ROME, Italy—44 organizations*, representing not only the Italian environmental and animal welfare movements but also the scientific community and those involved in sustainable nature-related tourism and related activities, have requested a meeting with the Ministers for the Environment, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, and for Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, to gain firsthand information regarding the Government’s intention to drastically weaken the law on wildlife protection and the regulation of hunting activities.
Following the associations’ public disclosure of a draft bill—reportedly intended by Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, as per his public statements, to be submitted to Parliament to amend Law 157/1992—the Minister claimed that the information circulated was false, as it was based on a non-final draft.
The associations nonetheless emphasize that the draft was created and shared exclusively with the hunting sector, which represents a partial and subordinate interest compared to broader public interests. These broader interests are recognized as fundamental values under Article 9 of the Italian Constitution and are upheld by the environmental and animal protection associations.
This practice of consulting only one party has already led, during the current legislative term, to the approval of changes that have had negative consequences for all, including the initiation of a European infringement procedure (regarding lead ammunition use and hunting during prohibited periods) and an EU Pilot procedure concerning the lack of effective measures against poaching and the hunting of declining species and during closed seasons.
The proposed changes in the draft bill would further weaken protections for wildlife by increasing the number of huntable species and authorizing the widespread use of live decoys. Moreover, they would legalize hunting on public lands like beaches and forests, even at night and during the breeding season, putting protected areas and regions used for low-impact activities—such as ecotourism and sustainable agriculture—at risk. These activities are key drivers of sustainable development for communities across the country. In contrast, the proposed amendments would facilitate practices such as hunting tourism and trophy hunting.
Trophy hunting, in fact, not only hinders conservation efforts but also raises ethical and animal welfare concerns, especially in the face of minimal or no economic benefits for the sector. Shooting animals for fun, simply to obtain a trophy, is also ethically unjustifiable, disregards their intrinsic value, and reduces them to mere commodities. In essence, this measure does not intervene to mitigate or improve this situation but, on the contrary, risks being a further expression of serious support for this practice, as well as with regard to the export of trophies from animals hunted in Italy.
ENDS
*The 44 organizations are:
AFNI - ASSOCIAZIONE FOTOGRAFI NATURALISTI ITALIANI, ALI – Animal Law Italia ETS, Alleanza AntiSpecista, Odv, Altura odv, Amici della Terra, Animal Aid Italia Odv, Animal Equality Italia, Animalisti Italiani, ASOIM – Associazione Studi Ornitologici Italia Meridionale OdV, Associazione ETICOSCIENZA APS, Attivisti Gruppo Randagio Odv, CIRF - Centro Italiano per la Riqualificazione Fluviale ETS, CISO – Centro Italiano Studi Ornitologici EARTH ODV, EBN, ENPA, Essere Animali ETS, Federazione Nazionale Pro Natura, FONDAZIONE AMBIENTALISTA MAREVIVO ETS, Fondazione Capellino, Fondazione Cave Canem, Gaia Animali & Ambiente OdV, Green Impact, Gruppo d’Intervento Giuridico (GrIG), Gruppo Insubrico di Ornitologia ODV, Humane World for Animals Europe (previously known as Humane Society International Europe), ISDE Associazione Medici per l'Ambiente, LAC, LAV, LEAL Lega Antivivisezionista, Legambiente, LEIDAA, LIMAV Italia OdV, Lipu, LNDC ANIMAL PROTECTION, MAN, OIPA ITALIA ODV, Rete dei Santuari di Animali Liberi, SALVIAMO L’ORSO OdV - Associazione per la Conservazione dell’Orso Bruno Marsicano, Società Ornitologica Italiana – S.O.I., Stazione Romana Osservazione e Protezione Uccelli, Verdi Ambiente e Società, Waldrappteam, WWF Italia
