PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Until recently a remote and inaccessible area, the Pyrenees represented one of the last refuges in Europe for some of our most spectacular and endangered mammals and birds, including the brown bear (Ursus arctos), the Pyrenean ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) and the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus).
Even in the Pyrenees, all three had suffered dramatic losses as a result of direct impacts from hunting and poaching or through more diffuse human pressure on their habitat and the loss of genetic variability. The planned construction of a motorway along the Vallée d'Aspe in the early 1990s crossing the habitat of the last brown bears in the Pyrenees led to bitter confrontations both on-site and through political and judicial channels.
At the start of the project, these large fauna species had disappeared from many areas and were confined to the most inaccessible areas of the mountain chain. The bear population had fallen from 20-30 in 1984 to 9-11 by 1992, while the 10-12 ibex left had not bred since 1987. At 70 pairs, the plight of the bearded vulture was only marginally better.
This alarming situation could only be addressed by immediate concerted action on both sides of the French-Spanish border. This project was part of a two-phase, multi-beneficiary approach involving the national authorities of France and Spain, and three Spanish regional authorities. The relevant projects were:
LIFE93 NAT/E/011800 and LIFE95 NAT/E/000624 (Spanish Environment Ministry)
LIFE93 NAT/E/011801 and LIFE95 NAT/E/001160 (Aragon)
LIFE93 NAT/E/011802 and LIFE95 NAT/E/001159 (Catalonia)
LIFE93 NAT/E/011803 and LIFE95 NAT/E/001162 (Navarra).
LIFE93 NAT/F/011804 and LIFE95 NAT/F/001164 (French Environment Ministry)
The two-phases of the Spanish project are presented as one below.
OBJECTIVES
The overall multi-beneficiary approach aimed to conserve and recover the three target fauna species through habitat improvement and targeted species protection. Planned actions included:
application of less damaging forms of forestry
captive breeding of the ibex and re-introduction to the wild
preparation of new habitats and feeding sites for the bear and reintroduction of individuals from Slovenia
increased availability of prey and protection of nesting sites for the bearded vulture
The French and Spanish authorities aimed to collaborate on a package of sub-projects covering nearly 4 000 km² to pull the populations of the three species back from the brink of extinction. The project plans were in accordance with the recovery plans designed by the regional and national authorities. Scientific research and monitoring of the species as well as awareness-raising towards land users and local authorities were to be permanent supporting actions.
This particular sub-project, co-ordinated by the Spanish Directorate General for Nature Conservation (ex-ICONA), was focused on conservation actions to benefit the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) and Pyrenean ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica).
It aimed to provide national coordination for the implementation of the bearded vulture recovery programme in the Pyrenees between the three participating Spanish regions. A national coordinator would be appointed to supervise this implementation, species’ inventories and maintenance of supplementary feeding sites. The project would also establish an information centre in Ordesa national Park (Aragon) to increase awareness of the species and raise support for its conservation.
For the Pyrenean ibex, the project sought to capture the last surviving individuals and establish a captive breeding programme with the intention of re-establishing a viable wild population. This would be supported by habitat improvement measures to increase the extent and quality of the ibex’s grazing land.
RESULTS
Overall, the multi-beneficiary project had mixed results. The greatest successes were for the bearded vulture, which saw increases in population, distribution and survival, and the elaboration of a national strategy. Measures were implemented to improve bear habitat and management, which should benefit the species in the long-term. A lasting benefit of the projects was greatly increased knowledge of the biology of these species and the boost given to coordinated action between the regional and national players. However, the projects were too late for the Pyrenean ibex, which sadly became extinct in January 2000.
This nationally coordinated Spanish sub-project made an important contribution to conservation efforts for the bearded vulture and tried valiantly to save the sub-species of ibex. The actions and results of the project are as follows:
Bearded vulture.
The sub-project successfully coordinated the population monitoring and conservation actions, which was a very important measure. The coordinator supervised 12 simultaneous censuses throughout the species' distribution area across the three participating regions in Spain by establishing an efficient network of observers and common methodologies.
They also oversaw the monitoring of reproductive parameters, maintenance of supplementary feeding stations and exchange of information with the French authorities. The coordinator advised on the implementation of the Recovery Plans approved by the three regional governments.
