Balearic hunters are on a war path after the Natura 2000 Management Plan of the west coast of Ibiza, which is currently in the public exhibition phase, included a ban on the capture of the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), the quail (Coturnix coturnix) and the thrush (Turdus philomelos). Both the Balearic Hunting Federation and the Association of Hunters of Sant Josep will present objections to the plan and have announced that they will rally next Tuesday 26th in front of the Parliament to demand the that Environment Minister, Miquel Mir, immediate halt its processing. They will also rally next April 30th on Ibiza together with the recreational fishing sector, which protests against the restrictions imposed in their community.
The plan is a management tool for the protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network in the western part of Ibiza, all belonging to the municipality of Sant Josep and encompassing the SCIs (Sites of Community Importance) and SPAs (Special Protection Areas for Birds) of es Vedrà-es Vedranell, Illots de Ponent, Porroig, Cap Llentrisca-sa Talaia and the so-called West Coast of Ibiza. The aim is to “avoid the deterioration of their natural habitats”, as well as “the disturbances that have an impact on the species that have motivated the designation of these areas as SCI”, in addition to designating these SCIs as SAC (Special Area of Conservation).
Within this plan it is foreseen that, due to the state of their populations in Spain, the technical criteria to be followed by the plans and guidelines for good hunting practices “will have to incorporate the prohibition of hunting European turtle dove and quail until there are objective data that demonstrate the good conservation status of the species”. But they must also prohibit the hunting of thrush “due to its important role in disseminating seeds of such important species on Ibiza as the juniper (Juniperus phoenicea)”.
The area where these birds may no longer be captured is extensive: 3,090 hectares of Cap Llentrisca-sa Talaia and 113.3 hectares of Porroig, as well as the 47 hectares of the new ecological corridor of Torrent de s’Aigua.
The guidelines of good hunting practices “will have to incorporate the prohibition of the hunting of European turtle dove and quail until there are no objective data that demonstrate the good conservation status of the species”
It will also be prohibited “to practice any type of hunting in the free land and coastal cliffs of the entire scope of the plan, except for actions promoted by the managing body of the protected area for management or conservation reasons”.
Hunters against the plan
Antonio Reyes, president of the Association of Hunters of Sant Josep, lashes out against the management plan because, in his opinion, “it lacks scientific evidence” to prohibit the hunting of these three species: “Studies must be done to prove that what they say is true”. Reyes explains that this is “a very large area of hunting land where they want to prevent a hunting activity. Lately it seems to be fashionable to prohibit. But in hunting or rural matters nothing can be solved by prohibiting. This is solved by managing, not by prohibiting”.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.