Positive assessment of regulations on mushroom foragers in Les Llosses: "It has been tidied up a bit"

This autumn, the municipality of Les Llosses, in the northern mountainous county of Ripollès, has implemented some regulations on mushroom foragers in the area.

Among the measures were a team of informants in the most crowded areas to try to regulate the "massive" arrival of visitors.

The measure was paid for by the Catalan government, and local authorities have given a positive assessment of the limits imposed. 

All the forests in the municipality are privately owned. Last year the device was implemented for only a few days, but this year it has been extended for the entire season.

"It has been tidied up a bit, we are happy," says local councilor Marc Ràfols. The problem, he points out, is not only the volume but above all the incivility: "If people behaved, there would be no problem."

Some residents claim to be "fed up" and in some cases have put up chains and posters asking not to pick mushrooms on their properties.

The people providing information services remind visitors what is not allowed to do in the forest and indicate the authorized parking areas.

With two weeks left for the device this season, more than 1,200 vehicles have been counted, more than 2,000 visitors have been informed and 182 dogs have been counted.

"There are people who do not react well and get angry, but in general people understand," says Bea, one of the informers.

In cases where they do not comply, they take photographs and report them to the city council. "On busy weekends, we have detected about 20 uncivilized people, mainly mushroom pickers and some hikers," she details.

To learn more about mushroom foraging, listen to this episode of our podcast, Filling the Sink.