This project played a crucial role in improving co-operation, exchange of experience and know-how between the multiple beneficiaries. Annual meetings were held to present and discuss the results of the population monitoring and the conservation measures and proved very useful to analyse the trends and problems in the Pyrenean population. The information available from the different regions involved in the project was compiled into comprehensive reports covering aspects such as population status, reproductive parameters, assessments of the Regional Recovery Plans and species management recommendations.
As a final result of this co-ordination activity, a special working group was set up in Spain in 1999 in the framework of the National Commission for Nature Protection, which drew up a National Strategy for the conservation of the species.
Plans to buy a hut to create an information centre with a video link to a breeding couple’s nest site were not realised within the timeframe of the project
Pyrenean ibex (mountain goat)
The project did not succeed because the estimated 10-12 animals at the start of the project turned out to be an over-optimistic assessment. Only three females were located, and no males. This made the original breeding plans impossible.
A revised plan was devised to hybridise the surviving females with males from the closest sub-species, the Spanish Ibex (Capra pyrenaica hispanica). One female was captured using a box-trap and attempts were made to breed her in captivity with two male Spanish ibex, but these attempts failed as she was too old (13 years old) and died within a year.
Male Spanish ibex were released into the wild in the hope that they would breed with the two surviving Pyrenean ibex females and mating behaviour was observed. However, no successful breeding took place and the sub-species became extinct when the last surviving Pyrenean ibex died in Ordesa in January 2000.
Studies had been carried out to determine measures to improve the Pyrenean ibex’s habitat, through scrub clearance and sowing herbaceous species, but these were not implemented following the extinction of the sub-species.Overall, the multi-beneficiary project had mixed results. The greatest successes were for the bearded vulture, which saw increases in population, distribution and survival, and the elaboration of a national strategy. Measures were implemented to improve bear habitat and management, which should benefit the species in the long-term. A lasting benefit of the projects was greatly increased knowledge of the biology of these species and the boost given to coordinated action between the regional and national players. However, the projects were too late for the Pyrenean ibex, which sadly became extinct in January 2000.
This nationally coordinated Spanish sub-project made an important contribution to conservation efforts for the bearded vulture and tried valiantly to save the sub-species of ibex. The actions and results of the project are as follows:
Bearded vulture.
The sub-project successfully coordinated the population monitoring and conservation actions, which was a very important measure. The coordinator supervised 12 simultaneous censuses throughout the species' distribution area across the three participating regions in Spain by establishing an efficient network of observers and common methodologies.
They also oversaw the monitoring of reproductive parameters, maintenance of supplementary feeding stations and exchange of information with the French authorities. The coordinator advised on the implementation of the Recovery Plans approved by the three regional governments.
This project played a crucial role in improving co-operation, exchange of experience and know-how between the multiple beneficiaries. Annual meetings were held to present and discuss the results of the population monitoring and the conservation measures and proved very useful to analyse the trends and problems in the Pyrenean population. The information available from the different regions involved in the project was compiled into comprehensive reports covering aspects such as population status, reproductive parameters, assessments of the Regional Recovery Plans and species management recommendations.
As a final result of this co-ordination activity, a special working group was set up in Spain in 1999 in the framework of the National Commission for Nature Protection, which drew up a National Strategy for the conservation of the species.
Plans to buy a hut to create an information centre with a video link to a breeding couple’s nest site were not realised within the timeframe of the project
Pyrenean ibex (mountain goat)
The project did not succeed because the estimated 10-12 animals at the start of the project turned out to be an over-optimistic assessment. Only three females were located, and no males. This made the original breeding plans impossible.
A revised plan was devised to hybridise the surviving females with males from the closest sub-species, the Spanish Ibex (Capra pyrenaica hispanica). One female was captured using a box-trap and attempts were made to breed her in captivity with two male Spanish ibex, but these attempts failed as she was too old (13 years old) and died within a year.
Male Spanish ibex were released into the wild in the hope that they would breed with the two surviving Pyrenean ibex females and mating behaviour was observed. However, no successful breeding took place and the sub-species became extinct when the last surviving Pyrenean ibex died in Ordesa in January 2000.
Studies had been carried out to determine measures to improve the Pyrenean ibex’s habitat, through scrub clearance and sowing herbaceous species, but these were not implemented following the extinction of the sub-species.