[REVISION HISTORY]

Galicia cattle grazing and tech for wildfire mitigation

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-21 15:30 UTC → 2026-08-23 05:43 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Following the 2017 Vincios blaze, Galicia has revived the use of native livestock to manage fire-prone vegetation. By early 2026, the regional herd of grazing animals had expanded from roughly 1,800 in the late 1990s to more than 30,000, with the small, agile Cachena breed—sometimes referred to as a ‘goat cow’—accounting for approximately 8,000 head. These animals are particularly effective at navigating rocky, steep slopes to consume dense scrub. To support the programme, regional authorities provide financial incentives, such as support for farmers to keep young females, and supply low-cost breeding bulls. The cattle utilize GPS collars to roam freely across roughly 700,000 hectares overseen by approximately 3,000 community land-management groups. Technological advancements are further enhancing these efforts. A pilot project is implementing GPS-based virtual fencing, which uses acoustic signals from tracking collars to establish digital boundaries, allowing for more flexible grazing without physical fences. Additionally, the CoberDron project is deploying drones to combat soil erosion in areas devastated by mega-fires. In Vilamartín de Valdeorras, drones have been used to distribute over 120 million triticale seeds across 90 hectares of burned terrain to establish herbaceous cover and stabilize steep slopes. In August 2026, a specific pilot project launched in Muíños to utilize approximately 50 cows from a local farm to create firebreaks near residential areas. This initiative is a collaboration between the Consellería do Medio Rural, the public company Seaga, the Muíños City Council, and the technology firm Innogando. The project employs Innogando’s virtual fencing technology to guide livestock without physical barriers. María José Gómez, the Conselleira do Medio Rural, stated the tool is useful for livestock management and improving farmers' quality of life while aiding fire prevention, with goals to expand the model to the Ourense mountains.

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