Valencian Community fox hunting moratorium requested by conservationists
The conservation group Grup d’Estudi i Protecció dels Rapinyaires (GER-Ecologistes en Acció) has called for an immediate moratorium on fox hunting in the Valencian Community. An analysis of data from 2003 to 2023 indicates that approximately 10,000 foxes are killed annually in the region.
The group argues that this level of hunting is unsustainable and lacks scientific justification. They contend that removing foxes, a primary generalist predator, disrupts the ecological balance by failing to regulate wild rabbit populations. According to the report, while foxes diversify their diet when rabbit numbers are low, they act as a natural biological brake on rabbit population surges when numbers reach medium-to-high levels.
GER-Ecologistes en Acció has formally petitioned the Generalitat Valenciana to halt hunting in all municipalities where rabbit overabundance has been officially declared, stating that current predator control efforts are contradictory to agricultural goals.
Entities
Generalitat Valenciana · Grup d’Estudi i Protecció dels Rapinyaires · Valencian Community
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 4 SOURCES] The study analyzed data covering the period from 2003 to 2023. www.diariodemallorca.es · www.informacion.es · www.farodevigo.es · www.elperiodicoextremadura.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Fox hunting contributes to rabbit overpopulation by removing a natural predator. www.diariodemallorca.es · www.informacion.es · www.farodevigo.es · www.elperiodicoextremadura.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The group has requested an immediate moratorium on fox hunting in municipalities with declared rabbit overabundance. www.diariodemallorca.es · www.informacion.es · www.farodevigo.es · www.elperiodicoextremadura.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] An average of 10,000 foxes are killed annually in the Valencian Community. www.diariodemallorca.es · www.informacion.es · www.farodevigo.es · www.elperiodicoextremadura.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The annual hunting of foxes in the Valencian Community is unsustainable and lacks scientific basis. www.diariodemallorca.es · www.informacion.es · www.farodevigo.es · www.elperiodicoextremadura.com