In the last ten years seven thousand specimens of endangered species in Spain have died as a direct result of poisoned baits, including seven brown bears, 40 ospreys, golden eagles 114, 348 owls, eagles 168, 638 black vultures, black kites 2355 and 2.146 vultures. The statistic is “awesome” and data “may be only a sample of what has been the overall dead animals during the last decade by the use of poison”, assured the director of the Environment and Forest Policy MARM Jose Jimenez, during the First Project Life + Poison.
Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y Leon have approved plans to combat the poison. The project, coordinated by SEO-BirdLife, the Foundation for the Conservation of the Vultures and the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, aims to achieve a significant reduction in the use of these products under the National Strategy to Combat illegal use of poisoned baits.
For Jimenez, the kite situation is “dramatic” as it is estimated that the venom has been the cause of a loss of about 50% of the breeding population. ” The imperial eagle “in the venom has the second most important mortality factor even to his death in places like Almaden Valley Tietar and some of the Donana population,” he said.
In the 90′s, recalled the director of the Natural, “there was an increase of poison linked to hunting, but today has been experiencing a surge of venom linked to livestock and especially in the areas of expansion wolf.”