The Catalan government has initiated an urgent plan to address the severe agricultural damage caused by rampant rabbit populations. This action aims to protect local crops and support farmers facing significant losses.
In a decisive move, the Catalan government has unveiled an emergency strategy to tackle the escalating crisis of rabbit overpopulation affecting agricultural lands across the region. The announcement was made during a critical meeting in Montblanc, where Conseller Òscar Ordeig pledged immediate action to mitigate the extensive damage inflicted on crops, particularly in Tarragona and Lleida.
“There are areas experiencing extreme overpopulation, leading to serious issues for farmers. We will target these municipalities and implement continuous measures until we eliminate the rabbits,” stated Ordeig. This initiative comes as a relief for agricultural organizations that had planned protests and roadblocks coinciding with the busy August travel period.
The government’s plan includes large-scale hunting operations coordinated with local farmers, who will identify regions most affected by high rabbit densities. Segrià and Urgell have been prioritized due to their significant challenges with this issue.
The situation has reached a critical point; despite previous efforts by the Department of Agriculture, including hunting initiatives that reportedly removed 276,000 rabbits in six months, population control remains elusive. “We are dealing with more than half a million rabbits at this density,” warned Pere Roqué from Asaja Catalunya.
Over the past year and a half, various strategies were employed to manage rabbit populations through collaboration with affected farmers. However, these efforts have not sufficiently protected fields from ongoing threats. In January 2025, when drone technology and artificial intelligence were first utilized for mapping rabbit burrows in Lleida’s hardest-hit areas, there were already 190 rabbits per square kilometer recorded.
From January to March of that year alone, 26,000 rabbits were culled in Lleida’s counties. “While Lleida and Tarragona are currently facing the brunt of this crisis, it is becoming evident that rabbit overpopulation is spreading throughout all of Catalonia,” Roqué added.
Another pressing concern raised during discussions was related to ZEPA zones—areas designated for bird protection—which have been largely neglected for two decades according to farmer representatives. The government has committed to addressing these grievances while also announcing €7 million in aid for severely impacted farmers. Mar Ariza from Gremi de la Pagesia expressed frustration: “For years we have been overlooked regarding ZEPA management; now we are bearing the consequences.”
The agricultural organizations Unió de Pagesos, Gremi de la Pagesia, and Asaja are set to hold assemblies shortly where they will decide whether or not to proceed with planned protests against road closures next weekend.
This emergency response reflects an urgent need for effective wildlife management strategies within Catalonia’s agricultural policies as farmers continue grappling with both crop destruction and regulatory challenges.
You might also be interested in
