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Threat to El Hondo (Spain)? (1 Viewer)

John Cantelo

John Cantelo

Well-known member
I've just picked up the following Facebook message which, if true, is extremely worrying. Can anyone confirm/give further details?

I have heard some very upsetting news which I feel the need to share with my fellow birders. I have been visiting the Costa Blanca area birding for some year now and the best place in my opinion is El Hondo which has a great range of birds from the constant sights of Montagu's Harrier to the fleeting glimse of Marbled Teal. Breeding White-headed Ducks and huge numbers of Black-necked Grebe as well as the wintering Greater Spotted Eagle which appears every year now, with up to four last year.

The lack of access into this amazing reserve suprised me and still does as there is only access for a few hours twice a week. But now I have been told they plan to drain the area and turn this into a shooting area. This cannot be allowed to happen as this is a great breeding site and a important wintering site for thousands of birds. Does anyone have any ideas as to whom I can write to or any organisations that may assist in protesting these actions.
 
John, I just can't believe this - how could this happen to an absolutely vital site?!

Hopefully its fiction - if not I'll need recovery time before reacting.

I'm going to have a search in Spanish....Tom the Estonian tracked G.Spotted Eagle is there or has been there very recently
 
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Very worrying indeed. I've just emailed a friend of mine who lives in Spain to see if he has heard anything.
 
Phil Andrews said:
Probably needs to be more widely promoted on BF to raise awareness - perhaps the Conservation or Birds & Birding threads?
Click to expand...

I confess that I wasn't sure where to post it and had originally intended to put it in the Conservation thread. However, I thought it wise first to get some confirmation that it wasn't just a rumour. It can always be re-posted/transferred elsewhere if there seems some truth in the rumour. Given threats to the Alcornocales & in Extremadura, I hope it isn't the start of a trend in cash strapped Spain.
 
Phil Andrews said:
Probably needs to be more widely promoted on BF to raise awareness - perhaps the Conservation or Birds & Birding threads?
Click to expand...

I confess that I wasn't sure where to post it and had originally intended to put it in the Conservation thread. However, I thought it wise first to get some confirmation that it wasn't just a rumour. It can always be re-posted/transferred elsewhere if there seems some truth in the rumour. Given threats to the Alcornocales & in Extremadura, I hope it isn't the start of a trend in cash strapped Spain.
 
Nothing on the SEO local Valencia group website - strange?

I suppose the owners could get away with some of their wishes even in a ZEPA (SPA in English) if some sod drew up a plan showing how winter draining and hunting could benefit something or other..grrr.

Surely there is a petition or something - what is SEO's (Spanish Birdlife partner) knowledge/opinion on this?
 
There was a plan (10?) years ago to extract most of the water from the Ebro river for "human consumption" or Golf Courses as they are better known, for many miles down the coast. Didn't happen. So, even in boom times some of these money-making schemes were defeated. However, the shooting lobby in Spain is probably pretty powerful, so it will take an immense effort to reverse this, I hope some of the Spanish conservationists will lead in the counter-arguments.
 
El Hondo makes Minsmere look like a city park. It's amazing. It would be an utter travesty if it were to be drained. Osprey bred for the first time last year. 30,000 flamingoes is quite a site and the winter raptor assemblage has to be seen to be believed. My favourite place to go birding in the world.
 
Why are they planning to drain the area if they want to turn it into a shooting area?..To shoot what?..In anycase the area is already a Natural Park designated as such by the Valencia Generalitat ,besides being a ZEPA..The designation of a Natural Park implies that the activities in the area cannot be in conflict with the values that were to be protected by this designation (LEY 11/1994, DE 27 DE DICIEMBRE, DE LA GENERALITAT VALENCIANA, DE ESPACIOS NATURALES PROTEGIDOS DE LA COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA (DOGV núm. 2423, de 09.01.95) ...Draining the space would be clearly against these values and would be ilegal.,,
It would be good to know where this information was heard and when is this suppose to happen
 
I got the information from Graham Critchell, who has a bird guide business in the area (Graham's website). I think the "shooting range" aspect of the plan only covers a part of the reserve, but even this idea is horrendous - as is another idea to set aside part of the reserve for "water sports". :eek!:

Graham is so depressed about the situation that he is giving serious consideration to moving his business to somewhere in the Cadiz area. I owe Graham a debt of gratitude for showing me some of the best birding areas around Alicante, and his local knowledge would be sorely missed.

The reason behind the draining idea as I understand it is that the water in the reservoirs has become too salty for irrigation purposes and the local farmers want a better supply. One wonders what they will do during the years it will take to refill the lakes naturally.

Work is taking place at the North Gate, where they are installing large bore pipes in the aqueduct there - Graham says that this should be ready by mid-winter.
 
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Mark Etheridge said:
I got the information from Graham Critchell, who has a bird guide business in the area (Graham's website). I think the "shooting range" aspect of the plan only covers a part of the reserve, but even this idea is horrendous - as is another idea to set aside part of the reserve for "water sports". :eek!:

Graham is so depressed about the situation that he is giving serious consideration to moving his business to somewhere in the Cadiz area. I owe Graham a debt of gratitude for showing me some of the best birding areas around Alicante, and his local knowledge would be sorely missed.

The reason behind the draining idea as I understand it is that the water in the reservoirs has become too salty for irrigation purposes and the local farmers want a better supply. One wonders what they will do during the years it will take to refill the lakes naturally.

Work is taking place at the North Gate, where they are installing large bore pipes in the aqueduct there - Graham says that this should be ready by mid-winter.
Click to expand...

Thanks for confirming that this really is happening and for giving further details. Whilst I'd welcome any new birder tours in Cadiz area it's getting to be a fairly crowded field with several new(ish) ventures starting there in the last year or two. Let's hope that this gets firmly knocked on the head and Graham can stay put. It's the third threat to environmentally important areas I've heard about this month - let's hope it's not the start of a trend.
 
Thanks for the explanation...I called the Park and sort of in a sneaky way I tried to get some info...I was told that there is work being done in the reserve and that is one of the reasons for the very restricted access to the area. It must be the work that Graham is talking about,because they told me that It will be done early next year.The park is in private land 90% ,but It would be good to know who Manages the area,.Not sure taht would take Years to fill the reservoirs with water that meets agricultural use standards,If they use the water they probably would like to replace the salt water with other sources ,perhaps even having fresh water pumped in the reservoirs without the need of draining them dry...not sure either what species would be affected by the change of salinitazion in the water...Lets see what they say in the town of Elche Concejalia de Medio Ambiente...
 
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Surely there must have been some kind of environmental consultation with the stakeholders - including conservation pro bodies, NGO's or otherwise - before any work could take place.

It would be good to hear from them
 
As depressing as it is, let's all be proactive. Share the petition with all that you can through all social media, write to MEPs etc and let's get it stopped.
 
Simon Wates said:
Surely there must have been some kind of environmental consultation with the stakeholders - including conservation pro bodies, NGO's or otherwise - before any work could take place.

It would be good to hear from them
Click to expand...

Simon..That is exactly what I am trying to do. First of all determine Who manages the reserve...I contacted the Town of Elche and asked for the Environment Council ,to talk with a reperesentative..They told me that the Technician would speak with me ,and told me that His office is actually not at El Hondo, but in a smaller reserve called "El Clot"..I also looked into the Town of Crevillent Council (El Hondo sits between Elche and Crevillent )and found the name of the comissioner for Environmental issues,and plan to call her too...It will be interesting to find out what are they doing and Who knows about it or approved It
 
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