BATS

Chiroptera, better known as bats, account for one third of Italian mammal species.
They occupy a fundamental ecological role as nocturnal predators of insects: one individual is capable of eating up to 3000 insects in a single night (about 10 kg of insects per colony each night). Bats are the only Mammals that are winged and able to fly; the wing consists of a skin membrane stretched between the sides of the body and the hind and fore limbs, the latter being extremely elongated especially at the hand. Bats rest upside down; the toes of their hind legs are equipped with very sharp nails, which allow the bat to latch onto any small bumps.
They orient themselves in the night using an echolocation system: they emit ultrasounds that, like a sonar signal, bounce off obstacles and prey and return to the animal; in this way they are able to locate surrounding objects.
There are 13 species in the Alta Murgia National Park, divided into the families Rhinolophidae, Vespertilionidae, Miniotteridae and Molossidae.
Also present in the Sant’Angelo cave are bats of the species Rhinolophus ferrimequinum (Greater Horseshoe).

THE PROTECTION OF BATS

Due to environmental alterations caused by man, they have become one of the most threatened faunal groups.
In Italy bats, of all species, are protected by national laws and by International Directives and Conventions.
It is forbidden to kill, capture, keep and trade specimens of any species of Italian Chiroptera (Articles 21 and 30 of Law 157/92; Article III of the Bat Agreement – EUROBATS; Article 6 of the Bern Convention; Article 8 of Presidential Decree 357/1997 and subsequent amendments). Violations are subject to penal sanctions under Article 30 of Law 157/92 and subsequent additions.
It is also forbidden to disturb the specimens, in particular during the various phases of the reproductive period and during hibernation, as well as to alter or destroy refuge sites (art. 6, chap. III of the Berne Convention; art. 8 of Presidential Decree 357/97 amended by Presidential Decree 120/2003). With regard to the latter, ‘breeding sites’, ‘roosting sites’ and ‘resting sites’ are mentioned, and therefore all types of refuge sites used by bats are affected by the provision.

SANCTIONS

No specific sanctions are envisaged for violations of these regulations, but behaviour that causes ‘significant’ environmental damage can be sanctioned with reference to the legislation on environmental damage, which applies to all Italian bat species (Directive 2004/35/EC, ‘Environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage’, implemented in Italy by Legislative Decree No. 152 of 3 April 2006).
In addition, Directive 2008/99/EC of 19 November 2008 ‘on the protection of the environment through criminal law’, implemented by Legislative Decree No. 121 of 7 July 2011, based on Directive 2004/35/EC, establishes a number of serious offences against the environment and obliges Member States to provide in their national legislation for criminal sanctions in relation to serious breaches of the provisions of Community law on environmental protection.

BATS AND HISTORICAL-MONUMENTAL BUILDINGS

Given the importance of buildings and sites that are part of the cultural heritage for the conservation of bats, we emphasise the importance of ensuring that the protection regulations cited for refuge sites are applied within these areas. The Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape (Legislative Decree 42/2004) does not contain specific provisions concerning bats, however, it does recognise natural values as elements that contribute to the identification of assets to be protected.
More generally, environmental and cultural heritage legislation aim at the common fundamental objective of heritage conservation ‘for the benefit of present and future generations’.
With these motivations in mind, the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of Land and Sea and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, respectively through the General Directorate for the Protection of Nature and the Directorate for Architectural and Landscape Heritage, signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding in 2006 for the drafting of Guidelines for the conservation of bats in buildings, to be carried out with the collaboration of the Italian Bat Research Group.
This protocol resulted in the publication of Guidelines for the conservation of bats in man-made constructions and the resolution of related conflictual aspects.
In compliance with all the conservation measures for bats set out in Regional Regulation no. 06/2016, in particular it is forbidden to enter the cave in the period between 1 November and 31 March, coinciding with the bat hibernation period, and between 15 May and 15 August, coinciding with the breeding period, except for research and study activities duly authorised by the Managing Authority as the use and management of the building in the part relating to the cave must be carried out in such a way as not to disturb the bat fauna.

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