Special | Regional Hunting Federation
Forestry and natural environment engineer; head of the technical department and sports coordinator of the Hunting Federation of the Region of Murcia
The environmental values that make up the personality of Silvia Carriquí are inherited from her parents, Paco and Mari Carmen, who have transmitted to her respect, love and the benefits of nature and everything that revolves around her, such as hunting activities. . The Albacete, who currently directs the technical department and coordinates the sports area of the Hunting Federation of the Region of Murcia (FCRM), raises her voice in favor of hunters and animal welfare “without a political sign”, following the good practices that have always prevailed at home.
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What does the Hunting Federation of the Region of Murcia represent for you?
-A dream come true. Since in high school you begin to have the responsibility of considering where you want to go, I never doubted the steps I had to follow. My father, Paco ‘the forester’, has dedicated almost 37 years of his life to the service of nature as an environmental agent in the emblematic Sierra de Alcaraz (Albacete), my land; the custom was to see him in uniform and envy him, wondering if he would be able to meet my goals. María del Carmen is my mother, a woman who lives among stems, cuttings, cacti and flowers; if she had had the opportunity to study, she would probably have at least one botanist at home. Therefore, to you two, I will be eternally grateful for the financial and psychological support you have always given me. My career at the FCRM began in May 2021. I will never forget the call from Francisco Bastida (president) to arrange a meeting at its headquarters. He was about to start a new stage, the one he longed for, after several work comings and goings. To you, Paco, and to José (general secretary), who opened the door for me by betting on me from the beginning, I hope not to disappoint you, nor the rest of the colleagues who make up our team. I will keep trying to do my best every day.
It controls the sports competition and hunting management of the FCRM, and leads, together with the board, an extracurricular action to impart education on this activity in schools and institutes
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What area does this public body include?
-The FCRM is divided into two fundamental pillars: sports competition and hunting management. The competition calendar establishes the dates on which the different tests and regional championships will be held that will determine who competes at the national level in each modality. For this type of event, the prior coordination between directors, delegates, judges, participants and collaborators is laborious and with a more than detailed organization. I encourage people to attend any of them, they will surely repeat. Regarding the hunting activity itself, there are numerous meetings that we hold with different figures from the Ministry of the Environment to prepare laws, decrees, orders or deal with any aspect that concerns it, always under objective and consensual technical criteria. We manage the hunting reserves belonging to the federated hunting societies through a key instrument, the Hunting Management Plan, which reflects all the guidelines that must be applied to achieve and maintain a sustainable balance in the populations of game species affecting positively to the natural environment. We are the voice of Murcian hunters, we transfer their work and experience as great connoisseurs of this fully regulated and legal activity. In addition, we are an approved classroom, we train the new generations of hunters and we recycle the knowledge of the rest. We want to reach the classrooms of schools and institutes establishing a pedagogical relationship with society.
Silvia Carriquí, together with her podencas ‘Zara’ and ‘Tina’, on a weeding day during the summer. /
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What do you think about the new Animal Welfare Law that is being processed in Congress?
-As Javier Castroviejo (the last great Iberian biologist and naturalist) affirms, this law is a very clear attack against the rural world, applying sinister and obscure criteria, trying to put an end to ancient traditions such as hunting, imposing an ideology that is the result of ignorance . We have been working for months in coordination with the other colleagues from other autonomous communities, defending our rights, making society see that, with this law, what the central government intends is to create a series of ‘chiringuitos’ from which they will take economic advantage. We already know who. We are not going to rest until the auxiliary animals used in hunting activities are excluded from this law. We are the first to bet on a correct and reconciled regulation between all the affected parties and, of course, we reject any type of animal abuse. I have to remember the day, March 20, 2022. Gone is the great effort at the national level reflected in the streets of Madrid. From our Region, through the FCRM, 25 buses full of armed value hunters eager to prevail were coordinated. After starting the journey around four in the morning, the protocol that we established in terms of logistics and meeting points was activated. However, upon arrival, we completely collapsed the capital. Yes, we were more than 500,000 hunters forming the great orange tide, it was a peaceful demonstration in which fellowship was breathed in every corner. Returning to the bus and after looking at the 16 km traveled on the mobile, I reflected. We had made history; I was moved when I saw the reports that came out later in the press. Hunting generates 6,475 million euros and employs 187,000 people in Spain. See you at the polls.
Equality
«I am the only woman in my family who hunts; although, at present, the number of hunters has increased remarkably»
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Do you hunt? What modalities do you practice?
Yes, I am a hunter. In addition to being a branch of forestry engineering that I always wanted to pursue, hunting is one of my ‘hobbies’. I usually go with my father and on many occasions we travel outside the community together with his cousins and other friends who accompany us. We don’t care about getting up early or the kilometers, we are moved by the sensation we feel, the unforgettable sets, the enjoyment of our dogs and the meeting at lunch or dinner in which we exchange opinions and experiences. In my family, I am the only woman who has continued with the tradition, however, nowadays, the number of hunters is increasing considerably. I have two weaknesses: partridge with a claim and small game with a dog, I wouldn’t know how to put one before the other, I love them both. In my house there is always a perch of between 7-10 calls, birds that my father takes care of delicately throughout the year and that we baptize according to his call and his care. I consider that this modality has infinite nuances, listening to experienced cuquilleros is a privilege and the jargon that is used, a jewel. I usually read books about the red partridge (behavior, care, diseases…), but I still have a lot to learn. ‘Zara’, ‘Tina’ and the almost newborn ‘Chispa’ are our three mestizo podencas, they have nothing to envy their pedigree companions. Three strong and healthy dogs who go out every day to exercise and who give us anecdotes to write a novel. Because, as Miguel Delibes would say, “hunting and loving animals are compatible things. What our morals impose on us is not to use tricks or traps».
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