Rifles on the beach, in the woods, in the countryside. Extended hunting seasons. A growing number of animals to target, in every corner of the country. This isn’t the plot of a dystopian film: it’s what, according to environmental and animal rights groups, could become reality if Bill 1552 is approved without substantial changes. The proposal, first introduced last year by Minister Lollobrigida, amends the national law on wildlife protection and hunting regulations (Law 157/1992), calling into question decades of regulatory achievements.
On Wednesday the 17th, the bill will be debated on the Senate floor. And it is precisely on the eve of this deadline that six of the sector’s most important organizations—ENPA, LAC, LAV, Legambiente, LIPU-BirdLife Italia, and WWF Italia—have chosen to speak out with an unusually strongly worded joint statement, calling on political forces in both the majority and the opposition to openly oppose the bill.
What the bill proposes
The organizations speak of the “destruction of nature” and the “killing of even more wild animals for the sole amusement of hunters.” They assert that the bill would compromise public safety—depriving citizens of the freedom to move about safely in open spaces—and would violate both the Constitution and European law.
Among the most controversial points are: the expansion of the list of huntable species, the shortening of closed seasons, the opening of new hunting areas that are currently off-limits, and the relaxation of restrictions on gun licenses. A package of measures that, the associations argue, would dismantle the protective framework built up over more than thirty years of environmental legislation.
A Call to Action for Politicians
The statement issued by the six organizations does not merely condemn the bill’s provisions; it directly targets the political class—both the government and the opposition—calling for “maximum mobilization” and “the use of all necessary democratic tools.” At the top of the list of demands is the physical presence of leaders and lawmakers at protest events and in the chamber when the debate begins.
The organizations are also calling on all politicians to publicly declare their opposition to the bill by usingthe hashtag #iomioppongo, and to spread the message through television and radio interviews, press releases, and social media posts. This appeal aims to highlight the opposition to the reform.
A conflict that has been going on for years
Bill 1552 did not emerge in a vacuum. The relationship between hunting and nature conservation has always been a battleground in Italy, with opposing sides clashing over data, scientific studies, and values. On one side, hunting advocates defend a traditional activity and the right to regulate it with up-to-date criteria; on the other, environmentalists highlight the urgency of the biodiversity crisis and the need to expand, not reduce, protections.
The parliamentary process is now entering its most critical phase with the start of floor debate in the Senate. The coming weeks will determine whether the associations’ appeal will be heeded by lawmakers or whether the reform will proceed swiftly toward approval. At stake, according to opponents, is much more than a hunting law: “the very meaning of democracy” is at stake, as the associations write, along with the ability of institutions to protect common goods—nature, safety, and biodiversity—in the face of special interests.
The hashtag #iomioppongo is trending online. Now it’s up to the politicians.
