The NADEG committee, the group of experts in the field of birds and habitats guidelines of the European Commission, concluded that Spain meets the three necessary conditions to reopen the hunt for the TurtLedAdjusting your catch quota to the population of reality of the species.
The Moratory was subject to an annual assessment based on the evolution of the data of the triangular population throughout the course And in the 2022 and 2023 years they showed a significant recovery of the species, which remained in 2024, because the moratorium remained effective ». That is why experts say it is possible to maintain the goal of restoring the turtle European in the medium term compatible with the reintroduction of a hunting quota.
Weld Environmental and animal organizations disagree with this measure, Because they explain that the recovery of the species is due to a moratorium that, as soon as it ends, could give unnecessary yacht, which will again be harmful to the Ortolas.
The tortola in the look
The European Commission has announced that the countries of the European Union are the hunting season of the turtle Usual in some parts of Western Europe, after a three -year moratorium that had stopped hunting in Spain, France, Portugal and Northwest -Italia after decades of a decline of the populations of the species, that, They keep it in the “vulnerable” category in the IUCN Red List and in the Red Book of the Birds of Spain.
SEO/Birdlife value that The moratorium size is satisfactory for the recovery of this species And it must be considered for other species in decline if the common quail with a population of 61% in the last 20 years and is “in danger” according to the red book of the Birds of Spain.
The moratorium, imposed since 2021, has made it possible to observe The first signs of restoring the population of turtles on the Western migration routeIncluding Spain. On the central-organic route, where, however, hunting prohibitions have not been applied with the same efficiency, the species remains backwards.
Although the European Commission has established that the reopening of the hunt must be based on three fundamental conditions (Population increase for at least two consecutive years, increased chances of survival and effective monitoring and control systems of both recordings and their populations), the reality is that one of these conditions has not yet been met.
Although the trends of the species have improved, The populations have not reached no safety levels that makes it possible to use hunting use that guarantees that the species has no regressive tendency. And this is because the third of the conditions are not met. It is believed that Spain far from guarantees, with adequate and effective monitoring, that the recordings meet the quota granted.
The turtle Common remains classified as “vulnerable” in the IUCN Red list and in the red book of the Birds of Spain, because of The combination of non -durable yacht, loss of habitat and the reduction of food sources due to the use of pesticides and intensive agriculture. The decision to allow the death of 106,920 Ortolas In Spain it does not guarantee the sustainability of the measure, because the current operating systems are insufficient to prevent excessive yacht.
Spain: decline of the TurtLed because of hunting
In Spain, the hunt of the turtle It is one of the causes of its decline. Since the application of the moratorium, requested by the NGO since 2018, the population has begun to show signs of improvement, which shows that protection is effective. The environmental organization is of the opinion Reopening hunting can now reverse these claims and bring the species to the edge of collapse again.
The autonomous communities have announced all their intention to allow the hunt for the species, but the mandatory application of adaptive hunting plans generates serious doubts about compliance with the recording quota. Jorge Fernández Oueta said that “the risk is clear. The Rejection of European triangled yacht without adequate control systems does not allow the impact of this in the populations of the species.
Therefore, public administrations must act in a responsible manner, applying the principle of caution and not allowing the hunt of the TurtLed, Maintaining the moratorium until the populations reach levels are comparable to those of the beginning of the century ».
Protection measures must be taken
The environmental organization insists that Maintain the moratorium hunting for the ordinary pulling in Spain and in the rest of Western Europe Until a sustainable population repair and adequate application of adaptive hunting plans are guaranteed.
That is why the European Commission is encouraged and national governments to strengthen conservation measures, including:
- A rigorous monitoring of the population is Ortolas.
- Habitat improvement Key to the species through the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.
- An effective and transparent control over huntingWith reliable technologies and registration systems.
- Nature cannot wait
With the moratorium, The common turtled has shown that it can start recovering. Allowing the resumption of hunting without sufficient guarantees for sustainability is a decision that could condemn this species for an irreversible decline.
We are sorry of the environment -NGO Special interests of the hunting sector, in the light of the public interests of nature conservation.
The environmental organization will continue to work Take care of the preservation of the common voice and biodiversity in SpainThe insistence of administrations to make decisions based on science and the effective preservation of nature.