* Project updated on 25 April 2007 according to information from the project contact persons * Pastoraloup is an example of implementation of environmental policy by an educational project founded on “ecovoluntary service ».
Made by the FERUS association in 1999 (for conservation of bears, wolves and lynxes), since 2004, Pastoraloup takes part in the implementation of a LIFE project assigned to upgrade coexistence between agriculture and large carnivores in South Europe. The aim is to develop techniques, socials and economics conditions required for the conservation of these animals, by the way of a participative approach. FERUS action fills also in the action of the French state (Plan National Loup 2004-2008) to implement technics to protect flocks and to help farmers. The perspective of the Plan National Loup is to conciliate the controlled development of a wolf population and the carrying on of pasturing activities, to limit the conflictual situation between protectors of wolf and farmers and to have a reflection about the potential profit of the existence of these carnivores for farmers.
Project executive
The action of FERUS is very concrete : assistance to keep a watch on flocks, measures of emergencyu during crisises (repair work of the nets, sorting of the ewes, …), pastoral equipment and development yards (linked to the necessary new organisation of the pastoral work). With Pastoraloup, training of ecovolunteers in the agropastoral world and the pastoralism/predator problem, the goal is not to plight farmers about the place of wolf. By a covert process, the project tris to limit attacks and as a consequence to reduce the opposition against the animal. To put it another way, Pastoraloup tries to reduce the gap between measures of protection and restraint of the pastoral life and of his specific economy : first of all, by a better knowledge of the pastoral activity by ecologists. Two kinds of farmers are concerned :
- farmers who work all along the year with FERUS on a plan for ecovoluntary ;
- farmers who urgently need ecovolunteers during the summer when the wolves attack ; regularly, in this case the Direction Départementale de l’Agriculture et de la Forêt (Departmental Direction of Agriculture and Forest) steers the farmers to FERUS.
Process
Working together, farmers and ecovolunteers make easier a progressive acceptation and implementation of the protection tools put into practice by the State. Then the project is a transition phase to an implementation of measures existing yet. The local stakeholders keep a real room of manœuvre regarding the aim of these measures (the protection of wolf) : Pastoraloup does not act on views about wolves but on behaviours. First of all, the objective is to calm the conflictual situation.
Regarding the extension of the period of working, the increase of ecovolunteers (60 participants in 2006) and of the farmers interested in ecovoluntary, Pastoraloup has good results… but it stays anecdotal : in 2006, twenty farmers were concerned. It’s probably the guarantee of success, keeping the project out of the mediatic sphere and, then of the politic one. Localy, the problem of pastoralism is central in the public debate and the conflictual partition between pro- and antwolf is an important element of the elect people position.
