Pastoralism: "The balance is already fragile with the bear, let's not come and destabilize everything with the wolf," says Iñaki Echaniz

The Socialist MP for the ^4th constituency of Pyrénées-Atlantiques took part in the recent parliamentary fact-finding mission on pastoralism. At the heart of the report's predation section, the wolf, an "urgent concern," leaves no room for the subject of bears.

The parliamentary fact-finding mission on pastoralism has released its findings. To what extent has it been affected by the disruptions of the government's schedule?

This mission was launched during the previous term of office; it was suspended due to the dissolution. We resumed work very quickly. A large number of its members were re-elected, including the two rapporteurs, Marie Pochon (EELV, Drôme) and Jean-Yves Bony (LR, Cantal). It's a cross-party, intense project, and of great interest. We made several trips, including one to my constituency on January 21. And we have 45 proposals.

The predation section of the report focuses on wolves and contains only brief mentions of bears. Why?

This is a national report, which doesn't focus solely on the specific situation of the department. And that's why I didn't want to bring up this topic. It's also the rapporteurs who do most of the writing. We discussed the subject of bears, wolves, and dual predation. This doesn't stop us from moving forward, at least as far as I'm concerned, from taking a position on the local wolf issue. Today, after many difficulties and great tensions, I say it without hesitation, we have found a fragile balance with the bear; let's not destabilize everything with the wolf at the risk of threatening the pastoral activity essential to our agriculture and the maintenance of the territory.

Priority to the wolf?

The wolf is a pressing concern across all regions – in Ariège, Savoie, and Lozère, it poses major challenges. Some areas are losing their pastoral resources and are closing in.

We are fortunate in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques to have pastoral activity and a strong presence in our summer pastures; we should not experience the same difficulties as elsewhere. We already have a predator. At the national level, we must move forward. At the local level, I am particularly pushing for the classification of the department's summer pastures as areas that are difficult to protect, so as not to be in difficulty in the event of the arrival of a pack or the long-term establishment of wolves. This system already exists near Roquefort. We must work with unions, government services, and various stakeholders to define this area.

A recent study published by the Geode laboratory in Toulouse and conducted in Ariège on the coexistence of bears and pastoralism questions the gap between certain national recommendations and the realities on the ground. Is this a pitfall when it comes to predation?

Regardless of positions on predation or any other subject, it is sometimes a flaw highlighted in the functioning of our democracy: decisions are often made in Paris without having been tested in the territories. This was the goal of our mission, we made a certain number of trips and it was important to me that we come to my constituency, to meet stakeholders, get our hands dirty and get a real vision of daily life followed by proposals. And not just think while locked in an office around a video conference.