After the approval in Entre Ríos of the project declaring plagues to the Axis Deer, Wild Boar, and Feral Pig, various socio-environmental organizations have strongly criticized the measure and warned about the establishment of hunting reserves.
“The project is rudimentary, poorly developed, and without any scientific basis,” they pointed out.
Criticisms from the scientific community
In an interview with the newspaper El Argentino de Gualeguaychú, Professor Gabriel Bonomi, a reference from the NGO CEYDAS, stated that “there is no scientific study indicating that these populations are problematic and to what extent.”
He also argued that “there are plenty of examples showing that hunting is not an effective solution to control these species. None of them have ever been eradicated in any Argentine province or in Uruguay.”
On December 26, the Entre Ríos Senate approved the project declaring these species as pests. According to Bonomi, this project “is quite rudimentary, poorly developed, without any scientific basis, and responds to the interests of rural landowners.”
Impact on biodiversity of hunting reserves
“The greatest danger of this improvised project is the potential establishment of major hunting reserves, which would imply a huge negative impact on our biodiversity. Foreign hunters who come do not have control and not only kill exotic species but also native ones,” warned the environmentalist.
This measure has sparked intense debate about the management of invasive species and the impact of human activities on local biodiversity. Implementing evidence-based policies and collaboration between institutions will be crucial to effectively address this issue.
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