iucn see · 4. killer nets in belgrade 5. krka np opens a new office 6. freshwater biodiversity in...
TRANSCRIPT
IUCN South-Eastern European e-Bulletin
Issue 32 · Winter 2012/2013
e-BulletinIUCN SEE
Photo: IUCN/T.Pezold, Bjelašnica-Visočica, BiH
Dear Readers,
It is our pleasure to share with you the 32nd issue of IUCN South-Eastern European e-Bulletin! We thank you
for contributing to this issue and for your continuous interest in this publication. Please note that the bulletin
is available online at www.iucn.org/southeasterneurope, while guidelines for submitting articles can be found
at the last page of this issue.
We wish you a pleasant reading!
IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe
IN THE FOCUSAdaptive Management in biodiversity conservation
NEWS & EVENTS1. Nature’s health check at CBD COP112. Albania adopts sea turtle conservation action plan3. Young ornithologists for pearls of nature 4. Killer nets in Belgrade5. Krka NP opens a new office6. Freshwater biodiversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina7. Rehabilitation area for sea turtles8. Greater Spotted Eagle shot down in National Park Skadar Lake9. Shaping the Buna River Protected Landscape management plan10. Bird Crime Monitoring in Salina Ulcinj11. Campaign to save Hutovo Blato Nature Park12. Sustainable hydropower initiative in Albania13. Safe Stop-over Sites along the Adriatic Flyway14. Photo exhibition Water Labyrinth15. The Black sea Seabirds Project16. Natura 2000 in Croatia ready17. Increase of nature protected areas in Kosovo18. “Landscape in harmony” project successfully implemented 19. Turning ideas to action20. Empowering Marine Protected Areas in Croatia21. Good news: no wind farm in Natura 200022. New initiative for Sharr/Šar Planina-Korab23. Natural Networks for Places and People 24. Small grant implementation lessons learned
PUBLICATIONS & COMMUNICATION1. When conservation and borders coincide2. Green Book of Indigenous Breeds of Croatia3. Advance Albania Newsletter out4. TB eNEWS5. Newsletter of the South East European Forum on Climate Change Adaptation6. Spiritual Values of Protected Areas in Europe
TRAININGS & SEMINARS – ANNOUNCEMENTS1. Mura River walk
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES1. Terra Viva Grants Directory
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Adaptive Management in biodiversity conservationTaking the big picture approach in problem solving in conservation
Since the origin of life on Earth evolution has driven nature to high level of complexity by constantly increasing diversity of species, genes and habitats as well as interactions between them. The complexity is needed to secure the natural systems’ higher resistance. There are three inherent elements accumulated during the process of evolution to provide for the resistance - the diversity carrying the information in the system, the numerous interactions providing the networking and the size of the populations – systems’ biomass. Human activities impact these elements in many ways – they could break up connections, reduce the complexity of the systems at local level making them more vulnerable at the same time linking ecosystems that were previously disconnected.
Complexity in nature is too great to be captured and understood. People drill deeper in the remote corners of the world, far out in the space looking for more knowledge and understanding. With fast development of the technology it is becoming easier to gain and share knowledge. Despite all these, there are serious limitations of human cognition, for example the dark matter composing 84% of the matter in the universe, whose existence is only indirectly proven. In order to meet this challenge and better plan and implement their actions conservationists should use more flexible and holistic approaches. An existing method to adaptively address the complexity is the Conservation Measures Partnership’s Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation1. In order to be more efficient the nature conservation community should monitor the effectiveness of conservation actions and understand why some actions succeed while others do not. Open Standards is organized around five steps that comprise the project management cycle: 1) Conceptualizing the project vision and context; 2) Planning actions and planning monitoring; 3) Implementing actions and implementing monitoring; 4) Analyzing data, using the results, and adapting the project; and 5) Capturing, sharing and learning. The steps described are not a linear but form an iterative cycle – steps should be repeated, credible draft of the outputs developed, and the work revised over time as the project changes and matures.
The complex reality brings along new risks to which species have not developed defense. E.g. over tens of thousands of years humans evolved instinctive risk avoidance behaviour towards threatening elements. Nowadays, the human sensory system is unable to perceive many of modern risks (e.g.,
1 http://www.conservationmeasures.org/
IN tHE FoCUS
Simplified conceptual model with target stresses caused by direct threats, and ultimately by factors contributing to the generation of threats and future factors as risk according to the MARISCO methodology.
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IUCN SEEradioactivity) because they are just too recent for having been an evolutionary force that would have shaped a new ‘programme’ of risk perception and risk management capabilities in our species. The nature, frequency and severity of modern risks can hardly be predicted. Unforeseen, unpredictable risks are major challenges, and their mitigation requires a high degree of flexibility in conservation planning.
