The Bonelli’s eagle remains endangered in the Region of Murcia, a status tied closely to how electricity operators manage the infrastructure they oversee. Environmental groups argue that these companies have failed to upgrade dangerous power installations. The Southeast Naturalists Association ANSE has led the charge, noting that roughly fifty Bonelli’s eagles have died in the region from electrocution over the past decade, with even larger losses among surrounding species. ANSE and allied bodies are pressing the Prosecutor’s Office to take formal action and compel responsible parties to implement safer line configurations across Murcia.
In July, ANSE filed a formal request with the General Directorate of Natural Environment for a thorough review of open files related to nine electrocution cases of Bonelli’s eagles recorded in 2021 and 2022. The Directorate replied that twelve files had been opened by the regional administration; five led to the replacement of affected electricity towers, while seven remained in progress.
Records exist, but sanctions are lacking
ANSE contends that the regional administration has not pursued sanctions for the death of protected birds during this period. Since early 2019, none of the cases has resulted in disciplinary action, with seven files still in preprocessing stages. The absence of penalties for the loss of protected birds worries environmental groups, who insist that the power lines themselves must be repaired to prevent further harm. Prosecutors have been urged to push the Autonomous Community toward a formal disciplinary investigation, particularly given the link between maintenance lapses and ongoing fatalities among Bonelli’s eagles.
Environmental advocates accuse the sector of lax enforcement, arguing that the Environmental Responsibility law requires electricity operators to preventively and completely fix risky lines. When a shock occurs due to a failure to fix, the same law authorizes sanctions against the responsible companies. The issue is contrasted with rulings from the Supreme Court and with practices in other autonomous communities, where larger penalties have been imposed for the deaths of birds on power lines.
Regional environmental groups including ANSE, STIPA, Naturactua, Ulula, Anida, Meles, Ecologistas en Acción, Calblanque Association and others stress the urgent need for effective measures to stop electrocutions. They highlight Iberdrola’s prominent role, noting that a sizable share of fatalities happened on lines that still require upgrading, while the company reportedly posts substantial profits each year.
Early 2021 brought a joint request to the Autonomous Community proposing ten measures to end bird deaths on power lines in Murcia. The response described a forthcoming decree evaluating the economic value of each specimen killed by electrocution, but progress remains elusive, according to the environmental groups.
Public discussions and protective zoning
The regional government issued a draft decision to expand zones protected from electrocution of avifauna in Murcia. The plan would cover about half the region, including key dispersal areas for the coastal Bonelli’s eagle that attract young birds leaving their traditional ranges. This expansion follows sustained communications from ANSE to the Prosecutor’s Office, the Autonomous Community and Mitecord warning of serious eagle deaths in the area and their possible national implications.
In the debate over the order, environmental groups argued that protections should extend across nearly the entire region. They noted disputed areas excluded from the measure, such as zones important for bearded vultures at Moratalla and others crucial for the Bonelli eagle in the southern parts of Campo de Cartagena and its surroundings. Murcia’s Bonelli’s eagle, one of the region’s most at-risk birds with only around 22 nesting pairs, is listed as endangered and has an approved recovery plan requiring public investment to ensure its preservation. Regional data indicate roughly 50 Bonelli eagles have died from electrocution in the last decade, highlighting the leading role of electricity-related deaths in the species’ decline.
Estimated toll: around 1,000 birds in eight years
A broader view shows the impact of electrocution on local wildlife. ANSE reports more than 900 birds dying in the past eight years from this cause, underscoring a systemic risk to protected species. Examples include nearly 300 eagle-owls (Bubo bubo) and more than 150 kestrels (Falco tinnunculus). Other affected species include griffon vultures, short-toed eagles and white storks, with a total of 24 eagle pairs and 42 confirmed Bonelli’s eagle fatalities in recent records. Earlier reports to the Prosecutor’s Office noted several other electrocution incidents, with no action taken at the time.
Community discussions about the environmental crisis in Murcia continue, with ongoing calls for stronger enforcement and corrective action to safeguard vulnerable raptor populations. Updates on policy and practice are awaited as environmental groups push for a comprehensive, region-wide approach to prevent future electrocutions.
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