The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the red partridge as “near threatened” on its Red List, based on data provided by the environmental association SEO / BirdLife. This declaration opens the door for a later classification of the partridge as “vulnerable”, which would prevent its hunting. The IUCN Red List is the source of information about the global conservation status of plant and animal species. Based on a set of scientific criteria, it assesses the risk of extinction of threatened species, as well as those that are not, and results in a compendium of information on their ecology, population trends, geographic distribution, risks to those faced, their uses, the conservation actions that are applied or needed, and the categories. From the Spanish Federation they point out that SEO / BirdLife puts its anti-hunting ideology before the true conservation of birds, using incomplete data in its “reports”. The federation adds that SEO / BirdLife does not seek to establish conservation plans focused on correcting the negative ecological factors that affect the species, but that its roadmap is clear: try to declare itself a vulnerable species, which would mean the total ban of your hunt.
Avian influence. In December, an outbreak of avian flu was detected in a farm of 6,000 ducks located in the town of Benesse-Maremne (Landes), about 55 kilometers from Irun. Cantabria already activated its action protocol for these cases in November, due to the confirmation of a case of avian influence in a peregrine falcon found in Noja. Faced with this situation, the Basque Government launched its prevention plan against avian influence in November. With regard to hunting activity, the use of birds of the orders anseriformes and charadriiformes as decoys to attract wild birds has been prohibited. Likewise, the release of poultry destined for restocking hunting areas has been subject to the express authorization of the competent authority, upon request and based on a risk analysis with a favorable result after verifying the appropriate biosecurity measures. All findings of bird carcasses, especially aquatic species, must be reported to the competent services of the councils, which will adopt the appropriate measures to rule out the presence of the virus in them. In the event that the hunters locate abnormal mortalities of birds, it is recommended to notify the situation by not handling the remains in any case.
Animal welfare. On December 15, the Spanish Federation presented a series of proposals for the Draft State Law on Animal Welfare. It requests that the scope of application be clearly determined. As an essential, cultural, traditional and sustainable activity, it understands that hunting must be respected in the application of animal protection and welfare laws. The Federation indicates the need to harmonize the scientific, technical and legal concept of “animal abuse”, noting that a more coherent definition would be this: “All conduct by action or intentional, by which intent or suffering is inflicted on an animal serious, social and legally not justified or necessary ”, making it clear that regulated hunting activity should never be considered animal abuse. Regarding hunting dogs, he proposes that they be not categorized as production or companion animals, but as working, utility or sport animals. In addition, it is requested that the causes of abandonment be monitored to act in its prevention and eradication; that there is control of the breeding, but not mandatory sterilization of all hunting dogs; and that the regional regulations be unified in various sections.
Measurements. Decree 47/2020, of December 22, does not modify any of the measures established for hunting. In this sense, hunting activity is allowed in all its modalities as long as the interpersonal safety distance is respected, the use of a mask being mandatory.
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