Collecting in Spain

Hello Hannes,

Collecting in Spain is strictly prohibited, all our animal, plant and mineral species are protected from any men disturbance. In any case you can get permits to collect, but for that you have to be involved in a scientific research, no matter if it is carried by other or if it´s your own one. For applying for permits I would contact the Museum of National History, I´ve been told that they help with permits by the head of Entomology Department, otherwise you can try contacting some of the secretaries in the different Spanish societies: SHILAP, SEA, ..., or if you plan to publish a project you can apply yourself to the Ministry of Enviroment in Catalunya (the permit only allows you to collect in one Autonomous Community, for collecting in other areas you need to ask for the appropiate permits). When you get the permits granted probably they state that you must avoid several species, which have a further degree of protection, in Catalunya there are some when I remember correctly (Zerynthia rumina, Graellsia isabelae,...). I would tell you to avoid crowded places and collect without one permit, but I guess it´s hard there, too many tourism, and furthermore Catalunya is one of the areas with deeper enviromental feelings, along with Madrid, Canary Islands and Andalusia, I think it´s better not to mess without the necessary papers. Maybe Jaume can give you further help as he lives in that Autonomous Community.

Regards,

Alejandro A.

Hannes, I was in Tossa De Mar in 2003, I mnaged to collect as much as I wanted without any hassle at all, go into the hills above the town, they are teeming with charaxes jasius, several fritillaries, hairstreaks, wood whites sinapis, southern white admiral l reducta and loads of others, at lower levels outside the town papilio machaon and i podalirius are common also, just keep off the beaten track and you will be ok.

Dunc

Hello!

Maybe its me that looks suspicious, hahaha. I have never had problems in Galicia, just a couple of times people came to ask what I was doing, and that was because I was inside parks; villagers have never told me a word, they laugh, hide or ask you to leave their lands, but never been pointed of performing something illegal. Nevertheless in Madrid things are completely the opposite, people is very concerned enviromentally and they usually call guards to ask you about your activities, and guards are not usually friendly. Being a child they tried to frighten me, and now that I go with all my papers I have even arrived to a situation in which they wanted to register the material I collected. Have heard similar happenings for Catalunya, Andalusia and Canary Islands. I never collect in Spain without a permit because I feel worried, although if you keep away from people´s sight it may be ok, fines start with a 6 and then many zeros can follow depending in what you´ve collected. Of course, I have not personal experience in Tossa del Mar, I would trust Duncan with this one.

Regards,

Alejandro A.