While the early opening of the hunting season begins in many regions, a national mobilization will take place on Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30, spanning thirteen cities: from Milan to Palermo, passing through Rome, Bologna, Brescia, Cremona, Livorno, Macerata, Mantua, Arezzo, Pordenone, Vercelli, and Verona. Two afternoons of events, performances, and readings in which criticism of the hunting industry intertwines with opposition to rearmament. Anti-speciesist collectives and associations, climate justice movements, and groups standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people will take to the streets together.
In the background is the bill—dubbed “Sparatutto” by its opponents—sponsored by Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida. The measure aims to extend the hunting season, expand the list of huntable species—including some protected species deemed “problematic”—and simplify regional permitting procedures, while simultaneously reducing the weight of scientific advice from ISPRA. For environmentalists, this is a deregulation that shatters the balance established in 1992 by Law 157, when hunters agreed to operate within the limits set by European directives in exchange for abandoning the referendum.
Nine out of ten Italians call for prioritizing nature conservation
The numbers paint a picture of a society far removed from pro-hunting rhetoric. According to an SWG poll conducted for LIPU, 70% of Italians oppose the reform, while more than nine out of ten are calling on institutions to prioritize nature conservation. The #StopCaccia petition is on the same wavelength, having surpassed 53,000 signatures in just seven weeks—a record time, considering that the law allows six months. Behind the initiative—submitted to the Senate as a citizens’ bill—are the leading animal rights organizations: Animalisti Italiani, ENPA, LAC, LAV, LNDC, and OIPA, which are calling for the total abolition of hunting.
The clash is now head-on. On one side are the hunting associations, which claim that their members act as stewards of the environment (“bioregulators,” according to Lollobrigida’s own definition). On the other side are animal rights and environmental groups, which denounce the close ties between the hunting lobby and the government. In Parliament, the opposition has closed ranks: the M5S, PD, and AVS have announced unwavering resistance against a bill that, they warn, risks being further worsened by the majority’s amendments, effectively allowing beach hunting to be reintroduced “through the back door.”
Two Opposing Paths
Parliament will find itself debating two opposing paths simultaneously: a bill that loosens hunting restrictions and a citizens’ initiative calling for an end to hunting. It is a debate that touches on biodiversity, animal protection, and the relationship between tradition and contemporary sensibilities. This weekend’s protests will attempt to tip the scales, with one question hanging over the entire issue: Will the season that has just begun be just another hunting season, or the beginning of the end?
