Postpone the opening of the hunting season in San Marino because of the drought and water emergency. This is the request put forward by the San Marino Animal Protection Association (APAS) to the Wildlife and Habitat Observatory. Under the current calendar, hunting is due to begin on September 2.
The initiative follows Ordinance no. 1/2026, which declared a state of water emergency in the Republic starting August 10, in light of the high temperatures and prolonged lack of rainfall affecting the country.
APAS, the sole representative of animal welfare and environmental associations within the Observatory, believes the new circumstances call for a rethink of the date set for the start of hunting activity. “The declaration of a state of water emergency is a new and objective element, arising after the hunting calendar had already been drawn up, which we believe must necessarily lead to a reassessment of the scheduled opening date of the hunting season,” the association stresses.
According to APAS, drought, heat and the reduction of water and food resources are already putting wildlife under pressure. In this context, the start of hunting would represent a further source of disturbance.
“Wild animals are facing particularly difficult environmental conditions,” APAS points out. “The introduction of an additional disruptive and stressful factor such as hunting activity deserves careful and cautious evaluation given the exceptional conditions formally recognized by the State.”
The Observatory, chaired by the Secretary of State for Territory, Environment and Agriculture, is responsible, among other things, for proposing the hunting calendar and setting guidelines for the management and protection of wildlife and habitats.
APAS therefore hopes that the request will be examined swiftly and that, given the ongoing emergency, a decision will be made to postpone the opening of the hunting season beyond September 2.
