Shepherds face compensation gaps despite bear signs
Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) has called on the Generalitat to revise its current compensation criteria for damages caused by the brown bear in the Alt Pirineu. The party argues that the existing system fails to support extensive livestock farmers when there are clear signs of bear presence around dead animals, even if a direct fatal attack cannot be conclusively proven. Pepe Vidal, ERC deputy and mayor of Llavorsí, highlighted the issue on Friday 16 October 2026, stressing that current rules require definitive proof of causality between the animal’s death and a bear attack for compensation to be granted. This means that even when Rural Agents find evidence consistent with bear intervention, such as tracks, scents or bite marks, farmers may still be denied indemnification if the exact cause of death remains uncertain.
The presence of the brown bear in the Pyrenees requires agile and appropriate compensation mechanisms, such as payments for ecosystem services.
Push for broader support mechanisms
Vidal proposed introducing complementary measures, including payments for ecosystem services, to ensure farmers do not bear the full economic burden of coexisting with protected wildlife. He argued that the administration should assume losses when dead livestock left in nature benefit other wild species, even if the initial cause of death is unclear. The deputy also formally questioned the Generalitat over the specific criteria used to deny compensation when bear involvement has been documented by field agents. He asked whether the current system offers sufficient guarantees to shepherds living alongside this protected species.
Summer incidents fuel debate
The call follows several incidents reported in Pallars Sobirà during summer 2026. In Lladorre, the Department of Territory did not rule out bear involvement in the death of a cow and the disappearance of three other animals. In Bonabé, part of the Alt Àneu municipality, two shepherds reported the death of a mare and foal, and injuries to a calf. While authorities dismissed bear attacks as the cause of the calf’s injuries, the deaths of the equines remained under investigation, with early signs not pointing definitively to bear activity. These cases have revealed tensions between farmers’ reports and official inspection outcomes. ERC’s proposal, presented as a parliamentary question on 13 October 2026 and reiterated on 16 October, urges the government to consider broader compensation models that do not depend solely on proving direct attacks. For now, the request remains a parliamentary initiative. Any change to the current compensation framework will depend on the Generalitat’s response and potential updates to existing regulations, including those outlined in the Coexistence and Damage Prevention Programme for the Brown Bear.
Primary sources: Generalitat de Catalunya, 35099717S, agricultura.gencat.cat. Reported by lavalira.eu, viurealspirineus.cat, La Valira.
