, at the end of a discussion on the future of wildlife organized today in Rome at the national headquarters of the agricultural organization, with remarks by Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida.
The first evaluations
At the center of the debate is the reform of law 157/92 on the protection of wild fauna, a regulation that is over thirty years old and considered by all to be outdated, as it is clearly no longer responsive to the changed agricultural, environmental and wildlife conditions of the country. Positive initial assessments expressed by the national president of Cia-Italian Farmers, Cristiano Fini, and by the regional president of Cia Piedmont, Gabriele Carenini, national representative of the Agricultural Organization for Wild Fauna, on the reform proposed by the minister. "We are facing an epochal turning point - observe the national and regional presidents of Piedmont - Cia is fully available to work together to fully seize the opportunity to reform the matter, recognizing equal dignity to the needs of environmental protection and production needs".
Containment plans
In particular, among the requests of Cia accepted in the current text of the bill, the recognition of the active role of agricultural entrepreneurs in the control of wild fauna, first and foremost wild boars, stands out. The bill provides, in fact, the possibility for farmers, equipped with a hunting license and specific training, to participate directly in containment plans, even in emergency contexts, contributing on the one hand to a more widespread and timely control of the territory and, on the other, responding to the sector's request for operational tools to defend crops and livestock and protect agricultural activity. Positive, for Cia, also the strengthening of the function of the ATC (Territorial Hunting Areas), which are entrusted with the task of promoting synergies with the agricultural world and which will be able to encourage practices favorable to the rebalancing of wild fauna.
African swine fever
Now the word goes to Parliament: "We have asked for the establishment of a compensation fund and simplified procedures for compensation for damage caused by wild fauna - notes the provincial manager of the Cia Cuneo livestock area, Silvio Chionetti -; furthermore, a national control room would be needed, with agricultural representation, because the responsibility for containment is still too fragmented between different bodies (Regions, Provinces, police forces, managers of protected areas) and therefore of little effectiveness; finally, agricultural organizations need to be better represented in the governance and in wildlife-hunting planning". Last but not least, the issue of African Swine Fever, raised by President Carenini: "If ensuring that wild boars do not leave the infected areas was a good health measure, we must compensate the farmers who sacrifice themselves for everyone in those buffer zones, suffering the consequences of the restrictions. And then, in parallel with the control and biosecurity activities, it is appropriate that we also proceed with the slaughter of wild boars in the 'red zones', to prevent their numbers from becoming uncontrollable" (Source CIA).
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