The renovated Mértola Biological Station was the venue for the presentation of the Hunting and Biodiversity Chair, an initiative that aims to deepen scientific knowledge about hunting species and their proper management, within a framework of valuing natural resources, biodiversity and ecosystems.
This project is co-financed by Bondalti, which acts as patron, and has the scientific support of BIOPOLIS / CIBIO - Centre for Research in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources of the University of Porto, in what is yet another good example of the link between academia and the business sector.
For the promoters, this is an important step towards the implementation of good practices in the management of hunting species and the territory, accompanied by an increase in technical capacity and the strengthening of the link between science, territory and public policy.
The presentation event, which took place as part of the "III Jornadas da Caça de Mértola" (3rd Mértola Hunting Conference), was attended by the Secretary of State for Forests, Rui Ladeira, and the local Mayor, Mário Tomé, as well as representatives of the various entities involved in the project.
In addition to Bondalti and CIBIO, the Chair also involves other partners, namely the Agricultural Society of Vale de Perditos; the National Association of Rural Landowners, Hunting Management and Biodiversity; the Agricultural Society of Brava - Agriculture, Livestock and Tourism; the Municipality of Mértola and the FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology.
André Oliveira, from Bondalti's Sustainability and Climate Transition department, highlighted that ‘this is another step in our corporate responsibility programme “Together Matters” and, in particular, its “+Nature” pillar, under which we have set concrete objectives for the protection of biodiversity and the enhancement of natural capital, seeking to combine our activity with respect for the ecological limits of the planet’.
Continuing positive impact
The Chair of Hunting and Biodiversity continues the solid relationship that the company has been building with several partners in this area of the country, within the scope of the Habitat Perditos project in the Guadiana valley, where BIOPOLIS carries out field work.
Launched in 2017, this project is one of the company's most emblematic initiatives in the field of biodiversity, with significant results in the preservation of unique species such as the Iberian lynx and the Iberian imperial eagle, as well as in the recovery of natural ecosystems.
