The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition has announced a new project in which it is working to strengthen the control of wild boar and sheep in various natural parks. What they are proposing, therefore, is to reduce the impact that these animals have on other threatened species and on human activities.
The project, which has European funds, aims to improve the conservation of endangered species in the natural parks of Marjal de Pego-Oliva, El Prat de Cabanes-Torreblanca, Desert de les Palmes, Font Roja and Serra de Mariola in a extension of about 6.200 protected hectares.
In the territories on which the program will be carried out, an overabundance of wild boar has been detected, much higher than normal, while the sheep is classified by state and regional regulations in protected natural spaces as an invasive species with management guidelines aimed to eradication.
The overabundance of these animals has an impact on threatened flora species, bird nests or the population of the wild rabbit, preyed upon by other species at risk.
Objectives and actions
The objectives of the project are to reduce the density of wild boar and bark populations, reduce their impact on other threatened species and human activities, improve the information available on the aforementioned species, increase cooperation between users and the Administration and promote good practices.
The works, which will be carried out through an assignment to the Vaersa Group, have a term of 24 months and a budget of 700.000 euros. In the first phase of the project, the necessary sampling will be carried out to find out the status of the species, both of the wild boar and the sheep, as well as of the species of flora and fauna whose conservation is compromised by the abundance of the aforementioned mammals.
After collecting the information, the technicians will propose the necessary actions to reduce the wild boar and sheep populations and will inform and seek the opinion of the groups involved such as town halls, hunters, conservationists or farmers. It should be remembered that the monitoring of agricultural damage or the capture of wild boar in preserves require the authorization of their owners.
In phase two of the project, the direct and indirect measures established in the first phase will be applied. This initiative, which aims to improve the management of the territory, has an important research component to better understand the impact of species that are increasingly abundant compared to others that are increasingly scarce.
