Italy passes hunting law overhaul to tackle wild boar damage

The Italian Senate approved a bill (Ddl 1552) that overhauls the country’s hunting regulations, replacing the 1992 law. The reform expands the areas where hunting is permitted, adds new game species, and removes the previous deadline that limited the hunting season to end by 31 January. It also redefines hunters as “bioregulators” who contribute to biodiversity protection and habitat monitoring.

The change is driven by the surge in wild boar numbers – now estimated at 2.3 million – which Coldiretti says causes over €200 million in annual crop losses and a rise in road accidents. Coldiretti president Matteo Franceschini warned that the “wild‑boar emergency weighs on both crops and livestock, being the main vector for African swine fever.” The bill, dubbed the “sparatutto” law by critics, was passed with 80 votes in favour, 56 against and two abstentions, and will now move to the Chamber of Deputies. Animal‑rights politicians, including Michela Vittoria Brambilla, called the Senate vote “the saddest day of our legislature.”