The GSD says that, in answer to Parliament questions relating to Gibraltar’s indigenous Barbary Partridges, Minister Cortes agreed that this species is close to extinction, with only 7 birds recorded so far in 2013.

A spokesperson for the Opposition said: “Much of Cortes’ answers to Parliament were however typically self-serving, in order to justify his inaction to implement GOHNS’ 2005 Upper Rock Nature Reserve, A Management and Action Plan, despite being able to do so these last 22 months as the Minister for the Environment.”

“Dr Cortes,” the GSD statement continues, “as is now customary, once again blamed the GSD Government for the decline of the birds, his opinion being that there had not been enough clearing of the Upper Rock ‘fire breaks’, but conveniently declining to state that the abovementioned report highlighted as a matter of ‘high priority’ the employment of at least six Wardens and the eradication of feral cats.  Nor is it excusable that whilst as General Secretary of GOHNS, Dr Cortes made clear statements as to the threats Partridges faced and the steps needed to save them and now that he is a Government Minister he fails to take them.”

Whilst the GSD says that it supports the Minister in his plans of “last resort” to enter into an agreement with the authorities in Morocco to bring Partridges from there to increase the genetic pool of our birds in Gibraltar, the fact is, they say, that “not enough has been done in 22 months and this situation could have been avoided.”

“Indeed we are not clear whether enough will be done by the Government in future and whether the Minister has a grip on the situation.  When asked in Parliament about his plans to tackle the underlying cause of the threat to Partridges i.e. the high number of stray cats, he failed to provide a clear road map in which to tackle the decline of Partridges in Gibraltar, or even implement GOHNS’ recommendations of 2005. The fact is that the Minister needs to show leadership to save this iconic bird of Gibraltar before it is too late.”

Commenting on the Barbary Partridges crisis, shadow spokesperson for the Environment, Jaime Netto stated:  “It would be a real tragedy if the population of our indigenous Barbary Partridges were to disappear.  As the former General Secretary of GONHS, Minister Cortes, is in a very good position to put into practice what he used to preach.  So far he has shown little leadership and needs to do more and talk less before this bird can be seen only on our coins.”