A Although “it is likely” is that the quarterly yacht level in Europe is “untenable”, the hunters get the opportunity to keep killing step by step to one of his favorite trophies: the quail.
The government At the beginning of the year he chose not to qualify this species as in danger of extinctionWhat would have de facto prevented it from hunting the Spanish predictions; An action that hardly criticizing environmental activists and against which they do not stop fighting.
Weld Environmental organizations insist that in order to assess the situation of the species, public administrations must rely on scientific data. They also explain that types of whose populations are deteriorating, or during the critical periods of their vital cycles, should be on hunting as a reproductive era and/or migration.
Ordinary quail in Spain
Scientists, ornithologists, environmental activists and experts warn him: keeping hunting on the ordinary quail is not sustainable. Since 2020, when it was declared of the year, the environmental organization has asked for the quail Is classified as an endangered species. For example, the request that the NGO is in the hands of citizens to support the inclusion of quadries in the threats of the species catalog as a guarantee for the preservation of the species.
The decline of the population of the quail It is confirmed thanks to the data collected in the counts. Figure as in danger in the red book of the Birds or Spain of the NGO, Where it is indicated that Common Quail has experienced a population decrease in the last 20 years of 74 %.
And if you take into account The abundance of long -term species (2002 – 2023) would have had a decrease with around 49 %.
«The species It must be included in the Spanish catalog of endangered species, as well as the scientific committee of the ministry itself for ecological transition and demographic challenge«, Points to Mario Giménez, responsible for the NGO nature conservation area, and adds:« Effective mechanisms that guarantee the protection and recovery of the species must be launched. Moreover, the hunt use must be thrown away to prevent extra mortality, while the regression of population forces is a fact. “
His main threat are the hunters
The Common Quail, a characteristic type of grain crops, was very frequent in the Mediterranean Sea until a few decades ago. Hunting pressure, together with the package concentration, The use of treated seeds, herbicides and other chemicals and other changes that are derived from crop intensification has contributed to the deterioration of the populations of this species.
In addition, The preference for hunting this species leads to the release of hundreds of thousands of copies that have been increased in captivity for practical reasonsBecause of their greater productivity and easier use, they are hybrid samples with Japanese quail, who assume that another added risk, due to genetic introgress and the resulting decrease in reproductive success, when crossing with hybrid samples.
The turtled one: another bird in comparable circumstances
The NGO believes that the alarming situation is in many ways comparable to that of the European turtle As vulnerable on the basis of a population decrease of 37 % between 1998 and 2018 (a decrease of 35 % if the most recent series is taken into account).
In this case, The request for catalogization as an endangered species was also rejected by the Miteco, but since 2021 a moratorium has been established in the hunt for the speciesAt the request of the European Commission, which has resulted in a slight increase in the population and in the permission of Nieuwe Turtled Hunting Quota for the next half -ban.
The European Commission recently announced that countries of The European Union could reopen the hunting season of the common turtle in some parts of Western EuropeA decision that can reverse the progress of recovery for the Echoligist organization and can again endanger the species.
«It has been shown that hunting is an extra threat to turtles, so it is quickly returning to catches can endanger the starting recovery of the species. There is also no guarantee that sufficient control over the catches will be carried out, nor have we demonstrated that measures for habitat management are being implemented, who are also part of the adaptive hunting mechanism proposed by the administration, ”adds Mario Giménez, responsible for the NGO Nature Protection Area.
“Finally, It is important to point out that many turtles from other European countries in which the moratorium have not been increased will be depressed in Spainwill negatively influence the population as a population in Europe.
Protect birds according to scientific criteria
The NGO is on the Must apply on science -based objective criteria, so that both species are urgently included in the Spanish catalog of endangered species.
They believe that in the meantime it is necessary to set up a moratorium in the hunt for ordinary quail, as well as Maintain the moratorium hunting for the European Tortola in Spain, until a recovery of the population is guaranteed, consolidated in timeThis is sufficient to reverse your situation of endangered species and that makes an adequate application of the adaptive hunting plans that are proposed by the European Commission.
They also insist Competent administrations to strengthen the application of conservation measures, including rigorous monitoring of the populationsThe implementation of actions that are aimed at improving the most important habitats for both species and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices. And ask the Population containing the request to save the quail.
The Ecological organization regrets that public administrations have the specific interests of the hunting sector compared to the public interests of the preservation of nature. The NGO will continue to work to ensure the preservation of ordinary quartz and European comfortable trepling that is driven by the administrations to adopt decisions based on science and the effective nature conservation of nature.