Mr. Blanco visited in Bejes (Cillorigo de Liébana) the actions that this group is developing in the region of Liébana to recover the species and promote the support of extensive sheep farming.

The Minister of Rural Development, Livestock, Fisheries, Food and Environment, Guillermo Blanco, today reaffirmed the commitment of support of the Government of Cantabria with the work done by the Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture to improve biodiversity and habitats of this species in the Autonomous Community, as well as environmental education in the region lebaniega and in the environment of the National Park of Picos de Europa.

He also highlighted the “indispensable” work of the FCQ with the Bearded Vulture as well as the promotion and encouragement of extensive sheep and goat farming, “closely linked to the feeding of this species, and participation in all those forums related to the natural environment and its management in the habitats where the Bearded Vulture lives.

Blanco made these statements during his visit to Bejes, in Cillorigo de Liébana, to meet with representatives of the Foundation and the livestock farmers participating in the Pro-Biodiversity initiative to check on the development of the project.

Thus, he was able to learn first-hand, from the explanations of the Foundation’s technicians, about the close monitoring systems that are applied to the released specimens in order to analyze the evolution of the specimens, their survival, dispersion and use of the territory.

The objective of this follow-up and monitoring, they have explained, is to detect the pre-reproductive fraction of specimens close to sexual maturity, since the first stable settlements may occur in Cantabrian territory since the species disappeared in the mid 50s of the last century.

The Foundation’s project is also in charge of monitoring the breeding unit in Liébana: a pair formed by Jana and Centenario that in 2022 had a nest in Cillorigo de Liébana that was finally abandoned, so the breeding attempt failed, although this attempt of the first breeding unit in Cantabria formed by a first-time pair is considered very valuable by specialists, and is expected to culminate in breeding success in the near future, as it has happened with other pairs of bearded vultures.

Therefore, special attention will be paid to the evolution of this breeding unit and the movements that occur in its territory, with telematic and on-site monitoring.

This bearded vulture reintroduction project in Picos de Europa is supported by the regional governments of Cantabria, Aragón, Asturias and Castilla y León and its acclimatization and development process is monitored and supervised by the technical staff of the Picos de Europa National Park and the Natural Environment agents of the Department of Rural Development, Livestock, Fisheries, Food and Environment of the Government of Cantabria, in coordination with the staff of the Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture.