Biodiversity Mnagement Nick McCarthy BSc Land Management in Agriculture

Bryan Kearney 20033011 8th March 2011

Bears into the Pyrenees Region

Re-Introduction Programmes in the Pyrenees Region: Throughout France extending from Catalonia in the South right up through the regions of Ariege and Bearn to the Basque in the North there has been increased conflict both among lical communities and the wider economy as conservation campaigners try to re-introduce bears back into the wild. These campaigners have been viciously tackled by local rural populations as a direct result. This attrotious behaviour is having a negative impact on local tourism as nationalist slogans daubed in white paint on Pyrenean mountain roadsides is now a very common sight. In 2006 five slovenian bears comprising one male and four females were released after the last of the native female brown bears was shot in 2004. As a consequence of her death less than twenty bears remained in the two hundred male dominated mountain range. A group of local farmers are the main culprits among protestors as they blame omnivorous bears for attacking their livestock as a food source, and war has now been declared by this group on conservationists and all other participiants of re-introduction programmes. Shortly after the release of the bears in 2006 a biker discoveredvtwelve pots of honey laden in glass, anti bera poison targeted primarily for the bears. This situation has now become so serious that a pro-bear local bear mayor was taken hostage, and had death threats issued against hes life. Along with this erathic behaviour a dead sheep was dumped on the door step of a local professional, and a localconservation group experienced the same behaviour. Since the re-introduction of bears less than 0.01% of the livestock heard have been killed but farmers have been well compensated for these incidents even if bears were not directly responsible for the attacks. Again a fund has been set up to support farmers in the region to pay for shepherds and to purchase patous anti bear dogsof the great Pyrenees breed. In addition to this helicopters are now available to take farmers to high altitudes in the mountains where livestock are left unattended to graze in the summer months. As farmers in the region face uncertainty due to difficulties the sector is facing Sylvie Cardona secretary general of AVES believes farmers are using the bears as a scapegoat for their own problems. As globalisation becomes more and more of an issue sheep farmers are in turmoil due to competiition from New Zealand sheep farmers. Currently in Europe French agriculture is one of the highest subsidised countries with large cereal producers and agribusiness receiving most of these payments. Therefore the sheep sector must be at the lower end of the agricultural industry. In the current economic climate there is an increasing
2

number of young people leaving rural areas in search of employment in the city, leaving fewer people to take over and manage the land when the older generation pass away. However since 1999 more than two million people have relocated to the countryside mainly from the city, Holland, Germany and the UK in search of the peace and tranquility of the french countryside. Conflicts like those in the Pyrenees region are been experienced all over the world, take for instance in the the UK lobby groups claim badgers are the main vectors responsible for transmitting the spread of tuberculosis among cattle. In the pyrenees region as there are a small number of cattle are lost and there are no enclosures conservationists believe the risk on humans fron attack by bears is as follows; you are more likely to be killed by a domestic dog than a wolf and 374 times more likely to be killed by lightning than a bear. As all over the world it is clear that people are mind set on a certain way of life and are unwilling to adapt to changes in the countryside and wild, as a result this is an increasing problem for conservationists trying to reclaim ecosystems and habitats to their original state. In the nineteenth century the Pyrenees was home to bear taming, and their numbers declined due to hunters killing the females and taking theis cubs. They were in fact a accepted as a natural part of society. Today all over the world animals including bears are used as methaphors to describe a range of moral positions and experiences in every day speech i.e. investors mauled by a bear market come clawing after their brokers. As a direct result of these frequently used methaphors this is having a negative impact on programmes of the reintroduction of lost species. As groups of farmers and rural people in society want to retain total control over their natural habitats and ecosystems, they deen the re-introduction of native species as a threat and source of competition which has created an illusion that by killing or eliminating wild animals is the key solution. In context human beeings have never been accepting and willing to share their space with others. Many believe that the re-introduction of wild species is done for sentimental reasons rather than satisify the requirements and restoration of natural habitats that once existed, and also how they contribute to global climate change. Like many natural predators bears require a lot of room, in some cases up to two hundred kilometers. The re-introduction of these omnivores by conservationists is a massive comittment by conservationists, however if we dont intervene and restore nature quickly it may be too late. Due to this factor choices and priorities have to be made promtly and this requires the support of economys and societies as a whole. Simply there is not enough time and money to save them all, but all efforts should be applied to make some significant
3

contribution. In the Scottish highlands, Alladales wilderness reserve manager believes that reintroduction programmes must be applied to wider communities, but initiatives such as increased education about the risks and improvements these species pose to improved biodiversity through the regeneration of flora and fauna is necessary. Cases for re-introduction programmes: Wild species contribute significantly to the environment, for instance at Alladale wild boars root out vast swathes of heather and bracken, and do not only prevent the natural regeneration of other species of flora and fauna but also provide a natural habitat for the ticks that cause lyme disease. Again the scottish wildlife trust and royal zoological society of Scotland claim that wolves improve ecosystems by reducing the red deer population. It is currently estimated that over five hundred thousand animals roam the scottish highlands, and this is close to the lands natural carrying capacity. As a direct result this reduces the need for expensive culling while also increasing plant and birdlife biodiversity. In the case of the Pyrenees region bears can recycle cadavers through eating them including in spring, those animals killed by avalanches in the winter and distributes through its faeces and the seeds of berries they eat. In order to allow the re-introduction of new species to live peacefully and naturally people will have to change the way they think, and just accept the right of these species to survive and share the space in the landscape with other species. Research and evidence shows that large carnivors have repeatedly shown their ability to live with humans, people just need to find a way to live with them. Arguements for concern: In April 2006 Palouma and Franska were the first of four female slovenian bears to arrive in the Pyrenees, and two females Hvala and Balou and Sarousse a male were to arrive shortly after. These bears were fitted with tracking devices and farmers soon identified Franska as been the main predator responsible for the death of a number of sheep. The Pyrenees national park claimed she had been responsible for more than half of the ninety five attacks carried out throughout 2006. Due to this a campaign begun to have her removed intensified, and as a result she was killed in August of that year. To conclude this debate personally from my own perspective i can see this how these reintroduction programmes can create a negative impact among communities and the wider economy. However these species will have to be re-introduced before they become
4

completely extinct. Therefore scientific research and eveience to support these programmes will have to be painted into the minds of onset people, and programmes to support these following re-introduction will have to be developed to ensure public safety etc. Other than this i do not know what can be done if all fails, it is just a case of seeing what progressively happens over time.