Controlling invasive species on the Ibiza and Formentera.

The project

Over recent years, the Pityusic Islands (this was what the Greeks called Ibiza and Formentera, the pine islands) have been subjected to the silent invasion of certain species introduced with a highly significant capacity for environmental alteration. Invasive exotic species constitute one of the main causes of loss of biodiversity in the world, a circumstance made all the worse in habitats and ecosystems that are particularly vulnerable, such as islands. They can also cause major economic damage, particularly in terms of agricultural, livestock and forestry production, and they can even have an impact on public health.

The progressive change in the natural ecosystems of the Balearic Islands due to the appearance of invasive species has led to the Balearic Government Environment Ministry developing specific actions plans to prioritise the protection and recovery of the island’s areas of nature.

These plans include the control of invasive species, focusing on the island of Ibiza, where the aim is to eradicate and/or control the density of species such as the Pennisetum (a highly invasive grass species that can be found in garden areas), Hemorrhois hippocrepis (horseshoe whip snake) and Zamenis scalaris (ladder snake). These two species of snake pose a major threat to the islands’ endemic lizard species, which are emblematic of the Pityusic Islands and which, despite being species that are of no danger to humans, cause major social alarm among tourists and residents alike.