Alcoutim Municipal Council is set to sign a cooperation agreement with the Algarve Hunters' Federation and 25 local hunting clubs and associations to strengthen rural wildfire prevention and promote the sustainable management of the municipality's landscape.
The Council will provide €139,000 in funding and seed to establish grazing land, maintain fuel management strips, and improve rural access tracks.
This deal has faced some public criticism following its announcement, with individuals noting an element of irony in the fact that the use of firearms by hunters can, in rare instances, generate sparks when bullets strike rocks or metal, while vehicles driven off-road, discarded cigarette ends, and campfires associated with outdoor recreation have all been identified by fire authorities as potential sources of wildfire ignition.
Specific details on how this agreement will translate local hunters’ specialist knowledge of the region’s countryside into tangible results that will reduce the occurrence of wildfires in the Algarve’s interior. However, we do know, in general terms, that it provides for the establishment and maintenance of annual pasture within the municipality's Fuel Management Strip network, as well as improvements to agricultural access tracks, through cooperation between the council and organisations representing the hunting sector.
According to the municipality, these interventions will “strengthen self-protection measures for people and infrastructure while encouraging good land management practices”.
The agreement also “aims to enhance the area's hunting activity. The cultivation of cereal and legume crops in areas where food is scarce is expected to improve conditions for wildlife, helping to retain animal populations and promote healthier, more balanced ecosystems”.
Through the initiative, Alcoutim Municipal Council has highlighted a desire to, in their own words, strengthen links between hunting, agriculture, and forest fire prevention, combining land management with biodiversity conservation to improve the resilience of the rural landscape.
Source: Alcoutim Municipal Council
Photo credit: Barlavento
