In Italy, a small group of armed individuals continues to roam the countryside and forests, sowing death and terror. They are hunters. The practitioners of this cruel and anachronistic activity are in steady decline, currently representing just over one per cent of the population; moreover, according to surveys, eight Italians in ten want hunting abolished.

How many victims does hunting claim

Yet hunters continue to enjoy inexplicable privileges — for instance, the ability to enter even unfenced private property. Article 842 of the civil code does indeed permit hunters to access private land without having to seek the consent of its lawful owners. Since the start of this hunting season (2 September) to date, 14 deaths and 53 injuries have been recorded, 13 of the injured being non-hunters, among whom are two children. From 2007 to the present, according to data from the Associazione Vittime della Caccia, hunters are said to have claimed more than a thousand victims.

The Radicals' proposal

The threat posed by these individuals — not only to animals but to citizens — is therefore plain to see. It is precisely to protect people, wildlife and the environment that the Radicals have tabled in Parliament a new bill for the comprehensive reform of hunting activity in Italy and launched the #Scacciamoli campaign.

The objectives of the bill

The bill aims to realign national regulations within the framework of EU law, amending the discrepancies between Italian legislation and European directives. Among the most frequent offences committed by those who pick up a rifle are the killing of protected wildlife, the use of prohibited means (such as live decoys), failure to observe the legally required distance when hunting near homes, roads or workplaces, and hunting with documents that are not in order.

No more hunters on private property

Among other things, the bill proposes carrying out blood alcohol checks on hunters, banning entry onto private property, prohibiting lead ammunition, banning hunting in fog and in protected areas of community interest, and doubling the minimum safety distances from homes and roads.

Hunting once made sense; today it has lost its function and its meaning. Our relationship with nature is increasingly compromised, and shooting defenceless animals will do nothing to restore it.