This morning in the Supreme Court in Rome, a popular initiative bill was filed with the goal of abolishing hunting, strengthening the protection of wolves and bears, increasing areas designated as parks, and, in any case, prohibiting hunters from entering private property.
The bill was presented by the associations Animalisti Italiani, ENPA, LAC, LAV, LNDC Animal Protection, and OIPA. In the coming days, after its publication in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, these groups, along with any other associations that wish to join, will launch an online signature collection drive. Their aim is to exceed the 50,000 signatures needed within six months for the bill to be discussed by the Italian Parliament. This will happen alongside the “Lollobrigida” Bill, which unfortunately seeks to expand hunting more than it is already allowed, anytime and anywhere.
Against Lollobrigida’s “Shooter” Bill
“This is an essential action against the ‘shooter’ bill presented by the center-right in the Senate of the Republic with the signatures of group leaders Malan (FdI), Romeo (Lega), Gasparri (FI), Salvitti (Civici d’Italia),” stated the involved associations. “It was announced last Friday by Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida during the Council of Ministers meeting, even though it goes against the will of the vast majority of Italians who have always declared themselves against killing animals for fun and against the extension of hunting activities.”
Italians oppose hunting
“We appeal to the Minister of Agriculture, who, in his work, has identified wild animals as scapegoats for the sector’s problems, and to the majority group leaders, signatories of the Lollobrigida Bill, to affirm that the problems are, in fact, entirely different,” declared Animalisti Italiani, ENPA, LAC, LAV, LNDC Animal Protection, and OIPA. “Our Italy, which has always demonstrated a highly civilized level of culture, wants to curb all of this, to stop the death sentence of millions of wild animals, used unnecessarily and for bloody pleasure by the hunting world. For this reason, we have filed the Popular Initiative Bill and ask all citizens to support it with their signature so that it can be discussed in Parliament along with the majority’s bill. That bill, among other things, allows hunting in spring, in state forests (previously tourist areas), in mountain passes, grants shooting power to bank and supermarket guards, and extends the capture of birds with nets and their use as decoys. It is necessary to send a strong message to politicians, reminding them that the vast majority of Italian citizens are against hunting.”
Eurispes itself consistently certifies the strong opposition of Italian citizens towards hunting, with values over time reaching 76% opposed to a violent and dangerous activity. This activity causes the killing of hundreds of millions of animals and dozens of human deaths and injuries each year, in addition to making forests and countryside impassable for hikers and families.
Two EU infraction procedures
With the approval in December 2022 of the “wild hunt” amendment, which allows hunters into cities and parks, the Government and Parliament began a detailed process of dismantling the legal protection of wild animals, all to the benefit of the hunting lobby. This continued over time with the legalization of indiscriminate wild boar hunting, the approval of a five-year plan for the extermination of any wild species, the attempt to grant hunting licenses to sixteen-year-olds, and other concessions that have led to the opening of two infringement procedures by the European Commission against Italy. This represents a well-executed plan for rearming hunters in cities and elsewhere.
Online signing coming soon
In the coming days, the popular initiative will be published on the institutional website of the Ministry of Justice. There, every citizen with a SPID (Public Digital Identity System) or Electronic Identity Card will be able to support it with their signature. The associations will publicly share the link as soon as it is available.
“50,000 signatures are needed for the Bill to cross the threshold of Parliament. We will do everything possible so that democracy finally prevails over the arrogance of hunters and their politicians, who are willing to sell off the lives of wild animals as electoral bargaining chips,” conclude the animal rights associations.