A key concept of adaptive management implies that action is taken despite insufficient information and knowledge. Through a cyclic self-control of management measures, it is possible to overcome certain knowledge deficits by basing action on hypotheses first. Instead of reactive way of dealing with the risks/ threats once they appear, adaptive nature conservation is thought to be more effective if strategy design already integrates these potential, sometimes unknown threats, which are likely to become increasingly relevant in the future. Therefore nature conservation also has to factor in induced uncertainty and be ready for decision-making in the absence of evidence. Extensions to the Open Standards approach to adaptive conservation in order to more actively and explicitly address needs related to risk and vulnerability management have been recently developed by Prof. Dr. Pierre Ibisch and collaborators from Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development under the name of MARISCO2. The overall goal is to enable a surprise-robust conservation action plan that reduces vulnerability to change of both conservation targets and strategies.
The integration of risk management into conservation planning and management would promise an increase of preparedness for risks by implementing proactive and preventive strategies.
Adapted by V. Ferdinandova, IUCN Biodiversity Project OfficerFrom Ibisch, P. and Hobson, P. (eds.), 2012. Global Change Management: Knowledge, Gaps,
Blindspots and Unknowables. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft.
2 http://www.centreforeconics.org/publications-and-products/adaptive-conservation-and-vulnerability-marisco/
There is a high flooding risk in the region of Shkodra, northern Albania due to mismanagement of the upper part of the Drini River also affecting the hydrological regime of Buna River and Skadar Lake.
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1. Nature's health check at CBD CoP11Despite good progress towards achieving the 2020 targets to halt the loss of biodiversity, efforts to conserve nature must be urgently scaled up if we want to meet the 2020 deadline to save all life on earth. CBD COP11 that took place in Hyderabad, India, 8-19 October 2012, saw an overall consensus on the urgent need for more and better managed funds to reach the targets but countries have failed to agree on the exact amount needed to ensure their successful implementation.
After the adoption of the “Nagoya Package” back at the very successful COP10, COP11 marked a move in the Convention from negotiation to implementation. In many ways, this COP was also an opportunity to correct and fine-tune issues that are found ineffective, insufficient or problematic in the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Targets. Expectations of any big “breakthrough” at COP11 were not high and this was considered as a transitional COP by many.
Overall COP11 produced a considerable outcome which will facilitate the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and hence contribute positively to the achievement of the Aichi Targets. Topics that dominated the negotiations at COP11 were Resource Mobilization, the Implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and Marine and Coastal Biodiversity.
For more information please visit http://www.iucn.org/news_homepage/events/cbd/meetings/hyderabad_2012/news_hyderabad/?11302/UN-Biodiversity-talks-move-forward-but-nature-needs-more
2. Albania adopts sea turtle conservation action planThe adoption of the Action Plan for the Conservation of Sea Turtles and their Habitats in Albania was announced during the 32nd Meeting of the Standing Committee to the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention), at the Council of Europe. The Action Plan was adopted through a Ministerial Order (No. 596, 22.11.2012) of the Minister of Environment, Forests and Water Administration, Fatmir Mediu.
“The Action Plan serves as a roadmap for the development of sea turtle research and protection throughout Albania. Its adoption directly contributes to the implementation of International Conventions to which Albania is party and that include provision for the protection of sea turtles and their habitats” said Mrs. Ramaj, Senior Expert of the Biodiversity Directorate at the General Directorate of Environmental Policies, Ministry of the Environment, Forests and Water Administration (MoEFWA). The Action Plan for the Conservation of Sea Turtles and their Habitats in Albania is a result of extensive consultation with Albanian experts and scientists, which was carried out during 2011 by MEDASSET and the MoEFWA, with the support of the MAVA Foundation and under the auspices of the Barcelona Convention and the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas of UNEP’s Mediterranean Action Plan.
For more information please contact Liza Boura, MEDASSET at [email protected].
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3. Young ornithologists for pearls of nature Young Ornithologists of Slovenia met for the 14th time in November 2012, in Ormoz. Members of the DOPPS – BirdLife Slovenia's Youth Branch prepared a series of short presentations under the common title Nature Reserves – pearls of nature conservation and opportunities for regional development. Contributions covered different topics regarding nature conservation. Apart from presenting some of the major threats such as illegal bird hunting, invasive species and habitat loss in riparian ecosystems, much emphasis was put on best practice examples of successful
nature conservation in regional development.
Participating young conservationists paid special attention to the Drava River and the future Nature Reserve Ormoz basins. Recently, sustainable management of this region has been gaining fresh incentive with the Life+ project LIVEDRAVA, coordinated by DOPPS – BirdLife Slovenia, and an international initiative to include the Drava basin in the Mura – Drava – Donava Transboundary Biosphere Reserve.
For more information please contact DOPPS – BirdLife Slovenia at [email protected].
4. Killer nets in BelgradeBeing recognized as an NGO protector of birds, the League for Ornithological Action of Serbia (LOA) was recently informed about the existence of two net traps in Belgrade. In both cases, LOA volunteers have checked the situation and afterwards called the officials.
In the first case, the environmental inspectors have found an ornithological mist net and, in the nearby house, the cages with live and illegally caught songbirds – all of them strictly protected:
5 Goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis), 12 Siskins (Carduelis spinus), 4 Greenfinches (Carduelis chloris), 4 Chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs) and 2 Yellowhammers (Emberiza citronella). Being in good health birds were returned to the wild and the charges will be pressed against the perpetrator. His aim was to “refresh the bloodlines” of songbirds that he illegally keeps.
