The conservation project, supported by Bondalti, has already made it possible to reverse the danger of extinction of this species. The partnership with the Government of Cantabria is now entering a new phase, under a protocol signed today.
Bondalti has just signed a partnership protocol with the Regional Government of Cantabria, Spain, that will foster the monitoring and conservation of the Iberian brown bear, an emblematic species and symbol of the region's natural heritage, where the company have a factory since 2019.
The partnership is part of Bondalti's social responsibility strategy, titled "Together Matters", whose Iberian reach reflects its business activity in both countries. The company already supports conservation programs for the Iberian lynx and the Iberian imperial eagle.
The collaboration protocol between Bondalti and the Directorate General for Biodiversity, Environment and Climate Transition of the Regional Government of Cantabria was signed this morning in Santander, Spain, by Luís Delgado, President of Bondalti Cantabria, and María Jesús Susinos, Councillor for Rural Development, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, of the Government of Cantabria, and provides support for new actions to be implemented as part of the Cantabria Natura: Protecting the Grizzly Bear project.
Started in 2022, and with Bondalti's support since then, the project and the actions implemented have resulted in a sustained increase in the species' population, which grew from only around six dozen specimens in the 1980's - then in real danger of extinction - to 370 specimens today.
This is a project that stands out for its innovative character, with the introduction of new technologies in the protection of biodiversity, such as non-invasive digital technologies, applied to the study, monitoring and conservation of wildlife, in particular the population of brown bears in the Cantabrian region.
In 2022 and 2023, the first two years of this project, Bondalti invested 42,000 euros, with plans to allocate a further 68,000 euros by 2027, for a total of 110,000 euros.
The multi-year protocol now signed provides for the additional donation of equipment needed to set up the so-called ‘Bear Brigade’, which aims to reconcile the presence of the species' growing population with human activities in local communities.
The new brigade will be equipped with deterrent equipment to keep bears away from villages, reducing damage to honey producers, shepherds and farmers with small gardens and subsistence crops.
This will be a way of ensuring that the positive impacts of this species population growth in the region are maintained. In addition to the biodiversity gains, the presence of the brown bear in the mountains has been attracting a growing number of nature tourists, helping the local economy.
There are also plans to reinforce remote surveillance of the animals with the installation of 40 more photo-trapping cameras for the Cantabrian Government's permanent network, covering the brown bear's entire distribution area in the region.
This equipment will allow technicians from the Directorate General for Mountains and Biodiversity of the Department of Rural Development, Livestock, Fisheries and Food to increase their knowledge of the presence and distribution of the Bear and other wildlife, improving their capacity and response times.
Cantabria Natura is aligned with one of the most strategically important SDG's for Bondalti, SDG 15 - Protecting terrestrial life by ensuring the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity.
Within this framework, Bondalti has been supporting a project in southern Portugal since 2017 dedicated to the conservation of the Iberian lynx and the Iberian imperial eagle. According to data released in 2023 by the Spanish government for the previous year, the Iberian lynx recovery program reached a historic milestone, with a record 1668 specimens in the Iberian Peninsula, 261 of which in Portugal, precisely in this project sponsored by Bondalti. The results for the conservation of the imperial eagle have also been positive, with the regular presence of a pair of this species in hunting activities and courtship rituals, culminating in the construction and occupation of a nest.
