What until a few days ago was a familiar scene for tourists and residents – a free herd between the sea road and the Feraxi lagoon, in the Muravera area in the province of Cagliari – has today become a symbol of loss and indignation. The 190 cows of farmer Antonio Cannas, almost all healthy and already vaccinated, were culled after just four animals tested positive for bovine dermatitis. A drastic decision, applied according to health protocols, but which left behind a void that is difficult to accept.
The ignored appeals and the (un)avoidable decision
Before the total culling of the herd was achieved, the territory had tried to stop the bureaucratic machine. The mayor of Castiadas, Eugenio Murgioni, had officially requested the immediate suspension of operations, calling for more in-depth scientific checks and possible alternatives. His appeal was clear: to avoid irreversible consequences for local farms.
Muravera’s tourism councilor, Matteo Plaisant, also participated in a summit in the Prefecture to at least temporarily block the interventions. However the answer was that there was no way out. Indeed, they also intended to block the access roads to Feraxi.
The community of Feraxi: “A life of sacrifices destroyed”
Behind the numbers there are human stories. In a letter signed by the Feraxi community, all the desperation for a choice perceived as without real alternatives emerges.
The sacrificial life of three families who loved and cared for these animals even in times of drought was destroyed. It is difficult to believe that there could not have been alternatives to such a radical choice.
Cows were not just an economic resource, but an integral part of a balance built over the years between territory, work and identity. A heritage erased in a few hours.
Bovine dermatitis and health rules
Bovine lumpy dermatitis is a highly contagious viral disease that can have devastating effects on herds. In the event of outbreaks, European and national regulations provide for severe measures including the culling of animals to avoid the spread of the virus. However, it is precisely the rigid application of these rules that is at the center of the controversy today: is it possible that alternative strategies, such as quarantines or selective isolation, do not exist?
A case that opens a national debate
Muravera’s case is not isolated, but represents a breaking point. On the one hand the need to protect animal and public health, on the other the risk of canceling entire agricultural activities with decisions perceived as inhumane and disproportionate. The story of Antonio Cannas thus becomes the symbol of a system which, in the face of an emergency, seems to leave no room for common sense. And while the institutions defend the need for the measures, an open question remains in the area: was there really no other way?
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