Tunis/Tunisia -- Jendouba, Dec 7 (TAP/Meriem Khadhraoui) -- Challenges related to co-management and biodiversity conservation took centre stage during a field visit by journalists to the El Feija National Park, a vast and ecologically rich forest area spanning approximately 2,632 hectares, nestled in the Kroumirie Mountains of north-western Tunisia.
Organised with the support of the ecological startup Tunisian Campers, the two-day visit brought together a dozen journalists from various local media outlets, marking the culmination of an eight-month environmental journalism training programme (May-December 2025).
This initiative is implemented under the Tunisian Media Support Programme 2 (PAMT2), in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and the Project for Environmental and Climate Governance Support for an Ecological Transition in Tunisia (PAGECTE), co-funded by the European Union and implemented by GIZ.
Covering part of Tunisia's network of over 17 national parks--key to ecosystem protection--the visit aims, according to organisers, "to build the participants' capacity in reporting on biodiversity conservation issues, through on-the-ground immersion within this protected natural reserve."
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Over the two days, journalists engaged in practical and theoretical activities, including tree-planting sessions and structured dialogues with park rangers and local communities, with a view to mobilising media actors in support of national natural heritage preservation.
The programme also featured a presentation of the park by its conservator; observation of the endangered Barbary deer in its dedicated enclosure; a tour of the park's ecomuseum; a tree-planting workshop; a trek to the Kef Nagcha which is a majestic 712-metre-high rock formation housing a fire-monitoring tower.
A Sanctuary Under Threat
El Feija National Park is renowned as one of the last refuges of the Barbary deer (Cervus elaphus barbarus), the sole native deer species in Africa. Despite a hunting ban since 1963 and the establishment of a deer reserve in 1966, the species remains listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Population numbers have fluctuated drastically--from around 10 individuals in the 1960s to fewer than 1,000 today--primarily due to poaching and habitat loss.
The park hosts numerous water sources, some developed (fountains, reservoirs) and others in natural state. Its vegetation is dominated by forests covering 90% of its area, notably the Zen oak (51% of park coverage) and cork oak (8.9%). Biodiversity includes 21 mammal species, 71 bird species, and 18 amphibian and reptile species.
Like many protected areas, El Feija faces mounting pressure from climate change impacts, including heightened water stress, progressive drying of natural springs, shifts in species' biological cycles, and increased wildfire risk.
Tunisia--particularly the Kroumirie region--is regularly affected by forest fires. In 2023 alone, 438 fires destroyed approximately 4,800 hectares, with estimated economic losses of TND 20,000 to 50,000 per hectare burned, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and the General Directorate of Forests (DGF).
Reforestation costs average TND 9,000 per hectare, and full forest regeneration requires up to 20 years post-fire. Around the park, nearly 140 families reside and actively contribute to its conservation--yet remain vulnerable to annual income losses when fires strike.
Several local residents met during the visit stressed the need for sustainable, community-based initiatives to enhance the economic value of natural capital while ensuring livelihoods for forest-dependent populations.
Media's Strategic Role in Conservation
Over 700,000 people across Tunisia live in proximity to forested areas and derive income from activities such as grazing, harvesting (pine nuts, mushrooms), cork and firewood collection, and artisanal production--particularly in northern forest zones.
Promoting sustainable, inclusive, and eco-responsible tourism in north-western Tunisia is a key objective of the journalists' training, reinforcing the media's role not only in raising awareness but also in shaping public discourse around environmental governance, climate resilience, and equitable natural resource management.
The visit underscores a broader ambition: aligning media engagement with national conservation strategies to ensure that protected areas like El Feija remain both ecological sanctuaries and engines of local socio-economic development.