Biologist Antònia Maria Cirer has challenged the Balearic Government's scientific arguments against a privately created refuge for Ibiza's native wall lizard, describing its comparison with the conservation requirements of the Iberian lynx as “una burrada”. The dispute follows the opening of an administrative sanctioning proceeding against the refuge's owner, Marilina Serra, with a proposed fine of €6,000.

Cirer, who advised on the design of the refuge, spoke at a press conference in Ibiza on Friday, 6 November 2026. She questioned whether the Government's concerns about the enclosure's size, the risk of inbreeding and its ability to protect the reptiles from invasive snakes adequately reflected the biology of the species.

The case has attracted attention because it raises wider questions about how private conservation initiatives can contribute to protecting the Pityusic wall lizard (Podarcis pityusensis), particularly as invasive snakes continue to threaten its populations across Ibiza.

The Disagreement Over the Refuge's Design

The private refuge is located on land belonging to Marilina Serra, spokesperson for the citizen platform Sargantana Power. It occupies approximately 1,000 square metres and was developed to protect lizards from invasive snakes.

According to Serra, the animals were already living on the property before the area was enclosed. She maintains that they were not captured elsewhere and transported to the site.

The refuge includes natural vegetation, stone shelters, tree trunks, shaded areas and water. Eight traps have also been placed around the perimeter to catch invasive snakes.

Serra says that no snake has entered the enclosure and that approximately 20 snakes were captured outside it between March and July 2026. These figures have been reported as her account of the project's results, rather than as independently published monitoring data.

Cirer advised on the refuge's design, taking into consideration the lizard's habitat requirements, movement patterns, access to insects and the presence of native plants.

The biologist argues that the approximately 1,000-square-metre area is sufficient to provide the conditions needed by the species. She describes the Pityusic wall lizard as having relatively limited movement, with individuals often remaining in the same area throughout their lives.

Cirer Rejects the Comparison with the Iberian Lynx

One of the central points of disagreement concerns a comparison made by Anna Torres, the Government's Director General for the Natural Environment and Forest Management.

When announcing the sanctioning proceeding, the Government argued that the protection of the wall lizard must follow the same basic legal principles applied to other protected species, using the Iberian lynx as an example. Its position is that individuals cannot independently capture and keep protected animals in private facilities without the necessary authorisation and official supervision.

Cirer considers the biological comparison misleading.

She argues that the Iberian lynx requires extensive territory to meet its ecological needs, whereas the Pityusic wall lizard can maintain its life cycle within a much smaller habitat.

Her objection is therefore focused on the scientific suitability of comparing the spatial requirements of two very different species. She believes that the biology of the lizard should be considered when assessing the potential role of small, protected refuges.

The disagreement does not remove the legal requirements governing protected wildlife. However, Cirer argues that conservation measures should be developed around the specific characteristics of the species they are intended to protect.

The Debate Over Genetic Diversity

The Government has also raised concerns about the potential genetic consequences of maintaining a population within an enclosed space.

Its position is that conservation programmes require appropriate planning, including health checks, population management and genetic monitoring where necessary.

Cirer disputes the suggestion that inbreeding represents an immediate reason to reject the refuge.

She points to naturally isolated populations of wall lizards on smaller islets, where animals live in restricted areas. In her view, the existence of these populations demonstrates that limited space does not automatically make a conservation refuge biologically unsuitable.

She also proposes establishing a network of protected refuges across Ibiza, with controlled exchanges of individual lizards between sites to help maintain genetic diversity.

Cirer believes that this approach could address the concerns raised by the administration while allowing the animals to remain within their natural island environment.

Marilina Serra Calls for Institutional Support

Serra has criticised the Government's response, arguing that people who want to contribute to protecting the island's native wildlife should receive technical guidance and institutional support.

She believes the administration should develop a clear framework allowing private landowners to establish conservation refuges under scientific supervision and with appropriate safeguards.

The owner also argues that the animals in her refuge were already present on the property before it was enclosed, a distinction she considers important to understanding the purpose and development of the project.

Her position is that the initiative was intended to protect an existing local population from invasive predators, rather than to create an independently managed breeding facility.

The Government's Position and the Proposed €6,000 Fine

The controversy follows an inspection carried out by environmental agents on 26 April 2026.

According to the Government's announcement of 5 November, officers observed three wall lizards inside the enclosure. One of the people responsible for the site stated that there were 18 animals in total.

The regional administration subsequently concluded that the refuge was not part of any official conservation programme and that the characteristics of its enclosure did not provide sufficient guarantees against the entry of invasive snakes.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment therefore initiated an administrative sanctioning proceeding, proposing a €6,000 fine for the possession and confinement of protected specimens outside an authorised conservation programme.

The Government maintains that private individuals cannot independently establish facilities to capture, confine, maintain or breed protected wall lizards, even when the stated intention is to protect them from invasive predators.

It has also ordered the removal of the animals for transfer to facilities meeting the required technical and legal conditions.

Until the transfer takes place, provisional custody measures have been established to protect the lizards, prevent predators from entering and prohibit further unauthorised captures, handling or introductions of animals.

The Government has stressed that these temporary arrangements do not legalise the private refuge.

Importantly, the €6,000 is a proposed sanction within an ongoing administrative proceeding. It should not be described as a final fine that has already been definitively imposed.

Calls for a Network of Conservation Refuges

The dispute has brought renewed attention to the need for a coordinated strategy to protect the Pityusic wall lizard from invasive snakes.

Cirer has previously raised the possibility of creating protected refuges, including a proposal for an in-situ reserve at the Puig des Molins necropolis. She has also criticised delays in developing conservation initiatives and called for clearer protocols that would allow suitable private properties to contribute under official supervision.

The wider debate concerns how to combine public conservation programmes with the involvement of landowners, scientists and local environmental organisations.

On 6 November, IB3 reported that the Government had presented its first two official wall lizard refuges, with eight planned across the Pityusic Islands. It also reported that an agreement was expected before the end of 2026 to establish the first privately owned refuge managed under administrative supervision.

That development could provide a framework for cooperation between the authorities and private landowners, although it does not automatically authorise other privately established enclosures.

Protecting One of Ibiza's Native Reptiles

The Pityusic wall lizard is native to Ibiza and Formentera and is included in the Balearic Catalogue of Threatened and Specially Protected Species in the vulnerable category.

Its protection is particularly important in an island environment where invasive snakes have become a serious threat to native wildlife.

The case involving Serra's refuge highlights the tension between individual conservation initiatives and the legal and scientific oversight required when dealing with protected species.

Cirer and Serra argue that private landowners should be able to contribute to conservation through properly designed and supervised refuges. The Government, meanwhile, maintains that the protection of vulnerable wildlife must take place within officially controlled programmes.

Finding a way to reconcile these positions could become an important part of Ibiza's wider efforts to protect its native wall lizard.