Post on 29-Jun-2020
Raphaël Néouze – LPO Grands Causses
Individual farm feeding stationsin Grands Causses
Sassari – 30th of June 2016
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Acknowledgements
• Several tables from Olivier DURIEZ are
used in this talk.
• Most photos from Bruno BERTHEMY
• Several partners are involved in this
common work
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Intention of this presentation
• Give a few highlights about what was
experimented in Grands Causses
• Raise awareness among vulture
conservationists and their partners
• Present the current research programs in
relation to that subject
PRESENTATIONS
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
The vulture programs in France
Southern Alps
Western Pyrenees(native population)
Jonte - 1981-1986
Navacelle1993-1998
Grands Causses
Verdon 1999 - 2004
Diois 1999
Baronnies 1991 - 1996
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Situation of Grands Causses
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Grands Causses = Many cheep
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Grands Causses = Many birds
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Description of
the Grands Causses
• Wide and high “plateau” that are
divided by deep canyons
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
• 1968 à 1981 : Reintroduction of the
Griffon vulture
• 1982 : Spontaneous come back of the
Egyptian vulture
• 1992 à 2004 : Reintroduction of the
Black vulture
• 2012… Reintroduction of the
bearded vulture
History of the Grands Causses
conservation programs
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Partnership with scientists
• Historical partnership since the 80’s with :– Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN)
– Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• For statistics, monitoring analysis, central data
base, GPS project, dynamics of populations....
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Surv
ival ra
te +
/- 9
5%
CI
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
Num
ber
of
feedin
g s
ites
0
50
100
150
200Model constant
Model nb fledglings
Model nb fledglings / feeding sites
nb feeding sites
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Reproduction of Griffon
Vultures in Grands Causses
• A very regular trend...
0
0,1
0,2
0,3
0,4
0,5
0,6
0,7
0,8
0,9
1
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Pontes Jeunes produits Succès reproducteur
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Evolutions…
1
2
Temps
Nb de
couples
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
At the beginning : Heavy
feeding stations1981 – 2001: 4 official « heavy » feeding sites ( very close to colonies)carrions collected at 62 local farmsFood highly predictable in time and space Intense intra specific competition
THE BEGINNING OF
FARM FEEDING STATIONS
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
In the 90’s farmers are demanding
for individual feeding stations
• Inter-ministerial Order 7/08/1998 :
Acknowledgement of the vulture’s role as natural collaborators in the management of carcasses
• Since then : legal possibility for farmers to
use Vultures has carrion’s disposal system
to get rid of farm carrions
• First farm feeding station settled in Grand Causses in 2001
• In France we call them “Placette”
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Decreases sanitary threats
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Improve food availability
First, you type « Grands
Causses », then
« satellite overview »,
then choose « sheep »
and at last, you click on
« latest deceased »
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Technical description
• A space of minimum 1000 m2 (30 m x
30 m)
• Dominant and open position (2 sides)
• Good aerology
• A fence (grid of 90 cm high mini…) that
give a physical existence to the device
• A mean to attach carrions
• The farmer build the station
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Draft of a farm feeding station
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Reduce threats close to the
farm feeding stations
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
An exemple of a farm
feeding station
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Another exemple with
concrete plate and chain
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Some other examples
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Another exemple…
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Another exemple…
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Photo : Olivier Duriez
A working Farm feeding
station or « placette »
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Another exemple… seen