Two weeks earlier, a peculiar case happened in the summer cottage village at the Danube. That site lies within the Kozara floodplain, an area LOA researched and proposed for official protection. LOA was informed about the fishing net with dead birds in it, namely two Tawny Owls (Strix aluco) and one Great Tit (Parus major). Environmental inspectors visited the site, where another dead bird was found, a Chaffinch. Inspecting the owls and how they were tangled, it seems that they accidentally flew into the net and got caught. That fishing net, it seems, was used to increase the fence and keep the volleyball inside the court. The summer season is gone, the house was locked, and the killer-net was left. The owner was told to remove the net, which was confirmed by subsequent visits.
For more information please contact Dragan Simić, LOA at [email protected].
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5. Krka NP opens a new officeThe new office of the Public Institute of Krka National Park in Drniš was officially opened to the public in November 2012, now located in the Divnić palace, a protected cultural monument in the historical town core that was built in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Drniš office represents a strategic point for validating the upper course area of the park and all the localities located in that area: Roški slap, the Krka monastery, the imperial viewing point at the Manojlovac falls, the viewing point at the Brljan falls, the Burnum archaeological site and archaeological collection at Puljani. All the localities featured in the tourism offer of Krka National Park, its natural phenomena, wealth of flora and fauna, cultural and historical heritage, all publications issued by the park and all events organised in the park are represented in the office's permanent exhibit on two floors. The ground floor of the office includes the reception desk, where visitors can obtain detailed
tourism information about the park, and a souvenir shop.
For more information please contact Katia Župan, Krka National Park at [email protected].
6. Freshwater biodiversity in Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe Freshwater Biodiversity Unit of IUCN Species Programme organised a workshop bringing together a range of stakeholders to validate Freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in the southern European part of the Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot.
In this workshop, held in Jahorina in December, experts evaluated, completed and validated the river or lake catchments previously identified and proposed as freshwater KBAs for this part of the Mediterranean. They have also identified priority actions for each catchment. This work aims to provide the foundation for
the creation of a representative Protected Areas network for freshwater species, as well as the resources that are essential for guiding decisions on the conservation and sustainable management of freshwater biodiversity in the Mediterranean Basin Biodiversity Hotspot.
For more information please contact Violeta Barrios, IUCN at [email protected].
7. Rehabilitation area for sea turtlesThanks to the cooperation between Public Institution Brijuni National Park and Marine Turtle Rescue Centre situated in Aquarium Pula, Croatia, a rehabilitation area for sea turtles was established at Brijuni ZOO. Staying in a larger pool area before returning back to the sea, enables sea turtles more movement and muscle training, which has a positive and faster effect on their recovery.
First loggerhead sea turtle that arrived was named Kiki, after a boy who found him floating on the sea surface in June 2009. Kiki
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was about 8 years old and weighted about 10 kg. After three years in the Rescue Centre and more than two months of successful rehabilitation at Brijuni National Park ZOO, veterinarians determined that Kiki completely recovered so it was set free back to his natural habitat in October 2012.
After Kiki, another visitor arrived, named Brionko, a loggerhead sea turtle found in the Brijuni aquatorium with a serious injury due to which his front flipper was amputated. Brionko successfully recovered without any difficulties with swimming and was released back to the sea.
Kiki and Brionko, as the first sea turtles that arrived at Brijuni, are an excellent start of the cooperation with the Marine Turtle Rescue Centre.
For more information please contact Moira Bursic, Public Institution Brijuni National Park at [email protected].
8. Greater Spotted Eagle shot down in National Park Skadar Lake
Beginning of December, Center for Protection and Research of Birds of Montenegro (CZIP) has been informed by Polish ornithologist, Pawel Mirski from Eagle Conservation Committee that Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga) equipped with satellite transmitter was “silent”, after being several days on the territory of NP Skadar Lake.
Mihailo Jovićević, CZIP ornithologist found the dead eagle on the property of superintendent of NP Skadar Lake who claimed that one fisherman found and gave him the wounded eagle. The superintendent did not inform ornithologists or veterinarians in order to help the bird, which spent at least five days in his garden where it died. Superintendent gave the transmitter to the local police claiming that the bird was carrying some kind of spying
device. The X-ray of the bird showed that seven pellets where the cause of its death. The shot eagle was one of eight breeding pairs of this species in Poland which are under specific ringing and tracking programme that aims to gather information and provide better protection for this globally endangered species.
For more information please contact Mihailo Jovićević, CZIP at [email protected] and Pawel Mirski, Eagle Conservation Committee at [email protected].
In early April a young Imperial eagle was found shot dead in south-east Bulgaria. The bird was tracked by a satellite tag since 2010 within a LIFE+ project implemented by BirdLife Bulgaria.
