The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) is delighted to announce that Fundación Artemisan has officially joined the CIC as an NGO Member, following a vote at the 71st General Assembly in Doha, Qatar. The decision reflects a growing recognition of Fundación Artemisan’s role as one of Spain’s leading advocates for wildlife conservation through sustainable use, combining rigorous scientific research with strategic communications and legal defence of hunting.
Founded in late 2016, Fundación Artemisan has become a pillar of Spain’s conservation landscape. Under the leadership of José Luis López-Schümmer, the Foundation has worked tirelessly to reinforce the value of regulated hunting as a tool for biodiversity conservation, rural development, and public engagement. Its integration into the CIC marks an important milestone in expanding cross-European cooperation on applied wildlife science and conservation advocacy.
CIC Director General Sebastian Winkler welcomed the partnership:
“Fundación Artemisan strengthens our shared commitment to conservation through sustainable use. Their scientific credibility, public engagement capacity, and strong policy insight will enrich our global efforts—particularly within the CIC Applied Science Division, where their experience will have immediate relevance.”
As an active member of the CIC Applied Science Division, Fundación Artemisan will collaborate on projects aligned with the CIC 2030 Strategic Plan and the Global Biodiversity Framework, including research into game species management, rural livelihoods, and One Health initiatives.
This announcement coincides with the release of a major national study in Spain, recently conducted by Fundación Artemisan and reported by several media outlets across Spain, including in El Confidencial on 6 May 2025. The study underscores the remarkable economic and social contributions of hunting, revealing it generates €10.19 billion annually and sustains approximately 199,000 jobs across Spain. Many of these positions are concentrated in sparsely populated rural areas where hunting represents a crucial economic driver. These new figures significantly exceed previous estimates from 2017, underscoring the growing importance of hunting not just for biodiversity stewardship, but also as an indispensable pillar of the rural economy.
Fundación Artemisan’s engagement with CIC will support knowledge-sharing, joint communications, and project development with partners across Europe, Latin America, and Africa. This includes work on migratory species (e.g. Project Coturnix), participation in the LIFE LYNXCONNECT programme, and future contributions to EU policy dialogues on biodiversity, game meat, and rural sustainability.
For more information, please visit:
www.fundacionartemisan.com
www.cic-wildlife.org
Media Contact:
Tristan Breijer MBA FRGS FRSA MCIJ
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
CIC – International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation
Email: tristan.breijer@cic-wildlife.org
Mobile: +44 781 408 7423
Website: www.cic-wildlife.org
