Hunting Plan for Tenerife

The island of Tenerife covers 203,000 hectares and has a resident population of 685,582. Approximately 12,500 hunting licenses are issued each year. There are 158,351 hectares currently available for hunting once security zones and protected areas have been excluded, resulting in a theoretical density of nearly 13 hectares per hunter. This excessive pressure has an impact on the following species: the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the barbary partridge (Alectoris barbara), the rock dove (Columba livia), the quail (Coturnix coturnix) and the turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur). The delicate balance in the islands ecosystems calls for prudent Hunting Plan which must be carefully executed to maintain the population of these and other species while minimizing any negative effects. Negotiations with all of the involved parties are required to achieve these objectives that will result in an improved Hunting Plan for Tenerife.