A shoulder strap of historical proportions, so far largely underestimated by public opinion. The latest Living Planet Report 2024, WWF’s analysis on the state of nature, certifies a catastrophic data: from 1970 to 2020, the populations of freshwater vertebrates monitored globally have decreased on average by 85%. These are the most dramatic decline recorded among all the ecosystems of the planet, an unequivocal signal that rivers, lakes and wetlands are in serious suffering.
In this global context, Italy emerges as an emblematic case of crisis, where another factor is added to the pressure of climate change and water exploitation: the biological invasion.
Italian anomaly
The data released by WWF Italia, based on updates to the IUCN red list, describe an out of control situation. In our internal waters, over 60% of fish species and almost 50% of prawns and crabs are of allottoon origin. The main cause of this alteration, reads the press release, is the systematic entry made for alieutic purposes, or to meet the needs of recreational fishing.
This alteration of ecological balances led to direct and measurable consequences: 63% of native fish species (35 out of 56) are now threatened with extinction. Among these, 15 are classified in “critical danger”, that is, one step away from total extinction, including the eel, the Carpione del Garda, the marble trout and the sturgeon cobice.
Dereguulation risk
To counteract this phenomenon, a ministerial decree of April 14, 2020 had prohibited allotone fishing entrances, in line with the European habitat directive. However, the WWF denounces that not only several regions continue to try to circumvent the norm, but that the risk of a locks of prohibitions at national level is looming to encourage “sporty” fishing.
The environmental association launches a warning against this hypothesis, calling it an “unacceptable deregulation” that would open the way to a safe European infringement procedure. The position of President Luciano Di Tizio is clear: “We will evaluate with our lawyers the possibility of reporting to the Court of Auditors all those, including officials, who will have endorsed such an absurd provision: it is right that to pay both those who cause the damage and not the citizens all”.
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