| Resumo: |
Drawing the baselines for the good management of a Mediterranean key species, the wild rabbit
The European Rabbit (ER) is a Mediterranean Forest's keystone species; it's the main prey of some of
the most endangered Iberian top predators (Lynx pardinus, Aquila adalberti), models the landscape,
increases soil fertility and creates habitat for other species.
Over the last 70 years Iberian ER populations have declined by 90% as a result of changes in land uses
and diseases (myxomatosis and RHD). In 2019 the IUCN listed ER as Endangered, reflecting recent
populations declines mainly due to a new variant of RHD virus. The ER is listed as Vulnerable in Spain
and Near Threatened in Portugal.
Currently, diseases cause the ER distribution and abundance to be quite heterogeneous in space and
time. ER population declines have caused conservation problems when occurring within the distribution
range of its top predators, jeopardizing its conservation by seriously affecting their reproductive
success. It has also caused socio-economic problems in rural areas where hunting is an important
economic force. But there are occasional local demographic explosions that damage crops or
agricultural infrastructures, affecting in Spain an average of 41.836 hectares during 2012-2017 (51% of
agricultural insurance compensation for wildlife-related damages).
To address this situation the governments of Spain and Portugal have led initiatives focused mainly on
conservation issues and diseases research. MAPAMA of Spain created the Rabbit Working Group in
2014, and in 2007 ICNF promoted the "ER Recovery Program (PRECOB)", but both initiatives have been
cancelled. Other initiatives currently cancelled have been led by regional governments (2009-2018
management plan in Castilla-La Mancha) and ONGs (2015-2016 WWF's SOS Conejo, where a proposal
for an Iberian Management Plan was drafted). See B.1 Risks for details on the failures of these
initia  |
Resumo
Drawing the baselines for the good management of a Mediterranean key species, the wild rabbit
The European Rabbit (ER) is a Mediterranean Forest's keystone species; it's the main prey of some of
the most endangered Iberian top predators (Lynx pardinus, Aquila adalberti), models the landscape,
increases soil fertility and creates habitat for other species.
Over the last 70 years Iberian ER populations have declined by 90% as a result of changes in land uses
and diseases (myxomatosis and RHD). In 2019 the IUCN listed ER as Endangered, reflecting recent
populations declines mainly due to a new variant of RHD virus. The ER is listed as Vulnerable in Spain
and Near Threatened in Portugal.
Currently, diseases cause the ER distribution and abundance to be quite heterogeneous in space and
time. ER population declines have caused conservation problems when occurring within the distribution
range of its top predators, jeopardizing its conservation by seriously affecting their reproductive
success. It has also caused socio-economic problems in rural areas where hunting is an important
economic force. But there are occasional local demographic explosions that damage crops or
agricultural infrastructures, affecting in Spain an average of 41.836 hectares during 2012-2017 (51% of
agricultural insurance compensation for wildlife-related damages).
To address this situation the governments of Spain and Portugal have led initiatives focused mainly on
conservation issues and diseases research. MAPAMA of Spain created the Rabbit Working Group in
2014, and in 2007 ICNF promoted the "ER Recovery Program (PRECOB)", but both initiatives have been
cancelled. Other initiatives currently cancelled have been led by regional governments (2009-2018
management plan in Castilla-La Mancha) and ONGs (2015-2016 WWF's SOS Conejo, where a proposal
for an Iberian Management Plan was drafted). See B.1 Risks for details on the failures of these
initiatives.
From 2017, INIAV of Portugal is developing a strategy to fight RHD based on 1) disease research, 2)
population management and 3) dissemination. While 1 and 2 are currently underway, INIAV intends to
boost 2 and 3 with within the scope of Iberconejo. 2019 Andalusian ER Strategy`s conceptual
framework and part of its actions will be integrated into Iberconejo. WWF leads PREVECO (2019-2021)
which aims at testing solutions to ER-related damages on agriculture (which results will be used in
Iberconejo).
