Rebecca Manzi The international case broke out after a video showed Donald Trump Jr. hunting what appears to be a shelduck in the lagoon, a rare species in Europe and protected by EU legislation
A recently published video on social media and special interest websites has provoked anger in Italy and globally. The video, posted by the American site Field Ethos – The Global Hunt for Adventure, shows Donald Trump Jr., the son of the current President of the United States, participating in a hunting excursion in the Italian countryside.
Specifically, the video appears to have been shot in Valle Pierimpiè, within Campagna Lupia, an area within the Venetian Lagoon covered by environmental legislation. The hunters in the movie are shown to be wearing duck calls around their necks, debating in a guesthouse before heading out hunting.
The camera then cuts to footage of ducks in flight, guns being raised, shots being fired, and finally, birds falling to the ground. Trump Jr. is also seen a number of times taking shots and firing. The camera zooms in on what looks like a ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), a protected species in Europe under EU law.
Political reactions
The posting of the video immediately generated political responses in Italy. Regional councilor Andrea Zanoni, representing Europa Verde, raised the issue in the Regional Council, stating that the hunting there is prohibited for foreigners and that killing protected species is a criminal offense. Zanoni threatened also a potential complaint to the courts.
The Italian Parliament has also been drawn into the matter. Lawmaker Luana Zanella (Avs) called on Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin to clarify what occurred, seeking to ascertain if Trump Jr. indeed participated in an illegal hunting trip.
Monica Sambo, a PD city councilor in Venice, expressed similar sentiments, commenting that if the accusations are genuine, Trump Jr. should be tried like any other citizen for violating Italian law.
According to Italian law (L. 157/1992), hunting by non-residents is prohibited, and it is illegal to kill species protected by law. The Venetian Lagoon is also a protected zone under the Natura 2000 network, established by the European Union to conserve biodiversity. In short, this incident is yet another faux pas by the Trump family—another to add to a already alarming record for an administration well on its way to becoming an environmental and human rights horror story.
