Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of...

25
Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service Departmental Direction of Territory, Bas-Rhin (DDT 67) 28 september 2017, Brussels – Workshop « Making an effective use of the support possibilities under the Rural Development Policy »

Transcript of Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of...

Page 1: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace :

Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach

Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service Departmental Direction of Territory, Bas-Rhin (DDT 67)

28 september 2017, Brussels – Workshop « Making an effective useof the support possibilities under the Rural Development Policy »

Page 2: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

Presentation

plan

A) Cricetus cricetus : a threatened specie in an agricultural habitat

B) Adapting agri-environmental tool to local needs (2013-2018)

C) Key issues for succes

D) Perspectives

Page 3: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

A) Cricetus cricetus : a threatened specie in an agricultural habitat

Page 4: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

A) Cricetus cricetus : a wild hamster

• Habitat = open field, steppe, 150m around burrow

• Hibernates – only 6 month for reproduction cycle and food stores

• Predation pressure (foxes, raptors…)• « Umbrella specie » for small plain fauna

20 to 27 cm ; 200 g to 1kg

Domesticated hamster: 13 à 18 cm

Wild hamster

=> Habitat quality = Diversified vegetation, from april to september

Page 5: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

January February March

April May June July August September October November December

Hibernation end

Hibernation start

Period of activityBreeding – Accumulation of food reserves

Period of Activity

Hibernation period

Need of protection & food (vegetal cover)

Spring crop

Harvest

Sowing

Height of crop cover

Crop + hibernation output protection

Winter straw cereals

Sowing

HarvestHeight of crop cover Non-harvest

(near burrows)Crop + protection during the

accumulation of reserves

• French strategy : conciliate biodiversity & economical activity (National Action Plans). • Sensitive topic for farmers : Volontary approach.

=> Collective Agri-Environmental Measure, in order to improve local quality of habitatand to take into account changes in hamsters' location each year

A) Cricetus cricetus : habitat issues

Page 6: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

B) Adapting agri-environmental tool to local needs (2013-2018)

Page 7: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

B) Adapting agri-environmental tool to local needs (2013-2018)

• Objective : improve local quality of hamster’s habitat, at a territory level.

- at least 24 % of « favorable crops » (winter wheat, alfalfa)

- sowing wheat near the identified burrows (automn meetings)

• Creation of a regional farmer’s association : AFSAL

- strong cooperation with agriculture chamber & public partners (State, Region, Hunting & Wild Life Agency..)

- 30 meetings / year.

• Mecanism : € / ha of fav. Crops(depending on collective%)

Page 8: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

B) Adapting agri-environmental tool to local needs : a relative success

• Increasing commitment of farmers since 2013 :• From 5 to 11 collective areas• Commitment of 65 to 158 farmers• Concerted crop rotation from 1297 ha to 2920 ha = 37 % of protected

area (ZPS) • 35 % of favorable crops in 2016 in areas under AE commitment,

compared to 20 % in the rest of Alsace plaine

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 20160.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

30.00

35.00

40.00

Favorable crop rates (wheat, alfalfa)within agricultural crops

as a percentage of the useful agricultural area

Rhine plain, out of hamster areas

Hamster areas not yet engaged in the MAE (about 4900 hec-tares)

Hamster areas in the MAE (about 3000 hectares

Year

pe

rce

nta

ge

Page 9: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

B) Adapting agri-environmental tool to local needs : benefits for hamster ?

Number of burrows fluctuates (cf. protocol limits).

Beginning of a stabilization trend ?

Vulnerability of populations ?

Year Year

number of burrows surveyed, averaged over 3 years

Number of spring burrows surveyedNumber of municipalities with burrows surveyed

Page 10: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

C) Key issues

Page 11: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

C) Key issues for succes

• Innovative AEC requires specific ressources : complexity of legal frame and need for specific tools. Specific budget.

• Strong coordination between numerus stakeholders Wide stakeholder engagement : National and local public services, researchers, communities, project leaders, farmers … Meetings, working groups : time.

• Farmers motivation for voluntary engagement :– Collective discussions with neighbours, agronomical reflexion– Economical benefits (CAP delay)– Contribute to biodiversity protection

– Negative points : 5 years contract, dependance on the group for subsidy level, agronomic complexity

Page 12: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

C) Key issues : gouvernance

Farmers group

AFSALFarmers’

NGO

DDT Local StateAgriculture

Units

French ministriesAgriculture

Environment(MTES-DREAL,

MAA-DRAAF) EuropeanCommission

ManagingAuthority : Grand Est

Region

Farmers group

Farmers group

Legal FrameworkAnimation - Instruction

Experimentation :LIFE ALISTER

Chamber of agric.ONCFS…

Collective knowledgeInnovation

ASPPayingAgency

Page 13: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

D) Prospect

Page 14: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

D) Prospect• 2018-2022 : discussing improved collective measure

- result bonus for parcels with at least one burrow- favorable crops : winter mix, summer interculture, alfalfa harvest

• Preparing next National Action Plan : global approach (habitat, predation, urbanisation, climate change, communication...)

• Deepen links with field experiment (innovations through Life Alister european programm, farmers initiatives, international exchanges, etc)

• Adress interaction with sensitive political context : Strasbourg highway project GCO-ACOS, CAP paying delays, agricultural crisis…

=> Emblematic biodiversity issue, for French autorities & farmers

Page 15: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

Thank you for attention

Page 16: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

Annexes

Page 17: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

A) Cricetus cricetus in France : western area of a « steppe specie »

Alsace territorie’s plain, Grand Est region

Deep soils, open field, continental climate

Page 18: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

M. Tissier (2017) Overview of the European area of distribution of Cricetus cricetus in 1970 (top), 2000(middle) and 2010 (bottom). Light orange represents updated data and highlights a fragmentation of the European area of distribution of the species. Dark blue represents the ‘initial’ area of distribution (in 1970) or a lack of updated data (2000 and 2010). (adapted from (Banaszek, 2015)).

Page 19: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

M. Tissier (2017) Overview of the European area of distribution of Cricetus cricetus in 1970 (top), 2000(middle) and 2010 (bottom). Light orange represents updated data and highlights a fragmentation of the European area of distribution of the species. Dark blue represents the ‘initial’ area of distribution (in 1970) or a lack of updated data (2000 and 2010). (adapted from (Banaszek, 2015)).

Page 20: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

« Burrow bonus » : in next MAEC ?

• Average distance around burrow : 172m ♂ ♀132m

• Objective : stimulate dispersion of hamster population• Bonus for every parcel containing at least one burrow

surveyed in april (official survey in winter crops, by Hunting & Wild Life Agency ONCFS)

Winter cropSpring crop

1 bonus 1 bonus 1 bonus

Page 21: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

• « Old emmemy of farmers » : subsidies for destruction until 80s.

A) From threatened crops to threatened specie

• Protection : Bern convention 1990, French National Plans since 2000, European litigation since 2000

• France strategy : combinate economical and environmental issues

• Sensitive issue : Volontary approch for farmers.

Page 22: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

Annexe : ZPS

Zone Nord : 3 000 ha

Zone Centre : 4 400 ha

Zone Sud : 1 600 ha

Page 23: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

Annexe : les zones collectives au sein des ZPS

Page 24: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

Annexe : les zones collectives au sein des ZPS

Page 25: Hamster’s (Cricetus cricetus) protection in Alsace · protection in Alsace : Use of Agri-environmental measures in a collective approach Anne GAUTIER, Head of Agricultural Service

Annexe : les zones collectives au sein des ZPS