Balearic Islands get €4.9m to fight invasive snakes

Across the Balearic Islands, which include Mallorca, and the Canary Islands, invasive snakes threaten native reptiles. The European Union is putting 4.9 million euros towards stopping their spread. The European Commission announced the funding on Monday, 19 October, as part of 74.3 million euros for 27 environmental projects in Spain.

The money comes from the European Union’s LIFE programme. Other projects will receive 13.2 million euros to help restore populations of the Iberian desman, a small aquatic mammal, and nearly 10.8 million euros to protect the Ricotí lark, whose habitat is deteriorating. Nearly 6.5 million euros will go towards protecting the Montseny newt; fewer than 3,500 remain in streams in that part of Catalonia.

The projects also include artificial intelligence devices for 982 public recycling containers in Cáceres, trials of new wastewater treatment technology in Murcia and work to prevent forest fires in Spain and Portugal. For Mallorca and the other Balearic islands, the announcement identifies the threat from invasive snakes but gives no details of how the project will tackle them.

Topics: Nature & wildlife · Environment · Pollença

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com