9. Shaping the Buna River Protected Landscape management planThe Buna River management plan should secure the preservation of the riverine forest, the regulation of fishing and hunting activities and better law enforcement. These are just some of the management directions identified during the third consultation workshop held in November 2012, in Ana e Malit.
The purpose of this workshop, organized in the frame of the IUCN project "Institutional Support to the management of Protected Areas in Albania” was to consult and involve key stakeholders in the identification of potential planning measures. The workshop was attended by 30 stakeholders
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from the area that worked jointly on a quantitative analysis and a comparative assessment of available management options toward enhancing ecosystem conservation and community development in the Buna River Protected Landscape. The participants highlighted the importance of wetlands for migratory birds and the potential for tourism development and its economic opportunities.
For more information please contact Genti Kromidha, INCA at [email protected] and Andrea Ghiurghi, IUCN at [email protected].
10. Bird Crime Monitoring in Salina UlcinjEspecially on weekends, gun shots can be heard in high frequency: even if a general hunting ban is valid for the privately owned Salina Ulcinj, representing one of the most important stop-over sites for migrating birds along the Montenegrin coastline, any visitor could easily witness the intense poaching on the site in recent years. Shot and wounded birds, hunting hides and uncountable bullets give a clear evidence of the law being violated continuously. In order to secure the Salina as a safe habitat for wintering water birds, the Montenegrin NGO CZIP started a bird crime monitoring campaign in November 2012 with the support from EuroNatur. CZIP members organize regular patrols with the aim to effectively prevent disturbances and to start a dialogue with poachers on
the site. Intense promotion and awareness raising activities made the program reach high regional popularity. As a result CZIP was accompanied by plenty of enthusiastic volunteers during their field trips. Convinced by its high conservation value, the Montenegrin Ministries have suggested the designation of a protected area on the Salina´s territory to the Municipality of Ulcinj. Such designation would enable stricter law enforcement on the site. The requested studies are currently under evaluation.
For more information please contact Romy Durst, EuroNatur at [email protected] and CZIP at [email protected].
11. Campaign to save Hutovo Blato Nature ParkHutovo Blato (Bosnia and Herzegovina) is the heart of Neretva River with 44 species of fish, of which 9 are endemic, and more than 250 species of birds. Being located on the Adriatic migration route it is also one of Europe's most important resting and feeding habitats for migratory birds. Due to the impeccable natural beauty of its swamps and lakes, and great wealth and diversity of species, Hutovo Blato is listed on and protected by the Ramsar Convention.
The increasing negative human impacts on the ecosystems of Hutovo Blato, primarily the modifications to the water regime, the intensive poaching and lack of effective protection due to lack of funding for ranger services, have significantly degraded the health of Hutovo Blato. The number of fish is decreasing, birds are moving to other habitats, wetlands and lakes are drying up.
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In December WWF has launched a campaign and a petition for the preservation of Hutovo Blato Nature Park to call on responsible institutions and international organizations to adopt and implement concrete and immediate steps to save Hutovo Blato and allow future generations to enjoy the benefits of this remarkable area.
For more information please contact Bojan Stojanović, WWF at [email protected]. http://www.hutovo-blato.ba/peticija/peticija.php
12. Sustainable hydropower initiative in AlbaniaAiming at raising public awareness about the potential negative and positive impacts of the hydropower, the workshop was organized in November 2012 in Tirana. It marked a closure of the small project "Public information campaign for the sustainable hydropower in Albania, with emphasize to the Osumi River" implemented by the Institute for Nature Conservation in Albania (INCA) in partnership with three Albanian NGOs (Ekolevizja, EDEN, PPNEA), in the frame of the regional project “Dinaric Arc
Sustainable Hydropower Initiative-DASHI”.
The workshop was attended by 40 stakeholders, including the representatives of the local authorities (Vertop Commune), local community members and organizations, civil society organizations, students from different universities, experts and the media. The workshop summarized activities and assessed the work made during project implementation to achieve fore set objectives. By bringing different stakeholders this workshop contributed to road building towards a more active civil society engagement and transparent decision-making in Albania regarding the HPP construction and the exploitation of the water resources.
For more information please contact Vilma Pulleja at [email protected] and Ilirjan Qirjazi at [email protected].
13. Safe Stop-over Sites along the Adriatic FlywayNGO and GO representatives from 8 SEE countries, Slovenia (DOPPS-BirdLife Slovenia), Croatia (HDZPP, BIOM), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Naše ptice), Serbia (BSPSS, LOA), Montenegro (CZIP, Natural History Museum), Kosovo (NGO Finch, Kosovo Environmental Agency), Albania (APAWA) and Macedonia (MES), met at Lake Ohrid in October 2012, to strengthen their collaboration towards a network of safe stop-over sites for migratory birds along the Adriatic Flyway. The workshop was organized by EuroNatur with financial support from MAVA
foundation. It provided a unique platform for experience exchange and networking in order to face one of the most severe threats that migrating birds are confronted with along the Adriatic east coast: illegal hunting and poaching. According to recent estimates, more than 2 million birds are illegally shot each year during migration only in SEE. Illegal hunting activities cause severe disturbance for resting, breeding and wintering birds and impact the populations as a whole. EuroNatur, with several national partners, is dedicated to improve the protection of stop-over, wintering and breeding sites along the Adriatic Flyway through field activities and lobbying for stricter legal frameworks, declaration and management of hunting ban areas and the implementation of the European Birds Directive.
