Sheep and goat raising in the “Picos de Europa” Regional Park (León, Spain)

Abstract

The decline of the traditional livestock practices in rural areas is sharper in marginal areas such as the mountains and especially in the sheep and goat sectors. According to the key role of these practices in the conservation of mountain ecosystems, it is necessary to consider them as environmental management tools, especially in protected areas. We analyse the status of the sheep and goat sector in the “Picos de Europa” Regional Park, a mountainous region in northwestern Spain. We detected problems characterising this sector at a national level, such as low output, old age of the owners, and lack of official support. At the local scale other problems detected were the small size of farms, the inadequate management of pastures and installations, and the low level of professionalization. Among other measures, official support to promote traditional products made in protected areas and the creation of cooperatives are fundamental actions in order to guarantee the sector’s future. This support should be provided according to both the socioeconomic and the enviromental importance of sheep and goat raising, especially in protected areas.