IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Calzada, J. | |
| Strategy for the conservation of the Iberian lynx in Spain | |
| 2008 Conference Proceeding | |
A new Strategy for the Conservation of the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) has recently been approved by the Spain's maximum authorities in Environmental Policy in the Sectorial Conference of Environment. The new Strategy has been developed in a different working framework from the one that led to the first Strategy for the Conservation of the Iberian Lynx in 1999. The demographic situation of the Iberian lynx has never been worse. However, there have never been so many human and financial resources available, and the species has never been the focus of so much public attention and concern. The ultimate goal of the Strategy is to make the Iberian lynx a functional part of the Mediterranean scrubland habitat again. To this end, the recovery of the species involves both successfully managing the remaining populations and choosing and restoring areas to carry out reintroduction projects that will lead to the establishment of new wild populations. The new Strategy has set a roadmap for the conservation and recovery of the Iberian lynx, as well as specific numerical targets that must be met in a given period of time. They are the following: (1) Stabilize the populations by combating the causes of threat to the species, (2) Increase the number of individuals in the wild populations so that the Iberian lynx can be downlisted from CR, Critically Endangered to EN, Endangered by 2011, and (3) Increase the number of wild populations, so that the species can be downlisted from EN, Endangered to VU, Vulnerable by 2020. First target should be achieved through the Regional Recovery Plans that must adopt the guidelines set in the Strategy and develop them fully and efficiently. Achieving the second goal implies to increase the number of individuals in the lynx populations until at least one of them has more than 50 mature individuals - which must not amount to more than 90% of all the wild mature individuals. If necessary, restocking and population exchange projects should be done if in order to increase the abundance of the species in the existing populations. To achieve the third target, the species must reach to the 250 mature individuals and not show signs of decline, and this will not be possible if not carried out habitat restoration and reintroduction projects in all the autonomous communities of Spain where the Iberian lynx occurs or occurred until recently. |
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