Welsh Commoners' visit to Spain

Last November (2011), 4 Welsh Hill farmers, 1 FWAG officer, 1 National Trust member of staff,  and two people representing the European Forum for Nature Conservation and Pastoralism visited the  Asturias region and the Basque Country in North Spain. This was done as part of the ‘Abergwesyn Commons project’ in order to help build stronger relations with the commons graziers as well as to help expand knowledge and perhaps learn from how other farmers use common land in another part of the European Union.

The study tour proved to be extremely informative and interesting. The following is an extract from the visit report:

'We learnt a great deal as well as seeing how Europe's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is being implemented elsewhere in Europe. The Spanish shared many of the struggles that we have in Wales and it highlighted how parts of CAP are simply not compatible with upland agriculture in both Wales and Spain. For example, the removal of dead-stock from the hills and mountains serves more as a hindrance to the dynamics of the natural processes in the countryside.

We visited summer farms that still are a way of life in Asturius. This system of died out nearly 100 years ago in the UK and perhaps saw the start of the decline in upland farming in Britain. In the areas we
visited it was felt that this way of life would die out over the next 10 years. However, in these regions there was a genuine recognition of the importance of the shepherds in the role they played in preserving significant upland habitats. It was acknowledged that without them many of the habitats would be lost and are being lost. With the rapidly decreasing stock numbers on the hills there have been increasing problems with wildfires that are progressively increasing in size as the mountains become rank with uncontrolled vegetation. As in Spain, Wildfire has become an increasing problem on Abergwesyn Commons as stock numbers have decreased dramatically and there is no balance in vegetation created through mixed grazing.

It should be considered that there may not be too many of one particular animal on the hills, cattle in Spain, sheep in Wales, but perhaps not enough of other grazing animals to graze along side what is already there. Balanced grazing would help open up more grazing and help create a more diverse habitat. Unfortunately there are mechanisms that have led to the imbalance of grazing, wolves in Spain, logistics in Wales, both being just part of the problem in their respective countries. These issues need to be addressed in a practical way. In Spain they are addressing the problems through supporting close shepherding on summer farms but with this way of life appearing to be dying out it will be interesting to see what they do in the future. At least there is real recognition of the importance of these shepherds for maintaining the uplands of Spain for the positive conservation of habitats and wildlife.'

To read the whole report download it here