A woman in Ibiza is facing a proposed administrative penalty of €6,000 after the Balearic Government opened proceedings over the keeping and confinement of protected Ibiza wall lizards (Podarcis pityusensis) in an enclosure on private property.

The case concerns a refuge established by Marilina Serra on her property near the road to Sant Joan. Serra says she created the enclosure to protect a population of lizards that had lived on the land for generations, after noticing their numbers declining as invasive snakes spread across the island.

The Government maintains that individuals cannot independently capture, confine or breed protected species outside officially authorised conservation programmes. Its Department of Natural Environment and Forest Management considers that the enclosure does not provide sufficient protection against the entry of invasive snakes.

The proposed €6,000 penalty was announced by the Balearic Government's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment on 5 November 2026. The administrative proceedings are ongoing, and the amount is not a final fine.

Government inspection found three lizards in the enclosure

According to the Government's announcement, environmental officers inspected the enclosed area on 26 April 2026. During the inspection, they observed three Ibiza wall lizards. One of the people responsible for the property reportedly stated that there were 18 animals in total.

The Government's Species Protection Service subsequently concluded that the facility was not part of any official conservation programme and that its design did not offer sufficient guarantees against invasive snakes entering the enclosure.

The administration argues that protecting a threatened species does not remove the legal requirements governing its capture, possession, confinement and breeding. It says that conservation initiatives involving protected animals must operate within programmes directed or supervised by the competent authorities.

There is a discrepancy in the reported inspection date. The Government's official announcement gives 26 April, while Serra told Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera that environmental officers visited the property on 29 April.

Marilina Serra says the lizards already lived on her property

In a follow-up interview published on 7 November, Serra explained that Ibiza wall lizards had historically inhabited her garden, dry-stone walls and other areas of the property.

She said their numbers began to decline as invasive snakes appeared despite the traps she had installed around the land. After noticing that fewer lizards remained, she decided to improve the existing rocky areas and create additional hiding places.

The property covers approximately 1,000 square metres. The perimeter enclosure, completed during the previous summer, combines nylon mesh, an outward-facing overhang of approximately 30 centimetres and an internal corten steel barrier.

Serra maintains that she did not introduce lizards from other locations and that the animals inside the enclosure are the same population that had already lived on the property. She believes the colony has reproduced and estimates that between 40 and 50 lizards may now be present, although she does not have an exact count.

She also said that eight traps outside the enclosure had captured between 16 and 20 snakes between early March and mid-July. These figures are her estimates and have not been independently verified.

Serra says she has made the property available to the administration for monitoring and assessment. She argues that the authorities should work with people who want to help protect the species rather than prevent private conservation initiatives.

Biologist calls for a network of protected habitats

The project has received advice from biologist Maria Antònia Cirer, an expert on the Ibiza wall lizard who has advocated the creation of protected habitats within the species' existing territories.

Cirer says she has been asking the regional administration for a protocol allowing these refuges to be developed under appropriate technical and scientific conditions. She recalls submitting proposals since 2023 and previously suggesting a protected enclosure near Puig des Molins.

Her approach involves creating several refuges across Ibiza, with barriers designed to keep invasive snakes out while retaining natural conditions for the lizards. She highlights the importance of suitable vegetation, rocks, hiding places, ventilation and drainage.

Cirer also disputes some of the technical concerns raised in the administrative proceedings, particularly the arguments about maintaining genetic diversity in small, enclosed populations. She believes a network of refuges could allow controlled exchanges between colonies on the island.

The biologist's position differs from that of the Government, which says conservation programmes must be planned and supervised by the administration, with appropriate controls for animal health, handling, genetic monitoring and protection.

Government says the lizards should be moved to an authorised facility

The Balearic Government considers that the animals in the inspected enclosure should be removed and transferred to a location that meets the required technical and legal conditions.

Until that transfer can take place, the Department of Natural Environment and Forest Management has established temporary custody measures intended to protect the animals, prevent predators from entering and stop further unauthorised captures, handling or introductions.

The administration stresses that these temporary measures do not legalise the private refuge.

The Ibiza wall lizard is listed as vulnerable in the Balearic Catalogue of Threatened and Specially Protected Species. Its protection is governed by regional and national biodiversity legislation, including restrictions on the capture, possession and transport of protected animals.

Government plans further refuges, including a privately owned site

The case has emerged as the Balearic Government develops a wider network of safe refuges for Ibiza's native lizards.

The first operational facility is located at the Can Marines vocational education centre. According to Noudiari, 44 lizards have been transferred there, comprising 24 females, 16 males and four individuals whose sex has not been determined. The animals have been individually identified and biological samples taken to study genetic diversity.

On 6 November, Noudiari also reported that the Government intended to incorporate another privately owned property into the official refuge network before the end of 2026. The arrangement is expected to be formalised through an agreement, with the facility remaining under the administration's management and supervision. The property's location has not been made public.

There is no confirmation that this planned facility is Serra's enclosure or that the existing refuge involved in the administrative proceedings will be incorporated into the official network.

A wider debate over conservation and public participation

The case has highlighted differing views about how Ibiza should protect its native wall lizard as invasive snakes threaten populations across the island.

The Government argues that protected species must be managed through authorised conservation programmes and that private initiatives cannot operate outside the legal framework.

Serra and Cirer, meanwhile, argue that private landowners and people with specialist knowledge should be able to contribute through a structured system of cooperation with the authorities.

The proposed €6,000 penalty remains subject to the administrative process. Serra's lawyer, Rafel Tur, has said that they intend to submit the relevant appeals and seek to have the proposed sanction overturned.

The outcome could have implications for how private landowners, scientists and public authorities work together on future conservation projects in Ibiza.