Mallorca hunting plan sparks row over public land

Mallorca’s island council has decided to open public estates to recreational hunting: MÉS per Mallorca warns that walkers and families could face risks and limits on access. In a statement on Thursday, 22 October, the party accused Pedro Bestard, the council’s second vice-president and environment councillor, of treating the land as his own hunting ground.

MÉS says the estates should serve the public through conservation, education and access to nature. Its council spokesperson, Catalina Inés Perelló, argues that opening them to hunting could put those purposes in conflict with people using the land for walks.

The party says Bestard announced steps in March 2025 to certify the quality of big-game hunting on council-owned estates. It rejects the idea that the latest decision is a one-off measure to manage wildlife, saying it would instead bring recreational hunting onto public land.

MÉS is urging council president Llorenç Galmés to stop the opening. It says any action to manage wildlife should follow technical, scientific and conservation criteria.

Topics: Environment · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com