Spanish and Portuguese entities develop the life project Iberconejo: «Setting up the bases to improve the management of an important Mediterranean species, the mountain rabbit«. The project was born to display the dedication of various actors with a common goal. One of the objectives is to improve the state of the population of rabbit, Reduce and prevent the damage caused to agriculture.
The Life Project Iberconejo had the objectives:
- Know the state of population by rabbit On the Iberian Peninsula, his state of health and the damage it causes to agriculture.
- Collect good regional management practicesBoth for the promotion of populations and for the reduction of damage it causes.
- Create a management system This gradually includes all important actors and all administrations with competencies in the management of the species, beyond the partners involved in the project.
Formed by The Life Program of the European Commission, Life Iberon It had a total investment of 2,103,880 euros and had a duration of 39 months, starting in October 2021 and ending in December 2024
Monte Rabbit: Mediterranean keys species
Beacon welcomed more than 150 experts in Mountain Rabbit during the European Rabbit International Workshop (ERIW25)Organized by the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests of Portugal (ICNF), WWF and the Life Project Iberconejo. The species, which plays an essential ecological role in the Mediterranean landscapes and for rural economies, has had a huge decrease in Portugal and a large part of the south of the Iberian Peninsula.
During the meeting, the need to continue the works of the life project was reinforced Iberconejo, that ends in June and inventory the progress achieved, such as the implementation of an automated system of Collection and analysis of data on rabbit populations on the Iberian Peninsula.
This groundbreaking development, in which the competent administrations of Portugal and Spain participate, It will make it possible to be updated information on a large scale about the condition of this important species for the survival of endangered species such as the Iberian Lynx and the Iberian imperial eagle.
During the conference the must use an integrated management approach To solve the various challenges that the rabbit situation has solved De Monte: Not only to promote the recovery of their populations, but also to reduce damage to agricultural areas.
The experts agreed on the importance of Guarantee the synergies achieved in the Life Iberconejo project between organizations in Portugal and SpainAs well as combining the various administrative, academic and management options.
Life Iberonjo: Binational Project of Portugal and Spain
The goal is to maintain a space for the exchange of knowledge and dialogue to resolve the challenges It increases the dynamics and population of the species of the species (scarcity or abundance). The importance of not losing the impulse generated by the project, to maintain robust monitoring and long-term of the species and to determine effective management and preservation strategies.
In this context, It is important to guarantee the maintenance of tools and platforms of information systems Developed by life Iberconejo, The knowledge enrichment processes, training and their application on site.
More than 1,400 people have formed when monitoring the mountainBetween environmental and technical agents of the administration, hunters and volunteers. The project created one Iberian board structure To improve the management of the mountain rabbit, formed by public administrations, universities and civil society, including NGOs and entities of the hunting and agricultural sector.
In case they also presented Work on the use of technology to detect diseases in the mountain rabbitIts influence on the restoration of endangered species and its impact on the transport infrastructure where there is abundance.
«The future of Rabbit de Monte requires an integrated approach that combines scientific monitoring, health monitoring, territorial management Based on evidence, administrative coordination and cooperation between all the agents involved. Only in this way will it be possible to guarantee its preservation and essential role in ecosystems, in particular Agro Ecosystems, and for local economies, as well as the state of his population groups, ”said José Calado, regional director of Nature Conservation and Forests of the Alentejo.
«The Eriw25 is the last Great Life event Iberconejo, A project that has improved knowledge about this important species and Lay the foundation for sustainable management of their populationsrepairing where it takes and minimizes the damage to crops in some agricultural areas, “said Ramón Pérez de Ayala, of the Spanish NGO, director of the life project Iberconejo.