All the active and inactive initiatives mentioned above agree on the need of high-quality information on
the population and health status of the species and to develop and implement management measures
which take into account every other aspect (hunting, agriculture, socio-economy, technical training and
dissemination issues) related to the species.
In the current situation there is an absolute lack of governance, both at the national and Iberian
level; species management occurs at the local level, different stakeholders apply measures with
opposing objectives, there is no sharing of experiences and knowledge and there are no standard
protocols and monitoring methodologies (so not comparable data are available). It is not even
possible to define ER population status in most peninsular areas on which to establish wide-range
conservation goals.
Therefore, improve ER population at the Iberian level it's necessary to 1) agree on an Iberian
governance structure, 2) design and adopt common monitoring protocols and methodologies
to 3) gather information on ER population status and 4) design and implement management
measures that take into account every aspect related with the species conservation. To be successful
this must be done by involving every stakeholder.
Iberconejo will deal with governance-related aspects at the Iberian level, but it will develop its results
working at a lower scale, using all the information provided by ER-related initiatives and projects
mentioned above. For example, Life+ Iberlince carried out a very intensive (not feasible at a peninsular
scale) ER monitoring in the nine areas where it worked from 2011 to 2019, providing a strong, though
quite spatially-restricted, information of ER populations status and evolution in these concrete areas.
By working in these areas, Iberconejo will be able to 1) develop and field-test new and feasible long-term monitoring protocol and 2) adjust its results using Iberlince`s ER-related knowledge.
Evaluators of Lynx Connect LIFE pointed out the need to include an ER management strategy; they
have been informed about it beeing Iberconejo's main objective. |
| Resultados: |
By the end of Iberconejo the ERICC is the ER governance structure in the Iberian Peninsula that
coordinates the implementation of consensual ER monitoring and management protocols. There is
quality information about the ER population and health status. The decline of ER populations starts
being reverted and there’s an improvement in its top predator populations, a reduction of the ERrelated
conflicts and a solid basis for long-term efficient advances in ER conservation. ER conservation
status upgraded by IUCN by 2035.
Results can be grouped attending the specifics objectives and the thematic strategies:
Governance strategy
O1.R1 ERICC’s rules of order and organization chart.
O1.R2 ERICC`s health and population management, monitoring surveys and conflict resolution working
groups are constituted by Iberconejo’s partners by 2022.
O2.R1 ERICC is leading ER management in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain) in 2025.
Monitoring and management strategy
O3.R1 ERICC will have a consensual ER population monitoring protocol by 2023.
O3.R2 ERICC will have a consensual ER health monitoring protocol by 2023.
O4.R1 A data collection IT app will be available and at least 100 forest agents, 100 volunteers and 100
persons of the agro-hunting sector will have the skills to implement the health and population
monitoring protocols making use of the IT app.
O5.R1 Firsts ER population and health monitoring surveys in the project areas, with 233.527 km2
sampled by 2024.
O5.R2 By 2024 there will be available detailed ER presence and density layers, defining the species
population status to be used as the reference for the management of the ER and its top predators.
O6.R1 Evaluation and assessment protocol for prevention of ER damages to agriculture by 2023.
O6.R2 Consensual protocol for best practice in ER population management by 2023.
O6.R3 ERICC official document “Protocol for Best Practice in ER Population Management”, identifying
possible public financing lines by 2024.
O6.R4 Iberconejo’s management protocols will be implemented in the Project areas since 2024.
Sustainability and replicability strategy
O7.R1 A CAP-focused version of the document “Protocol for Best Practice in ER Population Management”, which highlights issues closely related to the agrarian policies.
O8.R1 Model of governance structures for terrestrial mammals in 2024.
O8.R2 Model of terrestrial mammals monitoring protocols in 2024.
O9.R1 The results and products of Iberconejo are known and available to a large number of
organizations that can use them to improve their conservation tasks.
Strategy to maximize the benefits generated by the project
O10.R1 All project indicators achieved the expected improvements and results are efficiently achieved.
O11.R1 Financial and technical reports meet all requirements.
O12.R1 Wide dissemination of Iberconejo’s results. |