For more information please contact Romy Durst, EuroNatur at [email protected].
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14. Photo exhibition Water LabyrinthWWF has prepared a series of photo exhibitions "Water Labyrinth", presenting a documentary-art photos taken by Szilard Kovacs, professional photographer, artist and nature lover from Novi Sad. The first exhibition was opened in December 2012, at Institute for Nature Conservation of Vojvodina Province in Novi Sad. Nature conservationists, artists, media representatives and others attended the opening.
Photos of the beautiful landscapes, plant and animal species of Special Nature Reserve “Gornje Podunavlje” reveal the importance of the reserve for people who live in the surrounding areas. In interesting and artistic ways they communicate nature conservation activities in the protected area. This exibtion is part of the project "Restoration of wetlands in the UNESCO’s Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube". WWF, Public Enterprise "Vojvodinašume" and Institute for Nature Conservation of Vojvodina Province have focused on the revitalization of the Štrbac area since January 2011. Štrbac restoration works are part of a wider initiative to restore wetlands along the Danube River and more specifically in the Mura-Drava-Danube area. The aim is to preserve species of local importance through restoring their habitats, and to preserve natural water springs as well as improve ecotourism opportunities in the reserve as a whole, and as part of future Transboundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve „Mura-Drava-Danube”.
For more information please contact Dusan Zica, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme at [email protected].
15. the Black sea Seabirds ProjectThe Black sea Seabirds Project aims to create the basis for an inventory of Marine Important Bird Areas (IBAs) with a particular focus on two seabird species: Yelkouan
Shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan) and European Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii). Creating an inventory of Marine IBAs for species occurring in the southern Black Sea will allow Romanian and Bulgarian governments to start fulfilling their European obligations for the creation of Marine SPAs, and the Turkish government to progress its work on the accession negotiations.
The Black sea Seabirds Project is being implemented by Doğa Derneği in collaboration with the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS), Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) and the Romanian Ornithological Society (SOR). The project is funded by European Commission DG Environment. In order to raise capacity on sea bird research and conservation methods, partners organized two trainings so far. The first one presented the standard seabird count methodologies to 25 participants from Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania. The seminar included theoretical training and its demonstrative implementation on the ferry boat
in Bosporus. The other training focused on the GIS methods and Seabirds Data Management, enabling the participants to use ArcGIS software to map, record and manage sea birds data.
For more information please contact Hayri Dağlı, Doğa Derneği İstanbul (Birdlife Turkey) at [email protected] or visit http://dogadernegi.org/karadeniz-deniz-kuslari.aspx.
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16. Natura 2000 in Croatia readyState Institute for Nature Protection (SINP), a Croatian central agency for nature conservation, finalized the expert background study „Proposal of the ecological network Natura 2000“ in November 2012. In line with the Directives, selection and evaluation of proposed sites has been based on scientific data and criteria. On the reference list Croatia has 87 bird species (+53 migratory), 135 “other” species and 72 habitat types. In the period between 2006 and 2012 field research focused on data collection for target species and habitat types and information needed for SDFs was conducted. For this purposes SINP has engaged a long list of scientific institutions, NGO’s, experts and scientists. Through the process of technical adaptations of Directives Croatia proposed inclusion of some species and habitat types specific to Croatian and Dinaric karst.
SINP’s Natura 2000 proposal is available at http://www.dzzp.hr /dokument i_upload/20121202/
dzzp201212022227340.pdf. The interactive map of proposed Natura 2000 sites is available at http://natura2000.dzzp.hr/natura/.
For more information please contact State Institute for Nature Protection at [email protected].
17. Increase of nature protected areas in KosovoOn 13 December 2012 the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo adopted two new laws paving the way for the creation of the Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park and the extension of the already existing Mali Sharr National Park. The future Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park - with a surface area of more than 600 square kilometres - lies in the western part of the Republic of Kosovo at the border triangle with Montenegro and Albania. The surface
area of the Mali Sharr National Park was increased from 390 to 530 square kilometres now including large portions of the Dragash municipality in the southernmost part of Kosovo at the borders with Macedonia and Albania. Both national parks enfold mountainous terrain mainly composed of a mosaic of deciduous and coniferous forests and alpine pastures. With these two laws entering into force, the percentage of natural protected areas will increase from 4.39% to 11.02%, which is one of the goals of the Strategy and Action Plan for Biodiversity 2011- 2020.
The approval of the two laws constitutes a major boost for the struggle for survival of the last remaining Balkan lynx population as potentially suitable habitats in Kosovo will be under legal protection on a large scale. The Balkan Lynx Recovery Programme funded by the MAVA foundation strives for the establishment of a network of protected areas and closing gaps in the potential distribution range of the Balkan lynx.
