The spread of the horseshoe snake in the Balearic Islands is prompting a request to the Ministry to strengthen its control and protect the archipelago’s native fauna.
Introducing species that do not belong to an ecosystem can be highly dangerous for native biodiversity. This is the situation with the horseshoe snake in the Balearic Islands, a emblematic species of the peninsula but not of the islands; hence, the Parliament is considering including it in the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Exotic Species.
The Species Protection Service of the Government has identified the transport of olive trees and other materials from the mainland as the main source of introduction of the horseshoe snake in the Balearics. One of the greatest challenges is the protection of the archipelago’s native lizards, which are already experiencing significant declines in their populations.
In the following lines we will explain exactly what the Parliament requests and how the monitoring of entry points for mainland products and the scientific follow-up relate to the protection of species in the islands Baleares.
Horseshoe Snake in the Balearics
The Balearic Parliament has urged this Thursday the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge to respond to the request made by the Government and include the horseshoe snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) in the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Exotic Species.
The Economic Commission has approved a non-binding motion from the PP calling for a strengthening of the control measures over the horseshoe snake and the protection of the native biodiversity of the Balearic Islands.
Specifically, the Parliament urges the central government to reinforce technical and scientific cooperation with the Balearic Islands in the prevention, control, and monitoring of invasive or allochthonous species that affect insular ecosystems and to continue strengthening the programs of control, capture, and monitoring of the horseshoe snake, especially in Ibiza and Mallorca, following scientific criteria.
Furthermore, the Parliament has asked the Balearic Government to intensify preventive actions at entry points for ornamental vegetation and other potential pathways of accidental introduction of invasive species, as well as information and awareness campaigns aimed at the sectors involved.
The deputies have also requested the Government to continue promoting scientific research on the impact of the horseshoe snake on native fauna and on the effectiveness of the various control measures applied, with the aim of improving decision-making and the efficiency of public resources allocated to this purpose.
The Parliament has also asked the Government to organize, in collaboration with the Federation of Local Entities of the Balearic Islands (FELIB), an informational campaign about alien species present in urban centers, such as the horseshoe snake.
The deputies have also valued the measures of the Department of Agriculture for the control and monitoring of the horseshoe snake and the initiatives for breeding and protecting the Balearic lizards in captivity.
