Understanding long-term hunting statistics: the case of Spain (1972-2007)

Abstract

Hunting is assuming a growing role in the current European forestry and agroforestry landscape. However, consistent statistical sources that provide quantitative information for policy-making, planning and management of game resources are often lacking. In addition, in many instances statistical information can be used without sufficient evaluation or criticism. Recently, the European Commission has declared the importance of high quality hunting statistics and the need to set up a common scheme in Europe for their collection, interpretation and proper use. This work aims to contribute to this current debate on hunting statistics in Europe by exploring data from the last 35 years of Spanish hunting statistics. The analysis focuses on the three major pillars underpinning hunting activity: hunters, hunting grounds and game animals. First, the study aims to provide a better understanding of official hunting statistics for use by researchers, game managers and other potential users. Second, the study highlights the major strengths and weaknesses of the statistical information that was collected. The results of the analysis indicate that official hunting statistics can be incomplete, dispersed and not always homogeneous over a long period of time. This is an issue of which one should be aware when using official hunting data for scientific or technical work. To improve statistical deficiencies associated with hunting data in Spain, our main suggestion is the adoption of a common protocol on data collection to which different regions agree. This protocol should be in accordance with future European hunting statistics and based on robust and well-informed data collection methods. Also it should expand the range of biological, ecological and economic concepts currently included to take account of the profound transformations experienced by the hunting sector in recent years. As much as possible, any future changes in the selection of hunting statistics should allow for comparisons between new variables with the previous ones.Key words: hunting; licenses; hunters; ranches; captures. Resumen Estadísticas oficiales de caza: el caso de España (1972-2007)La caza está cobrando un creciente protagonismo en los terrenos forestales y agroforestales europeos actuales. Por ello, resulta esencial contar con unas fuentes estadísticas consistentes, en muchos casos inexistentes, que proporcionen la información cuantitativa necesaria para la elaboración de políticas, la planificación y la gestión de los recursos cinegéticos disponibles. La Unión Europea ha manifestado recientemente el interés por la mejora de las estadís-ticas de caza y la necesidad de establecer un protocolo común europeo para la recogida y uso de las estadísticas de caza. Este trabajo pretende contribuir al debate sobre las mejora de las estadísticas de caza europeas mediante un aná-lisis crítico de las estadísticas oficiales nacionales de caza en España en los últimos 35 años. El análisis se centra sobre los tres grandes pilares que sustentan a la actividad ...

Trends in hunters, hunting grounds and big game harvest in Spain

“…This study signals a recent decline in the total hunting demand in Spain, even though our indicator might overestimate the number of hunters due to the possibility of hunters holding more than one regional hunting license after 1989 (Martínez-Jauregui et al, 2011). However, the analysis of the trend in firearm licenses indicates that this decrease in total hunting can be attributed to the reduction in small game hunting, as big game hunting firearm licenses have increased while small game firearm licenses have decreased.…”

“…This explains the unexpected negatively value of the parameter Hunting grounds subject to special arrangement in Model 1 and the absence of this parameter in Model 3. The small downward trend observed in 1989 and 2007 affecting all the Hunting ground subject to special arrangement types can be explained by a deficiency in the collection of Spanish official hunting statistics, as not all regions had declared the total area of hunting territories in the latest years of the period (see Martínez-Jauregui et al, 2011).…”

“…Although these data do have the common limitations associated with other agricultural official statistics, we believe that they provide valuable information to assess a long-term and overall picture of the hunting sector. Sources are extensively described and discussed in Martínez-Jauregui et al (2011).…”

“…Although the new regional hunting legislations are based on the former National Hunting Law enacted in 1970 (Spanish Hunting Law of 1970), the new process of legislative changes has made the study of hunting in Spain much more difficult. It is necessary to deal first with an increasing number of different regulations, with a lack of data in some regions and periods, and finally with the absence of a national common protocol for collecting statistical information (Martínez-Jauregui et al, 2011).…”

Exploring the potential of wild food resources in the Mediterranean region: natural yield and gathering pressure of the wild asparagus (Asparagus acutifolius L.)

“…The harvest of nontimber forest products (NTFPs) represents a relevant source of incomes in cash or in kind to millions of people in the world, which are still highly dependent on them (Ticktin, 2004;Dovie et al, 2007). In the Mediterranean region, some recreational and commercial uses of NTFPs, such as hunting and game or mushrooms picking, are even becoming more important (Croitoru, 2007;Martínez-Jauregui et al, 2011).…”