For further information please contact Ismail Hetemaj at [email protected]. The legislative text can be downloaded here: http://assembly-kosova.org/?cid=2,122. For further information on the Balkan Lynx Recovery Programme please contact Thies Geertz, EuroNatur at [email protected].
Map of potential Natura 2000 network. Legend: green poligones and points – pSCI, striped poligones – SPA.
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18. “Landscape in harmony” project successfully implemented
End of 2012 brought the closing conference of the “Landscape in harmony” project, held in Őriszentpéter, Hungary and organised by Őrség National Park Directorate and Goričko Nature Park Public Institute from Slovenia. The project partners successfully worked to enhance the sustainable use of habitats along the Slovenian-Hungarian border. Experts from both countries presented the results of habitat and day butterflies mapping. On the Hungarian side there were 101 butterfly species recorded in Őrség, while in Goričko there were 99. Slovenian botanists have reported a loss of 30 % of total surface area of all nature imported
meadows in Goričko since the last survey in 2003, which is a result of intensification and negligence. The mapping results are published in the three lingual atlas of butterflies and in the guides on habitats, butterflies and plants that cover all three Natura 2000 sites. One of project results is an establishment of a small cheese factory, to help the local farmers which unfortunately aren`t many, to turn milk into dairy products. Apart from this, mowing machinery was purchased for each of all three Natura 2000 sites.
For more information, please contact Gregor Domanjko, Goričko Nature Park at [email protected] or visit http://www.landscapeinharmony.webshark.ws/en/.
19. turning ideas to action“Building capacities for conservation action” project was closed during the "ENTRANCE" event in December 2012, hosted by the Institute for Nature Conservation of Vojvodina Province. Project participants - nature conservation organizations and institutions - presented nine fully developed project proposals elaborated during the project training programme, the main result of past year’s capacity building efforts. Overall conclusion of the meeting was that the capacities of the organizations and institutions are growing constantly and with more effective use of the funds
available all the elements for good quality nature protection actions are present. The project proposals elaborated during the capacity building programme are needs-driven and not following specific donor’s agenda. As the participants pointed out, currently there are no substantial donors funding conservation projects in Serbia and Montenegro, most of the funding comes from the EU (IPA Cross-border cooperation). Funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade, the project “Building capacities for conservation action” already showed excellent results. IUCN will continue to support the capacity development of nature conservation organizations in order to secure effective uptake of available funds.
For more information please contact Veronika Ferdinandova, IUCN SEE at [email protected].
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20. Empowering Marine Protected Areas in CroatiaFollowing four years of implementation (2009 – 2012) by Association Sunce and WWF Mediterranean, MedPAN South Pilot Project in Croatia – „Strenghtening of the Marine Protected Areas Network in Croatia“ has come to an end. In the course of the Project three management plans were delivered through extensive consultation process with stakeholders (for Brijuni, Telascica and Lastovo Islands MPAs). Management capacity was increased for all five Croatian MPAs through local, national and international workshops and study visits and eleven studies that
aimed at exploring the state of natural resources and understanding socio – economic relations of MPAs were conducted. For the first time, monitoring of fish stock and Posidonia meadows was established, and a systemic mapping of marine habitats was delivered. Last but not the least, in the framework of the project, all Croatian MPAs became members of MedPAN and AdriaPAN networks.
This is a first project of this scale implemented within the nature conservation sector in Croatia in direct partnership between civil society organizations and government institutions. A short project video can be seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM-wvxu2n1o.
For more information please contact Mosor Prvan, Association for Nature, Environment and Sustainable Development Sunce at [email protected].
21. Good news: no wind farm in Natura 2000In December 2012 the environmental assessment for the Volovja reber wind farm in Slovenia was nullified for the fourth time, now by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment. Plans to erect 33 wind turbines on Volovja reber (VR) ridge in Natura 2000 area and in planned Sneznik Regional Park have been active since 2003. Volovja reber is a home to many species from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (www.volovjareber.si/predstavitev). A Coalition of more than 30 NGOs managed to stop the plan realization, and showcase how the civil society can protect nature
against unsustainable politics. Nature, especially in SEE countries is becoming an economical issue.
Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) come from island Cres colony (Croatia), cross Volovja reber where they get enough warm air over grassy slopes to fly up to the Alps. Wind turbines suppose a serious threat to big birds (www.epaw.org/multimedia.php?lang=en&article=b2). Other species threatened by wind turbines are bats, given that the under-pressure at the wings of turbines damages their lungs. Our generation does not need the industrialization of natural areas and it is especially important to save nature intact for our children.
For more information please contact Tomaz Ogrin, Environment Protection Alliance at [email protected].
22. New initiative for Sharr/Šar Planina-KorabIn December 2012 EuroNatur launched a trilateral initiative to advance the development of a transboundary protected area (TBPA) in the Sharr/Šar Planina-Korab mountain chain - located at the border zone between Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo. The initiative is lead in partnership with Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA), the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) and the NGO FINCH (Kosovo).
