Call to Revive Unfinished Reintroduction Plan
Six environmental groups are urging the Catalan government to recover and update a viability plan for the reintroduction of the boreal lynx (Lynx lynx) into the Alt Pirineu Natural Park, a proposal first announced in 2016 in the Val d’Aran but never carried out. The initiative, which remains in the study phase, is supported by the Association of Friends of the Alt Pirineu Natural Park, ADLO Pirineu, SEO/BirdLife, DEPANA, Ecologistes en Acció, and ADDA. The park, established under Decree 194/2003 of 1 August, covers 69,850 hectares across 15 municipalities in the Pyrenees and is Catalonia’s largest protected natural area, according to the Department of the Environment and Housing. Its size, ecological value, and connectivity with other protected areas make it a candidate site for assessing the feasibility of hosting a stable lynx population.
Potential Ecological and Economic Benefits
The groups argue that reintroducing the boreal lynx, which disappeared from Catalonia in the early 20th century due to human persecution and habitat loss, could help restore disrupted ecological processes. They highlight its potential role in controlling mesopredator populations, such as foxes and martens, that threaten ground-nesting birds and small mammals. One species in particular, the capercaillie (gall fer), has seen a sharp population decline and could benefit from the restored balance. The lynx’s diet consists mainly of roe deer and other wild ungulates, with minimal impact on domestic livestock, the organisations say. Drawing on coexistence models from other European regions, they note that incidents involving domestic herds are anecdotal, suggesting the predator could support extensive livestock farming by regulating wild herbivore numbers.
The objective is to assess how the lynx’s presence influences the ecological balance, particularly in forests under pressure from overgrazing and mesopredator dominance.
They also point to potential economic opportunities through responsible ecotourism, which could diversify income for Pyrenean municipalities and support environmental education initiatives.
Scientific and Community-Led Approach Required
The proposal calls for the updated plan to include rigorous scientific assessments, including habitat and prey availability studies, population and connectivity modelling, and socio-economic analysis. It also stresses the need for local participation and measures to ensure coexistence with farming activities. The groups recommend introducing non-sterilised lynx from other European regions with similar ecological conditions, provided scientific studies and technical requirements support it. They emphasise that any reintroduction must follow strict scientific evaluation and territorial engagement, in line with broader conservation goals within the Natura 2000 network and the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas. The Generalitat has not yet confirmed whether it will resume the plan, but the organisations insist the time is right to prioritise biodiversity restoration in the Pyrenees.
Primary sources: parcsnaturals.gencat.cat, mediambient.repositori.gencat.cat, forestalcatalana.gencat.cat, vocabularis.crai.ub.edu. Reported by lamanyana.cat, elperiodico.com, rutespirineus.cat, Picuco.
