Italy's hunting law reform draws criticism over biodiversity protection

The Italian Senate is debating a draft law (DDL) that would overhaul the 1992 hunting regulations. Mario Vaccarella, environmental delegate of the Club Alpino Italiano, warned that the bill "attacca alla tutela della biodiversità" and replaces the term “protection” with “management”, favoring hunting as an economic tool and extending hunting seasons into migration and breeding periods. The proposal also reduces the role of ISPRA, permits live animal calls, and could allow hunting in protected areas.

Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, president of the UniVerde Foundation, called the reform "vergognosa sotto ogni profilo" and urged the government to withdraw it, saying it "viola Costituzione e norme UE". He highlighted that the changes would extend hunting periods beyond EU limits, add new game species, and threaten Italy’s rich biodiversity, which the country is expected to model for Europe. Environmental and scientific organisations, including ENPA, Legambiente and WWF, have mobilised against the measure, citing risks to dozens of threatened vertebrate and bird species.