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The process was kicked off already in 2010 by the elaboration of a feasibility study on such a TBPA by the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative. This initiative aims at complementing the ENVSEC study on community level. Fostering co-operation across borders for the conservation of biodiversity, creating incentives for the sustainable use of natural resources and a sound development of rural tourism are central elements of the project. This will be achieved through a series of workshops where local stakeholders from all three countries would develop the outlines of a future
protected area. The launching of three community-based pilot projects for the sustainable use of natural resources underpins the participatory approach. The first workshop will be held in Korab-Koritnik Nature Park in Albania in March 2013. A TBPA Sharr/Šar Planina-Korab as outlined in the feasibility study by ENVSEC would become the largest protected area in South-Eastern Europe.
This project is part of the International Climate Initiative (ICI). The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.
For more information please contact Thies Geertz, EuroNatur at [email protected].
23. Natural Networks for Places and People Plantlife and its European partners (Stichting Floron in the Netherlands, the Botanical Garden of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Macedonian Ecological Society, the Association of Botanical Gardens of Romania) started an exciting new initiative in 2012 to promote the conservation of Important Plant Areas. The project strategy is to work with volunteers to connect plants and people.
In just one year in 5 countries, partners have formed 13 networks of volunteers, undertaken 40 events and engaged 1,700 people in the protection of Important Plant Areas (IPAs) and their natural resources. The volunteers conserved traditional apple orchards in the UK, saved the sundew and improved the access to the bath of Krivoshiska River in Macedonia, formed the next generation of plant monitors in Romania, saved wetlands biodiversity by providing energy and setting up information panels in Bulgaria, and re-discovered threatened plant species in the Netherlands. By involving local authorities, school children and young people, the project aims to raise awareness of IPAs and highlights the importance of using European nature policy to influence their conservation. As plant conservation ambassadors, the network of partners and the public engaged in the actions has made a real difference on the ground and will ensure this work to continue in the future.
Natural Networks of Places and People project is financed by the EU “Europe for Citizens” programme, the Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust, the John Ellerman Foundation, Balkani Wildlife Society in Bulgaria and Apa Nova in Romania.
For more information please contact Jeremy Huet, Plantlife at [email protected].
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24. Small grant implementation lessons learnedThrough an integrated approach, the Balkan Lynx Recovery Programme Phase II/Small Grants Programme addressed some of the major environmental and nature conservation problems in the Shebenik-Jabllanicë National Park. Preservation and Protection of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA) and its partners strived to identify and put in place practices that would reduce the rate of nature degradation and biodiversity loss in this area. One of the main conclusions of their endeavor was that the involvement of stakeholders and the civil society in the natural resources management and generation of alternative funding sources is of high importance.
Other lessons learned would be that:• NGO capacity building is crucial, given that NGOs with proper capacity can make a change in
nature conservation and livelihood improvement for the local communities. • communities living close to the protected areas have a huge influence and responsibility for
the forest exploitation, given that they can contribute both to the degradation and protection of resources.
• stakeholders demonstrated a strong willingness to form networking platform in order to join forces and coordinate the actions.
• education and public awareness actions should be supported continuously and whenever possible.
• commune based networks build strong partnerships around the joint issues the stakeholders face in the area.
For more information please contact Spase Shumka, PPNEA at Spase Shumka [email protected] and Mirjan Topi, PPNEA at [email protected].
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1. When conservation and borders coincideA new publication by IUCN shows how transboundary conservation action in South-East Europe’s Dinaric Arc helps protect the region’s rich biodiversity and introduces an innovative tool which helps develop cross-border partnerships. The new book, Initiating effective transboundary conservation: A practitioner’s guideline based on the experience from the Dinaric Arc, highlights examples of cooperation across borders in the Dinaric Arc area – a region in South-Eastern Europe stretching from Trieste, Italy to Tirana, Albania and covering large areas of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. It shows how this approach to conserving nature has advanced the region’s unity in terms of conservation and sustainable development, while strengthening regional partnerships. The new diagnostic tool presented in the book is an innovative way of assessing feasibility of transboundary conservation and can be applied to various
ecosystems and geographical regions worldwide. Its key advantage is that it can be completed by anyone interested in initiating transboundary cooperation, not only conservation experts.
Publication can be accessed here https://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/initiating_effective_transboundary_conservation.pdf.
2. Green Book of Indigenous Breeds of CroatiaState Institute for Nature Protection, in cooperation with Croatian Agricultural Agency, has published the Green Book of Indigenous Breeds of Croatia. This publication presents the current status of indigenous breeds as well as the status of their natural habitats. All 33 officially recognized Croatian indigenous breeds of domesticated animals are presented in the Green Book, as well as 32 extinct or data deficient breeds. Various themes are elaborated, such as domestication, distribution and the indigenous status, traditional livestock breeding and the use of domesticated animals, the
influence of indigenous breeds on the environment, landscape, habitats and biodiversity.
