Abruzzo has authorized the killing of almost 500 deer

With a resolution approved last August 8, the centre-right council of the Abruzzo Region, led by President Marco Marsilio, officially authorized the killing of almost 500 deer starting next October 14th.Among the reasons given for the green light for the measure, the fact that the specimens would be numerically excessive, would cause too much damage to agriculture and would constitute a risk for road safety.If the associations of breeders and farmers claimed victory, the animal rights organizations reacted harshly.In particular, the WWF harshly criticized the decision, defining it as harmful to biodiversity, and underlining that, instead of opting to cull the deer, the Region could have implement preventative solutions, such as the use of fences and deterrents, through the use of PNRR funds.

The plan predicts, specifically, a "selective sampling" by authorized hunters in two areas of the Abruzzo area of ​​L'Aquila, called District 1 and District 2, with the aim of «managing the animals present within compatible levels of equilibrium with the other biological and anthropic components" and in order to "ensure compliance with the principle of conservation of the species".The areas affected by the culling plan include the Territorial Hunting Areas of Avezzano, Sulmona, Subequano, L'Aquila and Barisciano, but exclude the protected areas and those of the Abruzzo National Park.In a press release, the Region has written that «in the period 2019-2023 the damage caused by deer to agriculture they amounted to 895,340 euros, to which those of 2024 will be added which will bring the sum well over one million euros" and that "in addition to damage to crops, road accidents caused by deer have increased (equal to 806 reported in the period 2019-2023), often with damage to human beings which makes it necessary to adopt adequate countermeasures in order to safeguard safety of those who drive and of the people transported".The hunting calendar approved by the Region foresees the start of hunting from Monday 14 October until Saturday 15 February for young, sub-adult and adult male deer, while for small deer (both male and female), and for young and adults the hunt will open on January 4, 2025, ending on March 15, 2025.

It was primarily the WWF, which attacked the Marsilio junta and the contents of the resolution spoke of «a decision that truly leaves us astonished, both on the level of naturalistic and ecosystemic logic and on the more emotional one», since, «to satisfy a small group of hunters, towards whom the president and vice-president of the Abruzzo Region show ever greater subservience, the vision of an Abruzzo capable of coexistence with wildlife is abandoned with impunity and, above all, it is betrayed a model of environmental education and biodiversity protection laboriously outlined over the years".In particular, the WWF underlines that, to limit the risks in the area, various alternative options were present:«The funds from the Pnrr (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), for example, could have been used for finance ad hoc initiatives for our territory, within a serious and organic planning to be carried out, this yes, at the level of the districts - wrote the organization -.How many fences, repellents and deterrents have been provided to farmers by the Abruzzo Region?How many actions have been implemented to limit the risk of impact with vehicles, such as strengthening underpasses, construction of overpasses, bollards?" Surprisingly, some prominent exponents of Forza Italia took sides against the green light for the demolitions, including MP Naziario Pagano, coordinator of FI for the Region, who announced of wanting to «explore the news appearing in the press» in order to «evaluate every possible alternative to such a massive slaughter of deer in Abruzzo."

[by Stefano Baudino]