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IMPORTANT UPDATE [22.02.2005]
The draft parliamentary bill with changes which would have considerably weakened the proposed hunting
law (more huntable species / more time to hunt / killing potected species becoming the equivalent of a parking ticket / hunters
allowed once again to wander wherever in Italy) has fallen at the second hurdle.
At first it looked dismal on Monday when the bill was approved by the Agriculture committee (packed
with pro-hunters from the minister downwards) and then went on for examination to the other committees where it was blocked,
firstly by the Justice Commitee on Wednesday (they didn't like the decriminalisation of the killing of protected species)
and then yesterday by the comittee that covers Italy's relations with the EU (who found the proposed law in breach of the
EU 'Birds' and 'Habitats' directives).
At this point the bill's proponents withdrew it from the timetable for debate in the lower house. So
the first battle has been won but the war is not yet over.
David Conlin
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO ITALIAN
HUNTING LAWS WILL ENDANGER MIGRANT BIRDS
At present the proposals to amend the Italian hunting laws are at the parliamentary
committee stage and bird conservationists are appealing for international support to ensure that the laws are not changed
to the detriment of birds and their habitats.
The new draft law (MODIFICHE ALLA LEGGE 157/1992, PROTEZIONE DELLA FAUNA SELVATICA E
PRELIEVO VENATORIO ) includes proposals to:
- increase the number of species which
may be hunted from 48 to 54
- remove the sanction of a prison sentence
for hunters offending against the law (repeated illegal shooting of protected species) and replace it with a fine only
- extend the hunting season into February.
This would not only endanger migrating birds but also Italian bird populations which begin breeding in February
- weaken protection for captive held birds.
At present all living decoy birds must be registered and ringed. In future the requirement for ringing would be abolished.
At present up to 10 decoy birds per species (max. 100 birds) may be kept. The new law would increase the number of permitted
decoy species from 10 to 41; effectively allowing hunters to each keep up to 410 captive birds each. Without ringing the origin
of the birds could not be identified and it is expected that large scale trapping of wild birds would begin again. If only
10 % of the estimated 700.000 Italian hunters take advantage of this amendment, hundreds of thousands of birds would be kept
in captivity and brutally treated (forced moult, blinding, kept in darkness etc.,)
- nullify the fundamental ban on the keeping of wild birds .
The law would contain a number of new conditions:
- up to 15 % of hunting areas would be
open to use the whole year round for the training of gun dogs, including protected
areas.
- Regional administrations would be authorised
to permit a 12 month hunting season (including the hours of darkness) for certain species adjudged to cause damage to game (e.g. foxes and ravens).
- The large gauge shotgun cartridges
which are banned at present may be used for wild boar hunting. This type of shot is also suitable for hunting birds of prey.
If the law is passed in this form the number of animals and birds shot annually in Italy
would increase dramatically and would make it very difficult to control illegal hunting of protected species. The weakening of the regulations on the keeping of live decoy birds would cost very many birds their
lives each year.
WHAT YOU CAN DO!
Italian conservationists have asked us to lobby the members of the parliamentary committee
which is currently studying the proposed changes. Please send a mail today to individual members
of the parliamentary committee using the link below . Please use the Italian subject title given below which translates as
- "DON’T LEGALISE POACHING IN ITALY -
SAY NO TO CHANGES IN HUNTING LEGISLATION"
The parliamentary mail links are blocked
but try mailing the Italian Embassy in your country
instead
or to the
A draft text is provided in English below
or you can compose your own using the following main points:
-
The number of bird species which may be hunted must be reduced and not increased and the hunting season must cease
befor eannual migration and breeding begins.
-
Prison sentences
must remain as a sanction for repeated killing of protected species
-
The keeping
of live decoy birds is cruel and unnatural. Under no circumstances should current regulations be relaxed.
- year-round training of gun dogs will disturb protected species and their habitats and lead to population loss.
- The new measures proposed are contrary to EU legislation and will bring sanctions and will have to be revoked.
- Ask for assurance that the MPs will stop the bill at the committee stage.
DRAFT TEXT
[email subject]: NON RENDERE
IL BRACCONAGGIO LEGALE IN ITALIA, FERMA LE MODIFICHE ALLA LEGGE SULLA CACCIA
Dear Honourable Member of the Italian Parliament,
Draft parliamentary bill on changes to the Italian Hunting Law
We understand that you are at present considering a new draft bill on hunting legislation
in Italy.
This bill contains a number of amendments and additions which are potentially extremely
harmful to wild native and migrant birds and their habitats. This would be a retrograde step and would put the conservation
clock in Italy back some 50 years.
Any changes which will weaken bird and nature protection must be resisted. These include,
inter alia, increasing the number of species permitted to be hunted, extending the hunting season into the migration
and breeding season and weakening the regulations over control and keeping of live decoy birds.
The new measures proposed are contrary to EU legislation (BIRDS
DIRECTIVE: 79/409/EEC and HABITATS DIRECTIVE: 92/43/EEC),
will attract sanctions and will have to be revoked.
We urge you, as a Member of the Italian Parliament, to take note of our protests and
use your best offices and influence to prevent the bill being accepted in its present form.
In the hope that good sense and respect for nature and the environment will prevail
we remain,
Yours sincerely,
(name and address)
Italiano (Italian version)
Egr. Onorevole,
apprendo dell'imminente discussione in Commissione Agricoltura della Camera del testo unificato delle 12 proposte di legge
"sparatutto", di modifica dell'attuale legge su fauna e caccia 157/92.
Il tema č di stringente attualitą in quanto il prossimo 24 novembre scadono i termini per presentare gli emendamenti in
Commissione.
Si tratta di un testo da respingere o emendare integralmente. Infatti se venisse approvata la formulazione base del relatore,
si potrebbe andare a caccia da agosto a febbraio (oggi da settembre a gennaio), sarebbe depenalizzata l'uccellagione, la caccia
nei parchi e il bracconaggio (anche notturno) da autoveicoli e natanti, verrebbe ripristinata la caccia in mare, aumenterebbero
le specie cacciabili (aggiungendo ad esempio le rare oche selvatiche), aumenterebbe la mobilitą dei cacciatori, e la mancanza
dell'obbligo degli anelli per attestare la regolaritą dei richiami vivi di catture farebbe aumentare esponenzialmente l'uccellagione;
la proposta di far sparare agli acquatici per un'ora dopo il tromonto potrebbe annientare le popolazioni selvatiche di molte
zone umide; l'uso della caccia agli ungulati coi pallettoni (oggi vietati) aumenterebbe il tasso di mammiferi feriti mortalmente
e non recuperati.
I testo contiene molte altre assurditą, come l'abolizione degli indennizzi per i danni all'agricoltura provocati dalla
specie protette e non cacciabili.
© Proact 2004
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