The hunting calendar for Sardinia must be (partly) rewritten. And a solid scientific basis will be needed by the Region's offices, authors of the first August version, to allow hunters to shoot thrushes, ducks and quails (among others) until January 31, 2023. If it is not found, for the thrushes it closes on January 10th and other waterfowl cannot be killed after the 20th.
This was established by the sentence filed today by the TAR, which expressed its opinion on the appeal presented by the Legal Intervention Group through the lawyer Carlo Augusto Melis Costa.
Ecologists contested the closing dates for hunting decided by the decree of the regional environmental department: January 31st was too late, according to Grig, who brought ISPRA studies on the species covered by the hunt to support his theses. appeal. And the National Institute for Environmental Protection had indicated different dates, to guarantee the reproduction of the species, also based on the Birds Directive of the European Union. After a long scientific discussion, Ispra had established that " there are no technical reasons that justify the closure of the hunting of thrushes and waterfowl on 31 January in Sardinia", instead of 10 January 2024 for thrushes (Cesena Turdus pilaris, Song Thrush and Redwing) and to 20 January 2024 for aquatic birds linked to wetlands (anatids, rails and waders)".
The opinion, according to consolidated jurisprudence, is not binding. But the Region can ignore it only "to bring out the peculiarities of the specific reference territory on the basis of reliable monitoring of individual species" or, in any case, "on the basis of data borrowed from accredited and objectively verifiable scientific bodies", and therefore when "there are contrary investigative elements characterized by a scientific basis of the same level".
In short: the Region must produce an accurate study to defend its choices. The TAR grants 30 days. Otherwise, the doubles will have to stay silent well in advance.
