VENICE - Despite an ongoing investigation by Italy’s Court of Audit into the money paid by the region of Veneto in support of hunting, it has been revealed that another 218,000 euros has been pledged to various hunting organisations for 2021, reports Il Fatto Quotidiano.

  The Court of Audit began an investigation into expenses paid by the regional council of Veneto after it was reported a couple of years ago that they were covering the expenses of the generous food and drinks at hunting associations’ meetings.

  In 2018 Veneto had paid 262,000 euros to hunting associations, including 64,000 to the Veneto Hunters Association (Associazione Cacciatori Veneti), 74,000 to Federcaccia Veneto and 58,000 to Free Hunting (Libera Caccia).

  Things became more interesting when it was revealed in 2019 that the Veneto Hunters Association made a donation of 70,000 euros to Fratelli d’Italia, the third biggest party of the Veneto’s government. 

  In 2021 the council - with the blessing of the Democratic Party (PD), part of the opposition within the council - decided to give 218,000 euros to a series of programmes for the benefit of hunters: 45,000 for updates on laws and regulations, 45,000 for the fight against illegal poaching, 60,000 for environmental improvement and 68,000 for the development of animal heritage. However, to avoid further abuses of expenses, these funds did include specifications about “inadmissible costs,” including “food, catering, buffets, drinks.”

  When asked about past payments to hunting organisations, Gianluca Fregolent, director of the Veneto’s Direzione Agroambiente, said, “I can’t give you the papers, because the Guardia di Finanza acquired them on a mandate from the Court of Audit.”

  The PD councillor Andrea Zanoni and Green Europe councillor Cristina Guarda spoke out about these expenses. “Those who promote or practice hunting have access to regional funds, while the Wildlife Recovery Centres (CRAS) have little recognition for the enormous work they do safeguarding the fauna constantly endangered by the same hunting practices. They get mere crumbs.”

  The PD councillors who voted in line with the centre right parties of the regional council have been much criticised by their party (and praised by Fratelli d’Italia).

  Hunters have always had support within the council of Veneto. Luca Zaia, the President of Veneto, recently appointed Riccardo Masin the President of the Colli Euganei national park. Masin is not only the President of Federcaccia Padova, but as Mayor of Galzignano Terme, he proposed in 2017 the cancellation of 918 hectares of the park as a protected area.

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