Trento Council approves law to cull 8 bears per year

Late yesterday evening, the Provincial Council of Trento approved, with two no votes (Coppola and Degasperi), 11 abstentions and 19 yes votes, Councillor Failoni's bill on the culling of 'problem' bears. The amendments by Degasperi (Onda) on the establishment of the Large Carnivores Table and the one reserving the culling of problematic bears to the Forestry Corps alone were approved.

The text stipulates, for 2024 and 2025, on the basis of the demographic analysis conducted by Ispra in 2023, that the number of potentially removable bears is set at a maximum of eight per year, including no more than two adult females and no more than two adult males. From 2026, the maximum quotas will have to be redefined. The plenary also approved Vanessa Masè's motion, with 28 yes votes and 2 abstentions, which commits the council to ask for a change in the state regulations to allow those who frequent the forest for professional reasons to equip themselves with bear spray. A possibility that should also be granted to gun owners and members of the Civil Defence engaged in the search for missing and injured persons.

Among the animal rights activists' reactions is that of Oipa, which is contemplating the initiation of an Eu Pilot procedure before the European Commission and an appeal before the Administrative Justice Court of Trento of President Fugatti's ordinances and decrees in the case of individual specimens to be slaughtered, subject to appeal to the Constitutional Court.