Establishment of plot rendering
Plot rendering is based on a strong partnership between a municipality, the association of farmers in the county (or pastoral Group) and the Pyrenees National Park. The town, which owns the land, extends and provides the plot. The Pastoral Group is responsible for the plot. It supplies the plot with dead carcasses naturally in its operations, and cleans it regularly. The Pyrenees National Park follows the population of vultures, initiated the project, and technically and financially supports the development of the plot.
The ongoing dialogue between all partners (community, pastoralists, government agencies and National Park) has clarified the need for health monitoring and identified constraints to take into account when planning the plot. The establishment of this plot, accepted by all partners and managed efficiently, took nine months of negotiations. French regulations strongly regulate the fate of animal carcasses. One key to the success of this project lies in the support of the state and taking into account the population of vultures in this area.
The local context of interactions between livestock and vultures was complicated, with several complaints about interventions of vultures with livestock. The 9 months of project development have highlighted the fact that it is essential to rely on an existing group. It would have been unrealistic to create the breeders’ association to manage the plot rendering. This is the first plot in France managed by a group of farmers. The plots are highly regulated (type and quantity of deposits, health monitoring ...), and collective responsibility can be cause for concern. In this case, although adjustments were necessary, the empowerment of actors has been a success. The last lesson of the project was the strong involvement of the community, the services of the State and National Park, otherwise the project would not have succeeded.