A bill is about to reach the Council of Ministers in Italy that will abolish the protection of wildlife, handing nature over to hunters. Hunting on beaches, capturing birds to be caged for life, and zero risks for poachers.
Italian environmental and animal rights associations: “An unacceptable act of arrogance that tramples the constitution and limits the freedoms and rights of everyone, opening the door to unprecedented forms of violence against animals. We call on the scientific and cultural world, and all those who care about nature and freedom, to rally.”
The associations ENPA, LAC, LAV, Lipu, and WWF Italy have become aware of the content of the bill circulating in hunting circles, which the government intends to present, perhaps as early as the next Council of Ministers, and then send to Parliament. It is a text steeped in ideology and pro-hunting extremism that effectively gives wildlife and natural areas to hunters, which the Constitution recognizes as the heritage of everyone and future generations, mocking science and citizens’ rights.
The devastating “government reform,” drafted under the dictation of the most extreme fringes of hunting associations, without any consultation with the environmental world, presents elements of blatant unconstitutionality and contradicts European directives on the matter, but evidently, all this does not seem to concern those who govern us: satisfying a specific electoral base is worth the indiscriminate killing of hundreds of millions of animals, the privatization of nature, and new infringement procedures that neither ministers nor hunters will pay for, but all Italian citizens will.
The Meloni government, since the beginning of the current legislature, has shown itself to be obsessed with hunting consensus, leading Parliament to issue dozens of provisions aimed at progressively dismantling wildlife protections. Not satisfied, they are now embarking on a drastic measure, trying to pass under the radar a project that goes against European rules, animals, but also against people, their safety, the freedom to enjoy protected areas, feelings and culture, and the economic development of this country.
Environmental and animal rights associations emphasize that we are facing a point of no return. Whoever votes in favor of this reform will be responsible for the worst attack ever inflicted on wildlife! We expect a strong response from all opposition forces and ask the parliamentarians of the majority to stop this outrage.
The associations will do everything possible to prevent this outrage from becoming law, which is why we call on all those who love nature and feel the responsibility to defend it from these attacks: associations, committees, the scientific and cultural world, businesses, and individual citizens.
Wildlife and the nature that hosts it are not toys for hunters, nor are they bargaining chips between politicians and hunting and arms manufacturing lobbies. They are a common good that belongs to everyone.
THE MAIN HORRORS OF THE MELONI GOVERNMENT’S HUNTING REFORM
- Hunting, from a recreational activity, becomes a practice that by law contributes to the protection of biodiversity and the ecosystem, ignoring the impacts it has on biodiversity conservation. A real authoritarian act that, without any consultation with the world outside of hunting, imposes on everyone an activity that the majority of the population no longer shares.
- Hunting areas are vastly expanded, reducing and in some cases eliminating rules and prohibitions.
- Regions are obliged to reduce protected areas if deemed “excessive,” according to an interpretation of the law that the Council of State has repeatedly considered incorrect, even providing for a substitute power of the Minister of Agriculture.
- Live decoy capture facilities are reopened, and the species that can be captured increase from 7 to 47 (millions of animals now free will end up with a life sentence). Any limit on the possession of decoy birds from breeding is eliminated. Controls become essentially impossible, favoring poaching and animal trafficking.
- Hunting is allowed in state-owned areas such as beaches, dune areas, forests, and grasslands, with enormous risks for hikers, vacationers, cyclists…
- Any limit on the construction of new fixed hunting posts is eliminated, with enormous impacts on tourism and lead pollution from pellets.
- Hunting competitions with dogs and rifles are allowed even at night and during nesting periods.
- In private areas, hunting can be carried out without rules.
- Hunting licenses are granted to foreign citizens, and no training is provided for foreign hunters on Italian rules.
- Hunting periods are increased and extended beyond February (pre-nuptial migration and nesting period).
- The number of huntable species can be increased by politicians without any prior scientific verification.
- Hunting will be allowed even after sunset, making it impossible to distinguish species and posing enormous dangers to public safety.
- Drive hunting will be allowed even on snowy terrain, to follow animal tracks, and will disturb all other animals in their difficult condition.
- Security guards of banks and supermarkets will be able to kill animals.
- Sanctions of up to 900 euros are provided for those who protest against the killing of animals during control activities, while no changes are made to the criminal and administrative sanctions system aimed at suppressing poaching and wildlife trafficking.
