Historic milestone in Andalusian hunting: Perdiz association given Cultural Importance status
In a historic move, Andalusia, the first autonomous community in Spain, has declared the Recluse Quail hunting as a Cultural Heritage Asset (BIC). This declaration, made by the Council of Government of the Andalusian Regional Government, is a testament to the rich cultural and social significance of this traditional practice in the region.
The initiative for this declaration was driven by the Andalusian Hunting Federation in 2022, with the support of the Andalusian Government, who have committed to protecting and promoting hunting's social and cultural aspects, as signed in the Andalusian Pact for Hunting in 2022. The Artemisan Foundation also collaborated on this project.
The study, elaborated from an ethnographic perspective, was conducted by the Department of Anthropology of the University of Seville, under the direction of Santiago Montero Cruzada as principal researcher. The research collected empirical information from attending hunting days, fairs, championships, and all kinds of events, and was based on a qualitative work developed over field notebook notes, patrimonial documentation sheets, and 47 interviews, approximately two hours in duration.
The report highlights the sociability and associationism of a collective integrated by more than 30,000 Andalusians and Andalusian women. It emphasises the importance of Recluse Quail hunting in the popular culture of Andalusia, especially in rural areas, and explores aspects such as orality, a unique vocabulary of Recluse Quail enthusiasts, knowledge of the environment and territory, worldviews about the surroundings and animals, craftsmanship, trades, and gastronomy related to Recluse Quail hunting.
The Andalusian Hunting Federation is now organising a grand event to celebrate and advocate for the social and cultural value of Recluse Quail hunting before the start of the Quail with Decoy season. The initiative to celebrate the event is funded by federated hunters who have funded this project through their affiliation. More than 300 Andalusian municipalities and five provincial councils have provided institutional support for the declaration.
José María Manchenño, president of the Andalusian Hunting Federation, stated that the declaration is a strategic objective for the federation. José María Castellano Gil, who carried the initiative for the inscription of Recluse Quail hunting as cultural heritage in Andalusia in 2022, expressed his satisfaction with the declaration.
The declaration recognises the Recluse Quail hunting as part of the popular culture of Andalusia, a tradition that is deeply rooted in the region's history and identity. The Recluse Quail hunting is now considered an Ethnological Interest Activity, a recognition of its cultural and social significance. The study presented on November 23, 2023, demonstrates that Recluse Quail hunting meets all the technical requirements established by the Andalusian Regional Government to be declared a Cultural Heritage Asset (BIC) in Andalusia.