The book was compiled by a number of renowned scientists and experts with a goal to raise awareness on the role and value of Croatian indigenous animal genetic resources, important for landscape, habitats and biodiversity conservation. At the same time, it describes the threats the indigenous breeds are exposed to. The Green Book of Indigenous Breeds of Croatia can be ordered here http://www.dzzp.hr/publikacije/crvene-knjige/zelena-knjiga-izvornih-pasmina-hrvatske-1170.html.
For more information please contact Andreja Ribarić, State Institute for Nature Protection at [email protected].
3. Advance Albania Newsletter outWhat can protected areas do for people and nature? IUCN's project in Albania is working towards developing effective management plans to protect and conserve Albania’s beautiful nature while improving human well-being. Read about the latest project achievements in the new issue of the newsletter.
http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=c5259cf7e7cec92720f168f68&id=a28eae5930&e=
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Issue 32 · Winter 2012/2013
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4. tB eNEWSThe 5th issue of TB eNEWS, an electronic bulletin prepared by IUCN WCPA Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group, can be downloaded from the website www.tbpa.net or accessed here http://www.tbpa.net/newsletters/65_TBeNEWS-no6_FINAL_16-11-2012.pdf.
5. Newsletter of the South East European Forum on Climate Change Adaptation
The latest issue of the Newsletter brings reviews of the recent news related to climate change from the region. Discover what the advocacy strategies of national networks in Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia have in store. Read about the impressions of network coordinators
about their work up until now, as well as their plans for the future. It presents the results of the case study, and a review of the regional video contest. As always, it includes the latest publication and funding possibilities in our area.
Access the newsletter here
http://www.seeclimateforum.org/upload/document/newsletter_see_forum_on_cca_6_.pdf
6. Spiritual Values of Protected Areas in Europe Although many people agree that spiritual values are of major importance in Protected Areas, and even though most visitors show special interest in them, spiritual values are often neglected when it comes to the identification, assessment and their integration into Protected Area (PA) planning and management. A workshop, took place in November 2011 at the International Academy for Nature Conservation on the Isle of Vilm, Germany, addressed these issues and developed recommendations for PA managers. The workshop was organized by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation and the Delos Initiative. The recently published
proceedings provide a comprehensive compilation of the results of the international workshop on spiritual values on protected areas in Europe. Participants from many European countries presented not only a wide range of case studies on the diversity of spiritual values within protected areas but tried to provide some guiding principles on how to best incorporate spiritual values into protected area management and management planning.
Proceedings can be accessed here http://www.bfn.de/fileadmin/MDB/documents/service/Skript322.pdf.
For more information please contact Ralf Grunewald, BfN at [email protected].
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FUNDING oPPoRtUNItIES
1. Mura River walkA guided walk along the Mura River starts on 2 February at 9 a.m. in Laafeld, Bad Radkersburg, Austria in order to celebrate the World Wetlands Day 2013. The walk sends a clear message: Mura River should remain free of dams for power stations as a part of a future International UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Mura- Drava-Danube.
For more information please contact Gregor Domanjko, Tabrih and Goričko Nature Park at [email protected].
1. terra Viva Grants DirectoryThis global database provides information about international grant funding for agriculture, energy, environment, and natural resources in the developing world. They focus on grant makers (donors) serving the developing world. The website is mostly used by people searching for financial support of their work as individuals or as organizations. Grant makers included in the Terra Viva Grants Directory range from funders of community projects to funders of science and research. For more information please visit: www.terravivagrants.org.
tRAININGS & SEMINARS
Guidelines for contributing to the IUCN SEE e-Bulletin
IUCN welcomes articles in which you report on the activities related to transboundary cooperation in protected areas and biodiversity conservation. Please inform the public on the status of your projects and actions, as well as events that you attended. You are welcome to announce new meetings and workshops, briefly report on new publications and announce funding opportunities. Please send a photo to accompany your article if appropriate and indicate your email and/or weblink for further reference.
The articles should be 150-250 words in length. Please note this as the interest to distribute news articles through the bulletin is extremely high and we are trying to secure space for all of you to contribute. The editors reserve the right to shorten and modify the text if necessary. Thank you for taking these guidelines into consideration!
IUCN SEE e-Bulletin contains third party articles. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN and the responsibility for the content of the published articles remains with the authors. Whilst IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe has used reasonable endeavors to ensure that the information provided in the e-Bulletin is accurate, it reserves the right to make corrections and does not warrant that its content is accurate or complete. IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe accepts no liability for any errors, misprints or omissions herein (whether negligent or otherwise).The designation of geographical entities in this bulletin, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the definition of its frontiers or boundaries.
For the purpose of this publication, the name Kosovo is used to refer to the territory under the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, established in 1999 by UN Secretary Council Resolution 1244 and the name Macedonia is used to refer to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
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Edited and published by: IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe
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IUCN’s European region covers the European continent, Russia and Central Asia, and includes the European Union overseas entities. Representing one third of the global membership, this is IUCN’s largest programmatic region. Four offices in Switzerland, Belgium, Georgia and Serbia coordinate action in the region. Together we strive to meet our goals for a sustainable future by using the expertise and the strength of the global IUCN network.www.iucn.org/europe
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