They release 10 European mink into the Aragon River as part of a captive breeding program for endangered species

The European mink (Mustela lutreola) is considered the most endangered mammal in Europe, since its area of distribution has been reduced to less than 5% of the original.

In Spain, its confirmed presence has an estimate of less than 500 individuals, which must be reviewed with the results of the census carried out throughout its current area of distribution.

To try to save the species, a captive breeding program was launched, whose working group is attached to the Wild Fauna and Flora Committee.

Its objective is to exclusively address the problem of the European mink and has the participation of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, together with the autonomous communities with responsibility for its conservation.

This is the case of Aragón, which, during this month of May, through the General Directorate for the Natural Environment, has released ten specimens in the main channel of the Aragón river and in some of its tributaries.. It is a continuation of the releases carried out in 2017 and 2021 to prevent its disappearance.

The released minks come from the Captive Breeding Program, developed within the framework of the European Mink Working Group.

The purpose of the release, called “assisted colonization”, is to try to create a new population outside the original distribution range of the species and in an environment free of its main threats, such as the presence of the American mink, the most relevant.

This is one of the last resources used when the situation of the species is considered very critical and, in this case, it could be used to prevent the species from disappearing in Spain and even on the European continent.

Several breeding centers and zoos are involved in the ex situ conservation program for the European mink..

All of them have gained experience in captive breeding of the species and in the acclimatization of the specimens to prepare them for their life in the wild.

This has made it possible to carry out different releases in Álava, Guipúzcoa and La Rioja, in addition to the aforementioned assisted colonization project in Aragón.

The technicians and Nature Protection Agents of the Government of Aragon have had the collaboration of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, through the public company Tragsatec, as well as that of the different Recovery Centers that develop the species conservation program.

ON THE ARAGON RIVER

Aragon has a very small population of European mink scattered in different nuclei distributed in the northwestern fringe of the province of Zaragoza.

The assisted colonization trial began in 2017 and since then it has been carried out three times, always in the Aragón river basin, upstream of the Yesa dam, and in different tributaries that present a very suitable habitat but where there was no evidence of previous presence of the species.

As reported by the Government of Aragon, the results of the previous releases have been mixed. In 2017, the permanence of the specimens in the natural environment was very short, but the results of the releases carried out in 2021 were much more encouraging..

Months after its release, several specimens were observed in the natural environment thanks to photo trapping techniques.

To prepare the specimens for their release, the animals go through a learning period in pre-release cages, located in the different centers that participate in the European mink conservation program, among which is the Center for the Recovery of Wild Fauna. from La Alfranca, in Aragon.

In these cages, the minks learn to feed themselves and avoid contact with people, something essential for their later life in the wild.

AT RISK OF EXTINCTION

The European mink is considered the most endangered mammal in Europe, since its area of distribution has been reduced to less than 5% of its original area.

In Spain, its confirmed presence has an estimate of less than 500 individuals, which must be reviewed with the results of the census carried out throughout its current distribution area carried out during the year 2022.

These very small populations have led to its status being classified as critical, as recognized in 2011 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, classifying it on the Red List of threatened species under the highest threat category “critically endangered”.

As a consequence, the legislation of the European Union (Habitats Directive) considers it as a kind of priority community interest, obliging its member states to strictly protect it.

In Spain and Aragon, it is listed as an endangered species, and its extremely compromised situation led to its being declared in a “critical situation” in 2018, in agreement with the Sectorial Conference on the Environment, which implies acknowledging an imminent risk. of extinction.

This declaration means that the species is considered a priority in our country, both for the allocation of economic resources and for the adoption of urgent action measures to reverse the risk of extinction.