The Hunting, Fishing and Tourism Fair (Fercatur) will make Ciudad Real the world capital of the hunting sector this weekend. Carlos Marín, president of the Ciudad Real Business Federation (Fecir) and organizer of the fair, highlighted the importance of a sector that generates an economic impact of 6.475 million euros and 187,000 jobs in Spain, a large part of which are for people residing in rural and sparsely populated areas.
Fercatur, which is held in the fair hall, aims to become “the most important fair in the country” in the hunting sector, with the aim of transmitting to society “the importance of hunting and, above all, for rural areas,” explained Martín, who added that the fair is not only aimed at professionals in the sector, but also at the general public.
The intention is for participants to have a complete experience, with activities such as hunting dog exhibitions, falconry workshops or gastronomic demonstrations with hunting products.
For his part, the president of the Provincial Council of Ciudad Real, Miguel Ángel Valverde, expressed the wish that the fair “grows bigger every year” and recalled that the Provincial Administration collaborates with a financial aid of 180,000 euros.
In addition, the Deputy Minister of the Environment, José Almodóvar, also conveyed the “unconditional support” of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha for hunting, which is essential for ecological balance, the protection of species and the economic and social development of rural areas. He also stressed that the “queen of small game in La Mancha”, the red-legged partridge, will have its management plan next year, with the help of the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), to guarantee the “genetic purity” and maintain the habitats of this species so characteristic of the region.
The Hunting Museum, in “a year and a half or two”
On the other hand, the president of the Provincial Council said that the Hunting and Nature Museum of Ciudad Real (Mucana) could be ready in “a year and a half or two”. This space, which will be located where the fire station currently is, will be a reference to highlight the history and hunting tradition of the province, as well as a new tourist attraction.
The museum will disseminate the importance of hunting from a nature conservation perspective, it will offer permanent and temporary exhibitions that will present native species and information on hunting management and its relationship with the environment. Finally, it will also promote respect for biodiversity and the importance of sustainable hunting.
