A protected species throughout Europe, Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., has caused outrage in Italy for a video where he is seen hunting in the Venice lagoon. Regional Congressman Andrea Zanoni has filed a complaint against Trump Jr. for shooting protected birds, which could constitute a criminal and administrative offense.
The controversy has reached the Italian Parliament, with the Greens Left Alliance (AVS) demanding that the Minister of Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, explain the incident. Members of the Five Star Movement (M5S) are prepared to file a complaint with the Prosecutor's Office and take the case to Parliament.
Congressman Zanoni has detailed that the hunting scenes were filmed in an area protected by European regulations, part of an EU Natura 2000 site. In one of the images, Trump Jr. is seen describing the shot ducks, among which stands out a Shellduck, a very rare orange-oxide duck in Europe.
Pichetto Fratin has indicated that he learned about the video through the newspapers and simply stated that he is awaiting a report to obtain more information on the matter. Amid the controversy, there are questions about whether Donald Trump Jr., as a non-resident in Italy, broke the law by participating in this hunting in the Venice lagoon.
