Two conferences have been held, one with the rice sector and the other with the administrations and public bodies involved in the conservation of the marbled teal in the marshes of the Guadalquivir, with the aim of providing an environment for dialogue to debate and agree on measures and to analyse possible synergies and collaborations.
The first day was devoted to explaining the objectives and main actions of this European initiative to the rice sector in the town of Isla Mayor (Seville). The current situation of the marbled teal and the interactions that the rice activity can have with the conservation of this duck, the most endangered duck in Europe, were also presented.
For their part, the rice farmers present at the conference shared several of their concerns, such as the water problem, for which they are requesting collaboration to increase the available resources and improve management on the right bank of the Guadalquivir river; and the effects that some species of water birds, such as the Purple Gallinule, inflict on rice crops.
They also expressed their willingness to collaborate with the conservation of the brown teal. In this line, the attendees have demanded information on water depths and other requirements that the shearwater teal has in order to try to keep them in their rice fields. Finally, they have positively valued the opportunity to meet and agree on measures that favour both rice cultivation and the species.
The administrations and public bodies involved in the conservation of the marbled teal in the area of the Guadalquivir Marshes have also met within the framework of the project to promote dialogue between those which, due to their competences, are involved in the resolution of some of the problems of the species. Likewise, the aim was to promote possible synergies and collaborations, as well as to establish effective communication channels to speed up, as far as possible, the administrative procedures that are especially relevant for the conservation of the species.
Thus, the conference was attended by technicians from the Department of Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy of the Regional Government of Andalusia; from the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation; from the Directorate General for the Coast and the Sea and the Directorate General for Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge; from the Port Authority of Seville; from the Doñana Biological Station; from the environmental departments of the town councils of La Puebla del Río and Sanlúcar de Barrameda, as well as from the Nature Protection Service of the Guardia Civil.
Both meetings have been organised by the Environment and Water Agency of Andalusia (AMAYA), together with the Department of Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy of the Regional Government of Andalusia, as an activity contemplated within the communication and awareness actions planned in the LIFE Cerceta Pardilla project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
RESEARCH, CONSERVATION AND GOVERNANCE
LIFE Cerceta Pardilla aims to improve the conservation status of 3,000 hectares of wetlands to reverse the risk of extinction of Europe’s most endangered duck, which is in a critical situation in Spain. To this end, it has undertaken a series of actions to reinforce the state of its populations in the natural environment, improve the state of the wetlands and scientific knowledge of the species.
The project, which is coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, involves as partners the Ministry itself, through the Segura Hydrographic Confederation and Tragsatec; the Regional Government of Andalusia, through the Department of Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy, and the Environment and Water Agency; the Regional Government of Valencia; the Government of the Region of Murcia, as well as the organisations SEO/BirdLife and ANSE. It is supported by the LIFE Programme of the European Union and the Directorate General for Water.
