Three Dead on Three Sundays: Brambilla Calls for Controls

The new hunting season in Italy has barely begun — and tragic accidents have already claimed human lives once again.

Within just four weekends, three hobby hunters have been killed by shots fired by their companions. Yet further proof of how dangerous and uncontrollable recreational hunting has become.

Last weekend, another hunting trip ended fatally: in the forests of Faedis (Province of Udine), a 70-year-old hobby hunter was accidentally shot by a fellow hunter. Before that, a 46-year-old lost his life on 21 September in Carrù (Cuneo), and an 82-year-old on 5 October in Locana (Turin), in similar incidents. Dozens of other people were injured during this period — by ricochets, falls, or the reckless handling of firearms.

Italian MP Michela Vittoria Brambilla, former Minister of Tourism and well-known animal rights activist, responded with clear words:

Hunting is anachronistic, cruel and dangerous. The average age of hunters is over 60. More controls are needed to protect everyone.

Brambilla criticises the fact that despite the obvious risks, hardly any safety checks take place. Many of the approximately 500’000 Italian hobby hunters who have been active since the 1980s are now well over sixty — with diminishing reflexes and reduced reaction capacity. Nevertheless, they are still permitted to go out hunting with modern high-powered weapons.

In addition to the human tragedies, Brambilla also points to the ecological damage caused by recreational hunting:

Apart from the damage to biodiversity and the environment, which in my opinion would be sufficient grounds to ban hunting, one must ask whether those who handle these weapons are even capable of doing so.

The politician sees the leniency shown toward hunters as a structural problem: a small, aging yet influential lobby is clinging to privileges that are long overdue for abolition.

While the Italian public is outraged by rising numbers of hunting accidents, concrete reforms have yet to materialise. But the series of fatal incidents in just three weekends makes clear: recreationalhunting is not only life-threatening for animals, but for humans as well.

In the view of IG Wild beim Wild, hobbyhunters require annual medical-psychological fitness assessments modelled on the Dutch system, as well as a binding upper age limit. The largest age group among hobby hunters today is 65+. Within this group, age-related impairments such as declining eyesight, slower reaction times, reduced concentration and cognitive deficits increase statistically in a marked fashion. At the same time, accident analyses show that the number of serious hunting accidents involving injuries and fatalities rises significantly from middle age onward.

The regular reports of hunting accidents, fatal errors of conduct and the misuse of hunting weapons highlight a structural problem. The private possession and use of lethal firearms for recreational purposes largely escapes continuous oversight. From the perspective of IG Wild beim Wild, this is no longer justifiable. A practice that is based on voluntary killing while simultaneously generating considerable risks for humans and animals alike forfeits its social legitimacy.

Recreationalhunting is furthermore rooted in speciesism. Speciesism describes the systematic devaluation of non-human animals solely on the basis of their species membership. It is comparable to racism or sexism and cannot be justified on either cultural or ethical grounds. Tradition is no substitute for moral scrutiny.

Critical scrutiny is essential, particularly in the field of recreational hunting. Few other fields are so characterized by euphemistic narratives, half-truths, and deliberate disinformation. Where violence is normalized, narratives often serve as justification. Transparency, verifiable facts, and open public debate are therefore indispensable.