from the farm
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Farmer building the fence
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
How do farm feeding
stations work ?– Farmer has an official authorization
– Farmer manages the disposal his own way
– No more than 300 kg at the same time
– Taxes reduction of 60 %
– Farmer record on a file, sent every year to
administration
– Farmer clean the “placette” by burning bones
and remaining
– Reduce sanitary risks
– Reduce CO2 emissions and transport costs
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Record of carcass deposits
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Situation of the farm feeding
stations in Grands Causses
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Situation of the farm feeding
stations and GV home range
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Situation of food supply for griffon
vultures in Grands Causses
• The farms feeding stations
– 152 placettes in Grands Causses
• The heavy feeding stations
– 2 HFP, 21 farmers collected
– ~ 20 tons collected of carrions
– Allows us to capture, read ring codes,
communicate and monitor…
• Natural disposal service by vultures,
represents less tha1% of the total
tonnage of quartering service in France
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
How a farmer can apply for a
farm feeding station ?– The farmer makes a demand as volunteer
– LPO GC works with the farmer on a technical level
to prepare the application file
– The vet administration check the application details
– The Vulture & Livestock comity validate the
beginning of construction
– The farmer build the station himself
– The administration and LPO visit the station and
validate or ask for more work
– Local “Préfet” sign the “décret” of authorisation for
the use of the station
– The farmer sign a management convention
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Feeding stations in France
CREATION OF A REGIONAL COMITY
FOR VULTURES AND LIVESTOCK
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Creation of a regional comity for
Vultures & Livestock
• Initiated by LPO and breeders in 2010
• Gather together :
– Farmers’ organisations and unions
– Organisations that run vultures conservation programs
– State administrations and parks (national and regional)
– Scientists
– Environmental police and forestry administration
– Hunters organisations
– Veterinarian’s organisations
– Tourism public services
• 6 “départements” concerned
• Meet twice a year and work together on an action
plan supervised by a “Préfet”
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
• 4 themes of work :
1. Stating and improving common and global
procedures on Vultures & Livestock
interactions
2. Monitoring and management of food
availability for vultures
3. Communication
4. Survey and scientific programs :
• Monitoring of vulture’s populations
• Evaluation of livestock health and evolution
• New research programs…
Action plan of the regional comity
for Vultures & Livestock
EXAMPLES OF SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH PROGRAMS BASED ON
FARM FEEDING STATIONS
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Competition for food: dominance
No difference between Heavy FS / Farm FS
Bosè and Sarrazin
Fig. 2
n=23n=27n=20n=28
0
0,005
0,01
0,015
0,02
0,025
0,03
0,035
old adults young adults immature juveniles
me
an
+/-
sta
nd
ard
dev
iati
on
interaction rate
agressiveness
dominance
(Bosè & Sarrazin 2007 Ibis)
Adults dominant over younger birds
Videos of focal individual
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Competition for food: Age-ratio at feeding events
% young increases with time and is higher in Farm feeding stations
Summer
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
% y
oun
g b
irds
0
20
40
60
80
100Heavy feeding station
Light feeding station
Winter
Time since beginning (min)
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
% y
oun
g b
irds
0
20
40
60
80
100
120Heavy feeding station
Light feeding station
Summer
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
% y
oung b
irds
0
20
40
60
80
100Heavy feeding station
Light feeding station
Winter
Time since beginning (min)
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
% y
oung b
irds
0
20
40
60
80
100
120Heavy feeding station
Light feeding station
(Duriez, unpublished)
Meat SkelettonAdults predominant when meat, immatures when skeletton
young birds prospect more at light FS?
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Competition for food: prospection behaviours
Pilot study in 2009
GPS tracking of individual griffon vultures
TechnoSmart
With predictable ressources Traplining strategy?
With unpredictable ressources Random strategy?
