Italy hunting seasons resume amid legal rulings and public protests

Hunting seasons and wildlife control measures have resumed across various Italian regions, sparking both legal shifts and public outcry. In Sicily, the Consiglio di Giustizia Amministrativa has restored nearly the entire hunting calendar following appeals from regional authorities and hunting associations. This decision reinstates the pre-opening of wood pigeon hunting, though the pre-opening for turtle doves remains suspended due to concerns regarding outdated fauna-hunting plans.

In other parts of Italy, the resumption of hunting activities has led to significant friction between residents and hunters. In the Marche region, residents reported being woken by gunfire near residential areas, prompting hundreds of calls to forest rangers. Meanwhile, in Lombardy, the implementation of regional control plans for pigeons and corvids has drawn criticism. Residents and environmentalists have protested the use of firearms near urban centers, suggesting non-lethal alternatives such as sterilization methods used in Bergamo to manage bird populations.