Ibiza lizard refuge faces proposed €6,000 fine

A lizard refuge in Santa Eulària des Riu on Ibiza faces a proposed €6,000 fine: the Balearic government has opened a case involving Can Jaume Arnau. On 14 November, the PSIB said Ibiza MP Marco Guerrero had filed a motion in the Balearic Parliament calling for stronger protection for the Pityusan lizard. The party says invasive snakes are spreading and threatening the species.

The PSIB wants an immediate review of all open penalty cases involving private lizard refuges, including the one at Can Jaume Arnau. It is also asking the government to put more staff, equipment and money into protecting the lizards and their habitats.

What would count as a refuge

The motion calls for clear rules on how private refuges are set up, maintained and checked. Those rules would cover the condition of the enclosures, habitat protection and scientific and technical monitoring.

It also asks the government to consider outdoor enclosures on Ibiza as protected spaces if they preserve the lizards’ natural habitat and keep invasive snakes out. Each enclosure would be judged on how it works in practice.

Plans for Ibiza and Formentera

The PSIB proposes a register of public and private land that could help conserve the lizards. Owners and organisations could offer sites voluntarily, with a technical assessment before any site joins a conservation programme.

The motion also calls for a scientifically coordinated network of refuges across Ibiza and Formentera. Agreements would set out who maintains and monitors each site. Free public advice, along with information and training, would help people and organisations seeking to create refuges understand the rules.

Topics: Nature & wildlife · Politics · Pollença

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com