In Umbria which has so far managed to avoid cases of African swine fever (ASF)but which has an excessive population of wild boars, with risks of spreading the infection especially in the areas where pig farms are concentrated, the League, with the regional councilors Manuela Puletti and Valerio Mancini, president of the Agriculture Commission, intends to acquire from the interested operators all the information and proposals, bringing the discussion of the matter to the Second Commission itself, with the invitation to the hearing of the representatives of the agricultural, hunting and ATC associations to discuss with them the impact that the Plan to combat the risk may have in Umbria of the spread of Psa.
“So far – the premise of Puletti and Mancini, thanks to the control carried out by the health authorities, the action of hunters to reduce the presence of wild boars and the measures responsibly implemented by breeders and farmers, in Umbria we have managed to avoid cases of Psa. However, given the estimated excessive population of wild boars, it is necessary to implement all the most effective actions to reduce the presence of wild ungulates and, with it, the risk of spreading Psa. This is why we have undertaken this initiative to ensure that the members of the Second Commission are informed about the actual situation.
Through a discussion with hunters, farmers and breeders – explain Puletti and Mancini – to understand the consequences in Umbria and how we can act in the most effective way possible to achieve the objectives of reducing the presence of wild boars, especially in those areas identified by the Plan itself as most critical, due to the number of ungulates estimated to be present and the widespread presence of pig farms where ASF could spread, with incalculable damage to our economy. Confronting ourselves with the categories on which strategies and rules actually impact, perhaps also requiring a change in habits and methods – add Puletti and Mancini – is the method that we in the League have always followed, to better understand the problems of application and to bring requests and proposals for improvements in institutional settings. We need full mobilization for control and eradication measures, where necessary, of wild boars in risk areas, as other Regions have done. And also Umbria, where fortunately no cases of PSA have been recorded thanks also to the monitoring ensured, must also be ready to face any more critical scenarios. There is an ongoing emergency with an enormous economic and social risk and we must also be able to bypass the bureaucracy.
We – highlight Puletti and Mancini – have always supported hunting activity, on the hunters’ side. Faced with the problem of PSA risk, there is also a problem that concerns farmers and our economy and therefore all exemptions must be used, as is used in healthcare, so as not to nullify the work carried out so far. In this regard – conclude the two representatives of the League – the hearing in the Second Commission aims to be the starting point of a path shared with the stakeholders to arrive at a usable and applicable regional plan in the shortest possible time. The hope is that the containment of wild boars and the concrete measures to try to continue to keep Psa away from Umbria will be topics discussed in the next regional Green Table”.
