The Veneto Region has decided to offer a reimbursement of 3 euros for each nutria killed, as part of a chilling containment plan that will last until the end of December. The initiative is part of a strategy aimed at reducing the damage caused by these rodents of South American origin, introduced into Italy in the twentieth century for the production of fur.
In recent years, their uncontrolled expansion has created problems for river banks, agricultural activities and the water network, increasing the risk of floods and landslides. Each hunter involved in the plan will have to document the outings, the cartridges used and the number of animals killed, receiving a total reimbursement which also covers fuel, insurance and license costs. The Region defends the project as a measure to protect the territory, but most see it as an announced massacre.
The harsh reaction of the OIPA
Among those who are against it are animal rights associations. The OIPA (International Animal Protection Organization) condemned the initiative, defining it as ethically unacceptable and ineffective in the long term. The idea of attributing an economic value to the life of an animal risks transforming a containment plan into a real massacre.
The organization also underlines that culls do not solve the problem, but move it over time, without addressing its structural causes. For OIPA, the solution instead lies in prevention and non-bloody management strategies, based on sterilization and monitoring of colonies.
The virtuous example of Parma
In support of its position, OIPA cites the case of the Municipality of Parma, where nutria are registered, sterilized and monitored in a protected area. This model, according to the association, demonstrates that it is possible to reconcile land security with respect for wildlife.
The head of wildlife protection at OIPA Italia, Alessandro Piacenza, reminds us that wolves are the natural predators of otters and that letting nature act would be more effective than any culling plan. For this reason he invites the Region to withdraw the measure and to open a discussion table for more ethical and sustainable solutions.
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