Moufflons of Giglio, Minister Pichetto Fratin: “They can be hunted because they are allochthonous”
[ad_1]
“The moufflons of the island of Giglio can be hunted as they are allochthonous. Should they be protected by virtue of their genetic uniqueness?” Not proven. So she replied, in a nutshell the Minister of the Environment Gilberto Pichetto Fratin to the parliamentary question first signed by Senator Alessandra Maiorino (M5s). “Following the decision of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park Authority to eradicate, by culling, the approximately 40 mouflons present on theLily island at the exorbitant cost of 378,925 euros, almost 10,000 euros for each animal slaughtered”, reads the text of the question.
Tuscany Region: “Risk for biodiversity”
Added to this is “the recent decision of the Tuscany Region to issue new hunting permits to cull 37 moufflons on the island of Giglio“. Reason? The mouflon, as an “invasive alien species”, poses a threat to biodiversity and agriculture on the island. But, the text of the question reads, the same Giampiero Sammuri, president of the park, “admitted that there would be no studies ascertaining the level of incidence of the mouflon either on the environment or on agriculture” and therefore, in the absence of the proven negative incidence, for the questioners “it is not legal to classify the animal as ‘ invasive’, even if ‘allochthonous’, while European regulations and national legislation provide that only alien species for which a negative impact can be demonstrated can be eradicated”. Not only that. In 2022, the scientific journal Diversity published a study – reported in the question – which recognizes the genetic uniqueness of the Giglio mouflons and according to which the species should be preserved, rather than eradicated.
Biodiversity
Removing invasive species from islands is 88% successful
by Piero Genovesi*
The question from the 5 Star Movement is only the latest chapter in a long story that sees citizens and associations protesting in defense of the Giglio mouflon. But despite public opinion, in 2021 the Park Authority started the planned killings.
Biodiversity
On the island of Giglio, mouflons are an alien species: removing them is an act of conservation, not a slaughter
by Luigi Boitani
Sardinian origin
The decision to eradicate the local population of this wild sheep was taken considering it an alien and invasive species, considering that it was brought to the island from Sardinia. It seems not for hunting reasons but for conservation. At a time when the mouflon population had been greatly reduced. This extraneousness of the mouflons to the endemic fauna of Giglio sparked controversy and in the name of protecting biodiversity it was decided to eradicate them. According to environmental associations, such as the WWF and the Lav, from 2009 to today the Park Authority and the Region have authorized the killing or transfer of over 140 specimens. Today we talk about shooting down others. Why not transfer them?
[ad_2]
Source link
