The conservation of the Pampas deer received a strong boost in the province of Buenos Aires.
Through Law D-2440/23-23, rural landowners who implement management plans aimed at protecting the species will receive deductions from the Rural Property Tax.
The measure applies to landowners in the Province of Buenos Aires in the Bahía Samborombón area.
What does the measure aimed at protecting the Pampas deer consist of?
The regulation applies to fields located in the Bahía Samborombón area, home to the last provincial population of the deer.
As part of this fiscal benefit, a 50% deduction is foreseen, applicable to the managed area for conservation, which will progressively increase to reach 100%.
The initiative, led by Deputy Micaela Olivetto, aims to promote responsible practices that integrate livestock production and grassland protection, crucial for ensuring the survival of the critically endangered deer.
Alliances and key support
Unanimously approved in the Buenos Aires Legislature, the regulation is supported by the Provincial Ministry of Environment and the Vida Silvestre Argentina Foundation. It complements municipal initiatives in General Lavalle and Tordillo, where similar tax incentives already exist.
“It is crucial to highlight that this investment in incentives, fostering the coexistence of the species with livestock in partnership with landowners, is infinitely lower than what it would represent for the budget of the Ministry of Environment of the Province of Buenos Aires to work individually for the conservation of the species,” commented Sebastián Fermani, Conservation Director of the Vida Silvestre Argentina Foundation.
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At the beginning of the 19th century, the Pampas deer was abundant in Argentine grasslands.
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Today, there are only about 2,500 individuals in the country, of which less than 250 inhabit Bahía Samborombón.
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The crisis is due to various factors: habitat loss, hunting, diseases, invasive species, and conflicts with domestic livestock.
The species situation
While by the beginning of the 19th century, the Pampas deer could be counted in millions in our country, it is estimated that the population today could be reduced to just 2,500 individuals.
They are scattered in small populations in Bahía Samborombón in Buenos Aires, in the south-central area of San Luis, in the Aguapey fields and the Esteros del Iberá in Corrientes, and in the north of Santa Fe province in the Bajos Submeridionales.
It is worth noting that the species was declared a Natural Monument in the provinces of Buenos Aires, San Luis, Santa Fe, and Corrientes.
