A report commissioned by the Regional Council warns that if measures are not taken, the Argentine parrot population could end up causing damage to infrastructure, due to the large dimensions of their nests, and generating health risks. The most consolidated colonies are in Figueres, Castelló and Rosas, where their population has increased between 40 and 50% since 2017.
“It is a problem that some town councils are having, such as that of Vilasacra, which suggested that we carry out some action”, explains the Minister for the Environment, Anna Palet. She points out that pests are not the responsibility of the Regional Council, but that from her area "they thought it appropriate" to commission a study to see what was happening and "at what point we are."
The document, prepared by the company Gestió de Residus y Biodiversitat S.L, alarmed them more than they expected. "The data made us see that, despite the fact that we are not in an alarming state, it was more serious than we thought," Palet remarks.
In the elaborated census, 274 adult individuals with 206 nests have been detected. Specifically, 94 points have been located in 10 villages with nests, the majority in public spaces and in palm trees. In addition, the study concludes that they currently occupy an area of 500 hectares but that they have a potential area that covers 45,000, despite the fact that not all of them are optimal for their development.
It is that despite the preferences when it comes to making nests and looking for food, they have a great capacity to adapt to the environment, as well as a great speed of reproduction. For this reason, the study concludes that they are in a phase of expansion and that they will end up occupying a good part of the Empordà plain if the populations are not managed.
"Now we are at a good time to act because we can access the nests, they are in easy intervention points, but if they continue to expand we will find that they will make nests in more inaccessible areas," Palet insists.
To all this, another problem is added. This parrot has a special predilection for grapes. The Baix Penedès, has specific areas with great affectations of this species, among them, Banyeres del Penedès.
"The problem is the same as with the rabbit: it is an animal that in rural areas goes to the fields and vineyards and in the Alt Empordà this is a very important sector," Palet remarks. In addition, he affirms, the problem is not only planted in rural areas, but also in cities.
"A nest can weigh about 200 kg, but also 70 or 80. Imagine a nest in a tree in Figueres with that weight and it moving with the wind, what could happen?" the regional councilor wonders.
To deal with this situation, the study proposes a management plan from now until 2024 with a program to capture and remove dangerous nests in a coordinated manner throughout the region. "If nothing is done, all the studies tell us that the situation will get much worse and significant damage to infrastructure and risks to public health will begin," the study concludes.
Now, the most affected municipalities have met and have agreed to a new meeting to address it. Palet believes that it would be positive if the Regional Council itself led the necessary coordination. “We have to try to do it together because otherwise it will be useless. It has to be eradicated together,” says Palet.
