Animal rights groups ask EU to intervene on anti-bear decree

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 5 - Animal rights groups on Tuesday called on the European institutions to intervene to protect the bear population in the northern autonomous province of Trento after the provincial council on Monday approved a decree authorizing the culling of up to eight 'problematic' bears a year in 2024 and 2025.
    The Anti-Vivisection League (LAV) asked Brussels to open an infringement procedure against the Province of Trento and the Italian government in relation to the provision, which also authorizes the forestry corps to put down "no more than" two adult females and two adult males a year.
    "The law is in violation of the European directive," said Massimo Vitturi, referring to the Habitats Directive that also protects large carnivores.
    "We are also waiting for the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg to rule on the future of JJ4, which is still waiting to be transferred to the sanctuary that LAV has identified in Romania," he added in relation to a female bear that attacked and killed a trail runner in the province last April.
    The International Organization for Animal Protection (OIPA) said it would contest the provision at every possible level.
    With it, Trento has "won the booby prize for biodiversity protection and the first prize for failed prevention", it added.
    Animal rights groups have repeatedly contested the hard line taken by the Trentino government led by Maurizio Fugatti of the right wing League in managing the local bear population, often through the courts.
    Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto has also said culling cannot be the only solution to the problem of coexistence between bears and humans in the northern autonomous province of Trento.
    "Bear culling cannot be the only alternative," said Pichetto.
    "If what has been done so far with the province of Trento has not been sufficient, the commitment - on the part of everyone - must be to multiply efforts to find every possible solution to guarantee peaceful coexistence in the territories," he added.
    "I have once again mobilized all the structures under the auspices of the ministry to draw up a timely strategy in which culling should really be the extrema ratio," said the minister.
    (ANSA).