After more than 2 months of hiatus, the go-ahead for the outdoors is back in the woods of the hinterland of the metropolitan city of Genoa and the Savona area, where, due to the restrictions imposed by the swine fever emergency, a large part of the territory had been completely forbidden to avoid the spread of the disease. The resumption of outdoor activities is the main novelty of the new regional plan of urgent interventions for the management, control and eradication of Psa in breeding pigs and wild boars, approved today by the regional council and immediately in force, pending the results of the evaluation by Ispra and the National Reference Center for Swine Fever (Cerep).
“Today marks the country’s exit from the emergency phase linked to the pandemic from Covid-19 – declares the President of the Region and Councilor for Health Giovanni Toti – and also marks, with the adoption of this plan, the reopening of the woods of our hinterland to thousands of hikers, realities of the sports and leisure world who for months had to suspend their activities in some areas most affected by the spread of this virus, unfortunately very resistant and lethal for the affected pigs. This Plan, adopted on the basis of the assessments on the real epidemiological risk, is the result of a very intense monitoring of the territory and study by the commissioner and our offices as well as a close comparison with the mayors and associations, which we thank. . Certainly those who will attend our paths will have to keep their attention high by adopting a series of indispensable behaviors but in view of the Easter and spring holidays I think it is a significant step change, in the direction of overcoming even this emergency “.
The new regional plan, the result of the joint work of the regional offices and the repeated discussion tables with the territory, establishes a new zoning based on the new European legislation which identifies an ‘infected area’, divided between the area of active viral circulation and the area with high risk, a surveillance area and a free area. The wide-ranging containment strategies identified in the document include the construction of barriers along state roads 35 “Giovi” and 456 “Turchino” and a low-impact delimitation of the buffer zone between the active circulation of the virus and the infected area. The measures on domestic pigs continue to conclude the depopulation interventions, the ban on handling lots of fresh meat and by-products in the infected area continues, as well as maintaining adequate biosecurity conditions throughout Liguria.
“The greatest novelty of the Plan – explains the vice president of the Liguria Region Alessandro Piana – on which we have worked hard, is the green light to the outdoors. A reopening arrived at the crowning of the commitment and sacrifices carried out to obtain the safety conditions that this situation necessarily requires. Returning the use of the hinterland to the Ligurians will allow us to savor our itineraries in a mobility that is respectful of the environment, but more based on responsibility. For this reason, at the same time, an information and training campaign is activated for the various stakeholders, on all points of the regional provision. Therefore, allow forestry and open area operations in the infected area such as hiking and mountain biking, equestrian activities, climbing, canyoning, paragliding and fishing in inland waters. Special protocols are required such as the change of footwear at the departure and arrival of the excursions, the disinfection of soles and tires as well as the parking of vehicles exclusively near asphalted roads, except for those necessary for carrying out agro-pastoral activities. A necessary restart for our hinterland and to safeguard sporting, recreational-recreational and aggregation activities, even more important after the covid lockdowns. I remind you that the Plan, while waiting for the planned evaluation of Ispra and the Reference Center for Swine Fever (Cerep), in the meantime, however, enters into force immediately for the regulation of activities “.
Areas outside the tracks remain off-limits or prohibited as in the area of active circulation of the virus, rural events and gatherings in non-delimited and fenced areas or close to asphalted roads. At the same time, an information and training campaign is activated for the various stakeholders.
“Today is a good day. I issued the first order as commissioner – adds Angelo Ferrari, extraordinary commissioner for the swine fever emergency and director of the Zooprophylactic Institute of Liguria, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta – necessary for the implementation of regional plans. Liguria approved its Plan today. The emergency is not over, the problem remains but we are on the right track, with a sense of freedom that will help us even with a little healthy optimism to project ourselves into the coming months. There are many things to do, but what is important is the help and contribution of citizens at this stage. The conversion of the decree into law will allow the commissioner to implement in a more incisive and timely manner certain fundamental activities to achieve the eradication of the virus. We are already projecting ourselves towards a further eradication plan which should allow us to obtain European co-financing ”.
“The Region has done a lot because it has been close to us – says the general manager of Anci Liguria Pierluigi Vinai – it has managed to accompany us on our journey in which there was also a bit of strong reaction from the Mayors to the restrictions imposed. badly at the government level. Well the reopenings, well the amendments wanted by Anci and the Region to the PSA decree that will facilitate the killing, but it is not enough. The time for solidarity has come: we have made a sacrifice for some who can now give us a hand to relaunch our tourism, and I am referring to the Emilians, Tuscans, Piedmontese and Lombardy, owners of large pig farms, who have processing companies throughout the cured meats chain “.
“The green light for outdoor activities in the municipal area, albeit with some prescriptions and limitations, is excellent news and a great result obtained thanks to the joint efforts of local institutions at all levels – comments the Councilor for the Environment of the Municipality of Genoa Matteo Campora – it will be possible to practice excursions and outdoor sports on the white paths traced. from this weekend, a particularly important fact given the approach of the good season, mild temperatures and Easter holidays which are the traditionally preferred period by the Genoese to frequent our extraordinary hinterland, a stone’s throw from the city and the coast. As a Municipality we are carefully monitoring with the Local Police, we are installing specific signs that remind us of the ban on feeding wildlife to wildlife, as already established by specific ordinances. We are in daily contact with the Agriculture Department of the Liguria Region. It is important that all users of our valleys and routes of historical fortifications, enthusiasts and sportsmen, carefully follow the prescriptions aimed at avoiding the spread of swine fever. At the same time, the competent bodies will install a system of palisades that flank the roads, while the reinforcement of the motorway barriers is already underway “.
In the Plan, the ‘infected area’ and the ‘surveillance area’ (buffer area), renamed by the European regulation of last week, remain substantially unchanged, but the regulation of activities is redefined on the basis of epidemiological risk, in relation to the carcasses of infected wild boars found. today. In particular, 167 wild boar carcasses were analyzed, of which 32 were positive (found in a limited portion of the ‘infected area’). To assist in the research and monitoring activities were 1,618 volunteer operators, identified and coordinated by the territorial hunting areas mainly among hunters but also among hiking and outdoor sports associations coordinated by the Mountain Desk. As of 25 March, 1,220 monitoring exits had been carried out, with 3,268 attendance of voluntary operators.