The Pyrenees and especially the National Park and its peripheral area are mountains where Pastoralism, (the lifestyle and traditions which go with mountain livestock-rearing) is still very much alive.

Rearing is practised in the mountains by the valley's population with a transhumance system and traditions of collective use of grazing land which are sometimes many centuries old.

In the Pyrénées-Atlantiques where this activity is geared towards the production of cheese, shepherds live in the huts in the high Summer pastures from May to September. They produce the Pyrenean Ewes Cheese which is status-enhancing for the profession.

In the Hautes-Pyrénées on the other hand, pastoralism is geared towards meat production and produces quality meat : Barèges/Gavarnie sheep has obtained a quality label "Appellation d'Origine Controlée" (AOC).