LIFE LYNXCONNECT and the Artemisan Foundation kick off a series of meetings with hunters, managers and landowners on the conservation of the Iberian lynx.

The first meetings will take place in Extremadura and will be extended to the regions of Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha and the Region of Murcia with the aim of raising awareness and strengthening the involvement of the hunting sector with the lynx.

The Artemisan Foundation, an organisation in the hunting sector and partner of the LIFE LYNXCONNECT Project, is kicking off this July the series of meetings aimed at the hunting sector with the aim of raising awareness and strengthening the involvement of hunters, managers, owners of hunting reserves and, in short, all those involved in the rural world, in the conservation of the Iberian lynx.

LIFE LYNXCONNECT recognises the importance of this sector for the preservation of the Iberian Lynx since, in Spain, most of its populations reside in hunting reserves in Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha and Extremadura, whose management allows the species to find in these places the habitat and rabbit requirements that the species needs to survive.

These communities and the Region of Murcia will be the setting for these conferences, which will take place in various municipalities in the lynx-producing areas and are intended to be a forum for debate and the exchange of experiences for all those involved in the rural world who wish to attend.

Organised in collaboration with the regional hunting federations and with the support of local hunting societies, during the talks Artemisan will present information on the current situation of the Iberian lynx, what the LIFE LYNXCONNECT project consists of and the implications of the presence of the species in hunting grounds, highlighting its important role in predator control.

For their part, attendees will be able to express their impressions and concerns regarding the Iberian lynx, in order to establish common criteria for action from the sector and to see what aspects the competent administrations should work on to strengthen the relationship between the two.

Extremadura is the autonomous community that has been hosting, since last week, the first 12 days of this cycle, which began in Quintana de la Serena and San Pedro de Mérida last week and will continue on Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th July in Llerena and Azuaga, respectively. Subsequently, the talks will resume in September in the towns of Villanueva de la Serena, Puebla de la Reina, Talarrubias, Valdelacasa, Navalmoral de la Mata, Jarandilla de la Vera, Valencia de las Torres and Puebla de Maestre, with dates yet to be determined.

As for the other regions, the cycle will continue in Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha and Murcia during the autumn-winter season this year. The locations and dates will be notified in the coming weeks, in agreement with the corresponding hunting federations and associations. For more information, interested parties can contact laura.buitrago@fundacionartemisan.com.

LYNXCONNECT is a transnational project co-financed by the European Union’s LIFE programme and coordinated by the Junta de Andalucía, where 21 public administrations, private entities and NGOs from Spain and Portugal are jointly participating in actions for the conservation of the Iberian lynx with the involvement of hunters, managers and landowners.