Invasion of the forest, abandonment of the mountains, social and economic desertification. And therefore landslides, abandoned houses, companies that close… this is the scenario – almost post apocalyptic – painted by the Fardjma agricultural cooperative. The scenario of the Belluno mountains and in particular of the Alpagota one, denounced yesterday (Saturday 4 May) in the conference entitled “The wolf: the whole truth” organized in Farra d’Alpago by Cia (Italian Farmers Confederation).
The wolf – as the title suggests – is increasingly perceived as a problem. From livestock breeders, but also from the residents of Alpago, given that wolves tend to approach houses, with an increasingly confident attitude.
«The wolf is a critical issue that is now invasive and out of control» said Rio Levis, president of CIA Belluno. «It is no longer just a problem for farmers but also for public safety. It is a dangerous presence, let’s hope it doesn’t become dramatic too.”
THE DATA
Dangerous perhaps, certainly harmful, for livestock farming. And the data, brought by the president of the Province of Belluno, says so. From 2017 to 2023 (data updated in mid-December), wolf depredations against domestic animals were 562 throughout the province, of which 146 in Alpago alone. Practically one in four, 26%, occurs between Lake Santa Croce and Dolada. The total head of livestock preyed upon by wolves (dead, injured and missing) was 2,142 (of which 1,684 sheep, the majority in Alpago).
The major critical issues obviously concern the predation of medium-small farms, in particular of the Alpagota sheep, a native sheep breed of Alpago, included in the list of traditional Italian agri-food products and a slowfood presidium. And consequently the risk of abandonment of agricultural activities, as highlighted by Cia and Alpagoti farmers.
«In Alpago we have around 2,500 sheep and therefore it is normal that the wolf has arrived, because it finds something to eat here» said Zaccaria Tona, president of the Fardjma agricultural cooperative. «Here we have predations almost every day, it is a serious problem, because we lose hundreds of animals a year. The entire Alpine range is experiencing an emergency. In Alpago? Without measures, in less than a decade everything related to livestock farming will be destroyed, which has lasted for centuries and also serves to maintain the territory.”
SAFETY
But is there also a real public safety problem? According to Sergio Berlato, yes. The MEP gave examples of attacks on humans, including one in Vasto, a few months ago. “Man-wolf coexistence is a lie” are his words. «To contain the problem you need lead, rather than rubber pellets. Wolves must be killed.” Berlato also received two slaps at the Veneto Region, saying he was guilty of “lying about the real situation, and of having suggested inadequate anti-wolf methods, such as electrified nets and guard dogs”.
THE REQUESTS
A specific request came from the farmers: control interventions. «We need to get a handle on the situation, intervene with the withdrawal. Management is the key word” it was said. A possibility that could only materialize when at community level the wolf was downgraded from a strongly protected species to a protected species. In fact, at the moment the regulatory framework requires that the wolf cannot even be disturbed, except with methods of dissuasion and only in the case of individual confident and problematic specimens, with the authorization of Ispra (the operational arm of the Ministry of the Environment).
