Information sessions on integrated rodent control take place this month on Faial, Graciosa, Pico and Terceira
The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Forestry, through the Regional Directorate for Agriculture, in conjunction with municipal council will promote information sessions on integrated rodent control on the islands of Faial, Graciosa, Pico and Terceira in the month of April.
These free information sessions began on São Miguel and are now extended to another four islands. They are intended for the population in general, but also for municipal and village council workers.
On Faial, there will be three meetings to take place between April 10 and 11, followed by a session to be held on Graciosa on April 12.
For the island of Pico, there are also three planned information sessions, one for each municipality, between April 19 and 20. In turn, the sessions organised on the island of Terceira will take place in Angra do Heroísmo on April 26 and in Praia da Vitória on the following day.
The information sessions for the islands of Santa Maria, São Jorge and Flores will be held in May.
With an approximate duration of two hours, these sessions are conducted by Sofia Borrego and Alexandra Cardoso, technicians from the Regional Directorate for Agriculture.
This initiative intends to explain concepts, the importance of controlling rodent species and the actions to be adopted.
For an effective and lasting control of rodents, it is necessary to apply a series of measures directed not only to rodents, but also to the environment. This requires a coordinated action between the Regional Government, local authorities and the population in general.
The Regional Director for Agriculture, José Élio Ventura, added that, besides information sessions, a handbook on good practices for rodent control is in the processing of being completed. It is more comprehensive than the previous one insofar as it includes an industrial and housing component, besides the agricultural component.
An advertising spot on rodent control has already been broadcast on RTP/Açores. It is permanently available on the Regional Government Portal (www.azores.gov.pt) and on social networks.
José Élio Ventura also stressed that the Regional Government has acquired about 66 tonnes of rodenticide, which has already begun to be distributed to the village councils throughout several islands of the archipelago.
The Government has already supplied 13 tonnes of rodenticide to village councils on São Miguel, 3.1 tonnes on Graciosa and six tonnes on São Jorge. As for the latter islands, the Government delivered three tonnes and each of the island's municipalities supplied 1.5 tonnes.
"On the remaining islands the process is also underway, but there is not a specific model to be followed. It depends on the size of the island and its dynamics. Each case is a different reality to which we have to adapt the rodent control plan," said José Élio Ventura.