Feeding stations
Vultures’ foraging behaviour
- Obligate scavengers
-Central place foragers (colonies)
- Forage and feed in group
Competition for food: prospection behaviours
Results : Repetitivity of prospection routes
Key
Day 1Day 2Day 3
Feeding stations
Nest
Results : Repetitivity of prospection routes
Random foraging…
Random
Key
Day 1Day 2Day 3
Feeding stations
Nest
Traplining
Results : Repetitivity of prospection routes
Random foraging…
…But also
Traplining strategy
Random Nest
Key
Day 1Day 2Day 3
Feeding stations
Traplining
Results : Repetitivity of prospection routes
Random foraging…
…But also
Traplining strategy
Confirmed by
repetitivity analysisRandom Nest
Key
Day 1Day 2Day 3
Feeding stations
SPECIFIC COMMUNICATION ON
FARM FEEDING STATION
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
A technical leaflet on natural
and official disposal of carions
• Financed by partners,
edited by LPO GC and
distributed widely to
farmers, farming
organisation,
communities, elected
people,
administrations…
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
An annual spécific news letter
on farm feeding station
• Edited by LPO GC with
interviews of farmers
and specific articles…
• Distributed only to
farmers that have a
farm feeding station and
farming organisations…
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Posters…
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
A semestrial news letter on
global vulture issues
• Edited by LPO GC and
partners
• Distributed widely to
farmers, farming
organisation,
communities, elected
people, administrations,
partners, other
conservation
programs…
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Last news…
• The vulture conservation programmes in Grands
Causses received on the 15th of October 2015:
The Grand Prix Natura 2000
of the European Union
Category :
Socio-Economical
benefits
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Conclusions : arguments in
favour of farm feeding stations
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Conclusions : arguments in
favour of farm feeding stations
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Propositions
• Stay close to the farmer’s profession
• Implicate the farmers in the conservation and vulture’s
food management
• Clarify the means and procedures
• Gives answers and promote transparency
• COMMUNICATE
• Carry on monitoring with partners
• Implicate the elected representatives of local communities
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Thank you for your attention…
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Les textes de références:
• Arrêté ministériel du 07/08/1998;
• Règlement (UE) n° 1069/2009 qui abroge le règlement (CE) n° 1774/2002
avec effet au 4 mars 2011;
• Règlement (UE) n°142/2011 du 25 février 2011 portant application du
règlement (CE) n°1069/2009;
• Décision 2003/322/CE abrogée par la Décision 2005/830/CE et ses textes
d’application en France:
par voie réglementaire: l’arrêté du 6 août 2005 et l’arrêté
du 28 février 2008;
et la note de service DGAL/SDSPA/N2006-8300 du 19
décembre 2006.
La reconnaissance de l’équarrissage naturel en France:
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
• Les textes de références:
• Arrêté ministériel du 07/08/1998;
• Règlement (UE) n° 1069/2009 qui abroge le règlement (CE) n° 1774/2002 avec effet au 4 mars 2011;
• Règlement (UE) n°142/2011 du 25 février 2011 portant application du règlement (CE) n°1069/2009;
• Décision 2003/322/CE abrogée par la Décision 2005/830/CE et ses textes d’application en France:
par voie réglementaire: l’arrêté du 6 août
2005 et l’arrêté du 28 février 2008;
et la note de service
DGAL/SDSPA/N2006-8300 du 19 décembre
2006.
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
What are the needs for
Griffon vultures ?• A reproductive adult Griffon vulture needs around
170 kg of food per year
• This represents on average ~ 470 g / day
• In Grands Causses a sheep weight on average 65 kg (with ~50 kg of consumable flesh ~75 %)
• Thus, in Grands Causses an adult reproductive
griffon vulture eat the flesh of 3 to 4 carrions of
sheep per year (75 % of carrions)
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
What needs for the colony?
• 529 pairs in 2016
– So 1058 reproducing adult griffon vultures
• Total population estimated between
1400 and 1700 birds
• This represents a global need of 235 to
290 tons per year
This represents 4700 to 5800 carrions per year (used at
75 % )
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Quelle quantité cela représente
?• La ressource connue et maîtrisée :
– Les charniers :
• 25 éleveurs collectés
• Soit environ 30 tonnes/an
– Les 152 placettes individuelles :
• 25 brebis en moyenne/placette/an
• Soit environ 190 tonnes/an
– Les cadavres de la faune sauvage :
• Assez peu accessibles, stables et saisonniers
• Estimés entre 10 et 20 tonnes/an
Soit un total de 230 à 240 tonnes / an
Griffon Vulture
Sardinia30th June 2016
Quelle quantité cela représente
?• La ressource non maîtrisée :
– Les 100 à 120 éleveurs « hors placette » :
• Une estimation d’environ 60 à 90 tonnes/an
Soit un total 60 à 90 tonnes/an
La ressource totale est donc estimée entre 290 et
330 tonnes/an (utilisable)
Cette ressource disponible connait des variations
saisonnières mais est suffisante
Cependant une grande partie est non maîtrisée