ROME – In Lazio alone, the damage caused by wild boars is over 10 million euros, with more than 250 thousand presences now, putting the safety of citizens at risk, with attacks and road accidents, some even fatal, like the one four days ago , but agricultural production is also at risk, with drops of up to 80% in harvests with peaks reaching 100% and zero turnover. the entire pig sector with African Swine Fever.
These are some of the data that emerged from the discussion “Boars: a true natural disaster” organized by Coldiretti Lazio at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome in the presence, among others, of the president of the regional federation of Coldiretti, David Granieri and the national president, Ettore Prandini, the prefect of Rome, Lamberto Giannini and the Extraordinary Commissioner for Swine Fever, Vincenzo Caputo, the Extraordinary Commissioner of the Veio park, Giorgio Polesi, the Councilor for Agriculture and Budget of the Lazio Region, Giancarlo Righini and the General Secretary Coldiretti , Vincenzo Gesmundo, who opened the proceedings.
An issue, that of swine fever, which has caused enormous damage to the agri-food sector and to the entire pig production chain, which between production and related industries, in our region alone, is worth over 800 million euros per year. The farmers and pig breeders affected by the problem testified to this on stage, having seen hundreds of pigs slaughtered. A problem that inevitably also concerns livestock farming which is dealing with a decline in fodder, destroyed by ungulates, which leads to inevitable increases in prices and management.
“Our mobilization – explains the president of Coldiretti Lazio, David Granieri – is aimed at restoring the freedom to do business for our farmers. Wild boars are a central theme in the life of our companies. Today we start with a mobilization activity that aims above all to obtain the extraordinary containment plan. A plan envisaged by law 157 in article 19 ter, which will determine an effective containment of the now uncontrolled masses. Within the Plan we believe it is useful on the one hand to set ambitious objectives also in the park areas and on the other to provide training for farmers who must be able to collaborate to defend their businesses and the safety of citizens. It is not possible in 2024 to die on a motorbike due to a wild boar crossing your road.”
A day that represented a continuation of the mobilization of Coldiretti Lazio on the topic of wild boars, with a focus on the current regulatory analysis in-depth with Professor Stefano Masini, Head of the Coldiretti Environment Area and Lucilla De Leo, legislative manager of the Lazio regional federation of Coldiretti, who reconstructed the regulatory framework and clarified: “the rules are there and at a national level the intervention system is specified, but it is up to the regions to adopt it and the mobilization of Coldiretti serves precisely this”.
COLDIRETTI LAZIO’S PROPOSALS
The objectives include as a priority a detailed and effective plan for the culling of wild boars, but also active involvement in the plan by the owners and tenants of the land or by people delegated by them, naturally following adequate training and in possession of a license. for hunting. In this regard, Coldiretti Lazio proposes the establishment of the courses required by current legislation and the establishment of a corps of hunting guards at provincial level, who have the qualification of security guard to fill the staffing deficit of the provincial police.
Furthermore, the implementation of the containment activities of the Extraordinary Plan also in protected areas is fundamental and if the managing body of these areas does not adapt, the Region will arrange for its commissioner, entrusting the operational coordination actions to the manager of the regional structure who deals with wildlife and hunting management.
SAFETY OF CITIZENS
Roberto Weber, president of the Ixè Survey Institute, spoke on the topic of citizens’ perception of safety. Citizens who have to deal with a considerable number of attacks, especially in Rome and its province and road accidents, unfortunately also fatal, such as the one that occurred on Cassia three days ago, of which a 58-year-old entrepreneur was the victim while he was riding his scooter and before him, in 2017, again in the Cassia area, another 47 year old centaur. In addition to the frequent attacks recorded against citizens and often also their dogs.
PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT OF MADE IN ITALY
Among the topics addressed also the protection of Made in Italy, the subject of a comparison between the Capitoline trade associations of Coldiretti, Cna, Confartigianaro, Confesercenti and Confcommercio.
“Today is a historic day for Coldiretti and for our citizens – explains the president of Coldiretti Rome, Niccolò Sacchetti – who have never forgotten the problem of wild boars and constantly experience it in the countryside, where the situation continues to worsen with the devastating feeling of abandonment of the farmers of our territory. I believe that today is a new beginning of a great demonstration and awareness that the problem must be solved very quickly.”
