The governing coalition of the Consell de Mallorca, made up of the PP and Vox parties, is beginning to take steps to fulfill one of its major electoral promises: to allow the hunt on public estates. This Tuesday, the island council conducted a pilot test on the Tossals Verds and Son Fortuny estates with the aim of "evaluating the recovery of hunting activity in these areas," as explained by the council in a statement. The island council assured that "no incidents related to the public use of the estates were detected, and it has been demonstrated that hunting is fully compatible with hiking and other recreational uses." For his part, the vice president of the island council and also the councilor for the Environment, Rural Affairs, and Sports, Pedro Bestard, emphasized that the pilot test "seeks to reintegrate land management with activities that have been part of the rural reality of the estates." He insisted that the initiative "has reflected the successful coexistence between hunting and other recreational uses."

“Last week, I was having lunch with my family at our country house when a pellet fell on my head,” says Maria (not her real name), a resident of Pina who prefers to remain anonymous. This is the reality for many rural residents who feel the echo of hunters' voices inside their homes and live in fear that a tragedy might occur one day. “My daughter was there. If she gets hurt, what happens?” she asks. Meanwhile, Joan (not his real name), a resident of Campos, explains that 30 years ago, neighbors “didn't hear gunshots from inside their houses” and laments that in recent years, especially during hunting season, he often wakes up at six in the morning with a start because “it sounds like there's a shooting outside the door.”

In Mallorca, tourists don't just come to soak up the sun on the beaches; they also come to see the native goats. This is known as hunting tourism, a word derived from Greek. kyōn ('ca') alluding to the animal that goes in search of the downed prey. Animal rights groups have always been against it. Guillem Amengual, president of the Progress in Green party, explains the reasons: "It should be prohibited. It's not a hunt to control the goat population, but for simple fun. And the most degrading thing is that it's done for profit and the trophies are displayed on the internet."

The Civil Guard is continuing its investigation into the deaths of 27 hunting dogs found dead in a van traveling in the hold of a ship in the port of Palma. Investigators from the Nature Protection Service (Seprona) are awaiting the results of necropsies to determine the circumstances of the animals' deaths, sources from the force indicated. The bodies were discovered on Saturday morning inside a van traveling on a ship from Barcelona that had just docked in Palma. Apparently, a group of hunters from Mallorca had spent several days in Lithuania training 36 dogs for the woodcock hunting season. Of all these animals, which were being transported back to the island in a van, only nine arrived alive. The Seprona (Nature Protection Service) of the Civil Guard Command in the Balearic Islands took charge of the investigation from the outset, and officers are awaiting the results of necropsies performed on some of the dogs. The Balearic Hunting Federation regrets the dogs' deaths.

The Balearic Hunting Federation has expressed its sorrow over the deaths of 27 dogs and noted that other dogs in the group were also seriously injured. The president of the Balearic organization, Marta Lliteres, conveyed her support to the dog owners, who stated they are "deeply affected by the incident." In a statement, the organization emphasized that for any hunter, their dogs are not simply working animals, but "inseparable" companions, the result of years of dedication and affection. According to the federation, the hunters had hired a company specializing in animal transport to ensure the dogs' well-being and safety. The journey from Lithuania to Barcelona proceeded normally, and it was during the sea voyage to Palma that 27 of the 36 animals being transported on the ship died.

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