19/09/2016

Awarded for our work in land stewardship

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The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment has been recognised for its work in land stewardship, a modality that is also being promoted by the hunting sector to conserve natural heritage thanks to the signing of voluntary agreements with private property owners.

The director of the Biodiversity Foundation, Sonia Castañeda, has collected the award, granted by the UNAC (National Union of Hunting Associations), within the framework of the Iberian Hunting, Fishing and Nature Fair 2016.

For the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, this recognition shows that it is possible to reconcile hunting and conservation and that only with the collaboration of all sectors can we conserve our rich biodiversity.

The correct management of hunting resources must guarantee the conservation and improvement of wildlife and their habitats so that they can continue to result in the economic development of rural areas. Hunting is, in many cases, an important management tool to maintain the balance of ecosystems.

MORE THAN 500,000 HECTARES OF LAND DEDICATED TO CUSTODY

In recent years, land stewardship has maintained a rate of growth in Spain both in terms of surface area, entities and the number of agreements established for the conservation of natural, cultural or landscape values. The total land area dedicated to land stewardship in Spain amounted in 2015 to 550,987.05 hectares (ha), which represents an increase of 28% compared to the figures for 2013.

In 2015 the number of custody entities has also increased compared to the figures for 2013, reaching a total of 216 entities, 15% more than the previous data. With regard to the number of stewardship agreements reached in our country, according to data collected in the Report of the fourth Inventory of Land Stewardship Initiatives of the Spanish State, which was prepared last year by the Biodiversity Foundation, there are 2,686 agreements distributed throughout the Spanish territory, which shows an increase of 696 agreements compared to the figures for 2013.