Conservationists suspect EU regulations on dead animal removal have caused the griffon vulture population in Spain’s Hoces del Río Riaza National Park to plummet.
In an effort to curtail the spread of mad cow disease, the EU passed legislation in 2003 requiring the “prompt” removal of animal carcasses by farmers. Unfortunately, this has had a disastrous effect on the griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) residing in Hoces del Río Riaza National Park.
According to today’s thinkSpain, the park’s griffon vulture population has decreased approximately 33% since the region of Castilla y León applied the EU legislation, with a current population of just 753 birds – down from 1,117.
In addition to depriving vultures of their food source, the regulations are a problem for farmers: It costs more to safely remove a carcass than it does to buy a live animal.
The “vulture restaurant” approach?
Conservationists are suggesting a change in the law in order to allow carcasses to be left in designated areas for the vultures. This “vulture restauant” approach appears to be working in Nepal, where 95% of the vulture population was poisoned by livestock contaminated with diclofenac, and Pakistan has recently opened its first vulture restaurant in hopes of reviving its vulture population.
Hoces del Río Riaza National Park is home to one of the Europe’s largest colonies of griffon vultures.
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mauricekoop/ / CC BY-ND 2.0
About Rhishja Cota-Larson
