This Sunday, L'Alcora will host the XLV Assembly of the Associació de Paranyers de la Comunitat Valenciana, Catalunya, Aragó, and the Balearic Islands (Apaval). The meeting will serve to present the numerous activities the association has carried out throughout the year.
The entity highlights a significant increase in membership, with new members seeing this new phase as an opportunity to transform the sector and restore enthusiasm among enthusiasts who, in their opinion, should never have lost it.
“"All efforts and future hopes are placed on achieving the homologation and authorization of the Cesto Malla, whose field tests were carried out two years ago and whose result, controlled by technicians and administration, was 100% selective, as the capture is live and the animal is released without manipulation."
The Cesto Malla is presented as the central focus for the future of the practice. This device replaces the old perch and has the particularity of supporting the entire framework of trees, estates, popular culture, and family and social activity that has always surrounded this historic practice. Proponents of this method argue that it represents a shift from the hunting world to collaboration with science and bird migration studies in a real, on-the-ground manner, a task performed voluntarily by enthusiasts.
Apaval continues its work to normalize and adapt to modern times a Valencian tradition it considers authentic, deeply rooted, and secular in many towns. The association points out that it is a practice that deserves society's respect, as it has been part of its cultural heritage throughout history.
Furthermore, they recall that the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community ruled in favor of Apaval and emphasize that the Generalitat Valenciana authorized the field tests of the Cesto Malla in the so-called 'scientific paranys'. This avenue is seen as hopeful for recovering this traditional method, which has been prohibited for 25 years.
The association also maintains its calendar of work and training in decoy schools, as well as competitions held in numerous Valencian and Catalan towns. These activities will culminate in an annual European final scheduled for late August in the Italian city of Sacile.
The XLV Apaval Assembly will take place at 11:00 AM in the assembly hall of the New Municipal Dependencies of L'Alcora. It will be presided over by the entity's president, who also holds the presidency of the European Association of Traditional Hunts. Among the attendees will also be the mayor of L'Alcora. After the assembly, a fellowship meal will be held at the La Pista Jardín restaurant.
