The Tuscan Hunters' Confederation also intervenes on the Apricale hunting accident and Minister Costa's statements.
The tragic event in Apricale has sadly highlighted once again the weaknesses of politics and, at the same time, the exacerbated anti-hunting animal rights sentiment that is festering throughout the country. Taking advantage of a tragic circumstance, the details of which are yet to be clarified, yet another crusade has been launched against the legitimacy of hunting, to the point of portraying it as a genuine public order problem.
Even before newspapers and television broadcasts distorted public opinion on the fatal accident, former Minister Brambilla, the WWF with its usual litany, animal rights organizations such as LAC, LAV, ENPA, and, last but not least, some political figures who founded the anti-hunting intergroup had already been at work for months. The Apricale tragedy was nothing more than the trigger for a long-established political and cultural backlash, ready to sling mud whenever hunting and our passion are exposed. Minister Costa's reckless statements on hunting and the request to the Regions to ban it on Sundays are the direct consequence of a politically coordinated effort that, starting from a specific event, aims to open a new anti-hunting front in Parliament and throughout the country, one with specific objectives to pursue.
It is no coincidence, in fact, that even following the fatal accident, the reckless Minister Costa, without bothering to understand the true circumstances of the incident, immediately decided to warn the Regions about the correctness of hunting calendars and even raised the issue of urgently repealing the highly restrictive National Law 157/92. This powerful media campaign failed to address reality; in fact, within hours, and thanks to the work of the police and the Imperia Prosecutor's Office, a different interpretation of the incident is emerging; elements have emerged that strangely had not been taken into account by those so eager to raise the trumpets of anti-hunting outcry and indignation. The investigation has revealed that the young man, killed by a hunter's unforgivable and inexcusable recklessness, had not gone into the woods early that morning to enjoy a relaxing walk with his dogs. The young man was armed with a hunting rifle and ammunition, did not have a gun license or a hunting license, and was hiding in thick vegetation in a very inaccessible place.
These circumstances certainly suggest a tragic act of poaching, yet they have no bearing on the broader issue of the relationship between those who legitimately hunt in the area and those who frequent the natural environment for recreational or sporting purposes. Minister Centinaio, therefore, did well to steer the controversy back on track, forcefully asserting his own and his ministry's responsibilities in the matter and reiterating that all decisions must be made within institutional bodies and not on social media. This position was also echoed in statements by the Presidents and Councilors of major regions such as Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Tuscany, who firmly opposed following the peremptory requests put forward by the Minister of the Environment.
This has contributed to a hasty and clumsy attempt at recovery by Minister Costa, who today hastened to recalibrate his statements, highlighting the profound differences between hunting and poaching and reiterating that the legitimacy of hunting goes hand in hand with that of those who wish to enjoy nature. Hunting is a legitimate activity, and the "government contract" does not call it into question. For our part, all that remains is to acknowledge how this sad affair has backfired on those who hoped to exploit it to launch a new crusade against the hunting world. We also hope that, faced with the reality of the facts, senseless proposals such as the request to ban hunting on Sundays in various regions will remain buried in the news.
A news story that, among other things, without demonizing those who practice certain activities, recounts 70 deaths in the mountains this summer, approximately 400 drownings in 2017, and 3.700 deaths in road accidents. That said, we are not unaware of the need to seriously address certain issues, which our world should also take into account with intelligence and a sense of responsibility to further legitimize our passion towards public opinion. On certain issues, such as safety, we can never do enough. Although Tuscany has imposed certain rules for years, including for the safe conduct of higher-risk forms of hunting, such as driven wild boar hunting, more can and must certainly be done.
We also need to leverage the ATCs to ensure that these hunting practices, in particular, are not only adequately signposted, but also supported by volunteers who make themselves visible at the main access points to the forest, informing those who use them for various reasons or activities. Reflecting on the start dates for stalked hunting, favoring periods with less vegetation and consequently greater visibility, are some of the areas on which we will need to work and commit. But even citizens, whether mushroom hunters, truffle hunters, or simply visitors, could do their part by demonstrating awareness of the issues. It would be enough to take a cue from what happens in faraway countries like the United States and Canada, where in many cases those who frequent the forest wear high-visibility clothing out of cultural choice, not by law. Could this work in Italy too?
Could further accidents or potential tragedies have been avoided? If we lived in a "normal country," perhaps we could even talk about it. Finally, this incident leaves us with a further warning; it clearly demonstrates the cultural weakness that Italian hunting currently faces. Not even the manifest prejudice of the highest government officials is pushing the National Hunting Associations to break the deadlock and build unity. This episode should teach us and spur us to lay the foundations for a strong, culturally authoritative national body, capable of providing accurate information, countering those who today cowardly and unfairly exploit the media power that social networks and the mass media can exert, in a matter of hours, on public opinion. To do this, we must deploy intelligence, resources, and expertise. Only together can we give our passion a future!
CCT
