A hundred wild goats on the Galatzo finca in Calvia have been culled by the regional environment ministry. At the most recent council meeting, the Partido Popular's Bartomeu Bonafé wanted to know who had authorised the shoot and who had carried it out.
Paquita Muñoz, the councillor with environment responsibilities, said that incidents and problems with goats have been continuing and growing. The high number of goats had led to these incidents and to the over-eating of vegetation and crops in the finca. The town hall, wishing to recover the traditional use of the finca, therefore raised the issue with the species protection service at the ministry, as it is the body responsible for controlling goat populations.
The town hall has also explained in a statement that there is a recognised problem with the proliferation of feral non-native goats in the Tramuntana and that the effects can be devastating on the ecosystem. "When an invasive species increases in an uncontrolled way, it attacks the ecosystem and jeopardises other species. The town hall was therefore obliged to carry out this action."
The consortium for the recovery of fauna was put in charge of shooting the goats, which were left for scavenger birds such as the black vulture.
This type of action has been common in the Balearics. But when there was a cull on the island of Es Vedra off Ibiza a year ago, there was a good deal of protest from animal-rights groups who in recent years have been getting town halls to declare their municipalities free of animal abuse.
There was such a declaration by Calvia in January 2015. It was proposed by PSOE, then in opposition and now leading the administration, and later ratified by a motion presented by the Esquerra Oberta (Open Left). This said that Calvia is a friend of animals and is respectful of their rights.