We say No! to indiscriminate hunting

Dear Mister President,

on Thursday 28 January 2010 the Senate approved a parliamentary bill, containing a most deceitful amendment (article 43) to Hunting Law 157/92. Under the pretence of conforming to EU regulations, this article removes all time limits from the hunting season as set by law (1 September to 31 January).

The Italian hunting season is already a long five months. If the Lower House confirms this bill and the bill passes into law, the hunting season will be further extended. It will extend into August - when young birds are still dependent on their parents; when the risk of accidental injury to holidaymakers is highest. And into February - when migratory birds face the difficult journey to their breeding grounds in northern Europe.

The paradox, Mister President, is that this law should have made good our many breaches and infringements of EU directives; made good our past failure to protect nature. Europe accuses us of hunting too much, of over-using derogations from EU law, of offering too little protection to migratory birds and natural habitats. And how does Italy respond? By increasing the number of concessions to hunters, with devastating consequences for nature. Individual citizens suffer too, forced by article 842 of the Civil Code to allow hunters onto private land whatever their views.

Article 43 is not the only danger in the making. Consider the Orsi hunting bill; the lightning strikes inside Parliament; the proposal to lower the minimum age for hunting to 16; to allow the use of small birds as live decoys; the hunting of ducks and chaffinches; and much more. What is happening, Mister President, is a devious attempt to deregulate hunting. The vast majority of Italians do not want this. They do not want hunting, they do not want bullets, they do not want shotguns.

In this International Year of Biodiversity we would like to see increased respect for animals, better protection for nature, peace and safety for ordinary people. We urge you as our President, to curb this activity, to use your office and influence to veto article 43, and to put a stop, once and for all, to indiscriminate and unlimited hunting.

Nature is our life. We ask you to defend it.

Please sign this petition. We will continue to gather signatures until this bill is either rejected or withdrawn.