PannonEagle LIFE project Conservation of the by decreasing human-caused mortality in the Pannonian Region - LIFE15 NAT/HU/000902

LIFE PLUTO final conference Wildlife poisoning

24/11/2020 Márton Árvay MME – Birdlife Hungary

Basic information

Project duration: 2016.10.01-2022.03.31

Total budget: 3 583 577 € (75% EU contribution)

Coordinating beneficiary: BirdLife Hungary (MME)

Associated beneficiaries: Kiskunsági Nationa Park Directorate, Hungary Hortobágyi Nationa Park Directorate, Hungary Vychodoslovenská distribucná a.s (VSD), Slovakia Raptor Protection of Slovakia, Slovakia Czech Society for Ornithology (CSO) – Czech Republic Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic - Czech Republic BirdLife Österreich – Austria WWF Österreich - Austria Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia – Serbia Institute for Nature Conservation of Vojvodina Province - Serbia

Project objectives

The main objective of the project PannonEagle Life is to increase the population of the eastern imperial eagle in the Pannonian Region through significantly decreasing the non-natural mortality caused by persecution incidents.

• Decrease the direct adverse effects of persecution incidents on the Pannonian imperial eagle population

• Increase the chance of detecting illegal activities and imposing precedent judgments in the case of bird persecution incidents.

• Increase stakeholder awareness about the overestimated effect of raptor species on game populations and about alternative eagle-friendly game management methods.

• Increase public awareness about the conservational importance of imperial eagles and about the possible consequences of persecution incidents.

Project area Establishment of specialized dog-units in three countries

• altogether five units (2-SK, 1-CZ, 2-HU) with 6 search dogs were established or improved: Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, • field searches – according to the national protocol • 2019 successfull cooperation in a house search in Austria – with the Police of Austria WWF- Birdlife AT and MME: carbofuran was found at farmer’s barn – as a result, in 2020 the first conviction in Austria occured • according to §222 StGB to 6 months prison conditionally on probation of 3 years and a fine of 120 days (à 15 €; equals 1800€) for a 70y old gamekeeper Establish stakeholder network and best-practice protocols

National reporting surfaces

• Birdcrime App produced in Austria • Reporting hotlines • Cooperation with national laboratory

Regional bird crime database TOTEM https://totem.mme.hu/

• 498 cases from the Pannonian region (from 2016-2019) • 339 poisioning or suspected poisioning • 33 imperial eagle, 52 WTE • 229 police case Case studies - Végegyháza poisoining 2019.08.17

• whole family of imperial eagle was posioned. • not only carbofuran but also rodenticide was found in lethal doses in two of the carcasses. Severe poisoning wave in the springtime of 2020 2020 January- April 77 poisoned altogether

• 3 imperial eagles, 7 white-tailed eagles, 29 buzzards • Increasing trend around Rodenticide poisoning– legal substance but used illeagally

• rodenticide could be placed out in large quantities

• substance was found in more than 20 perished imperial eagle individuals in the last three years

Species found by MME’s Poison and Carcass Detection Dog unit (2013-2020) Helicon Life, PannonEagle Life Species Scientific name Hungary Austria Czechia Serbia Slovakia Altogether common buzzard Buteo buteo 115 7 122 Vulpes vulpes 50 2 4 56 marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus 28 28 eurasian magpie Pica pica 16 3 19 raven Corvus corax 12 1 13 domestic cat Felus catus 12 12 hooded crow Corvus corax 11 11 golden jackal Canis aureus 2 8 10 carrion crow Corcus frugilegus 9 9 eastern imperial eagle Aquila heliaca 8 8 european Lepus europeaus 7 7 white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla 2 3 5 european badger Meles meles 4 4 saker falcon Falco cherrug 4 4 domestic dog Canis familiaris 3 1 4 Accipiter gentilis 3 3 great egret Egretta alba 3 3 beech Martes foina 2 1 3 rough-legged buzzard Buteo lagopus 2 2 unidentified indet 1 1 Martes martes 1 1 eurasian jay Garrulus glandarius 1 1 grey heron Ardea cinerea 1 1 eurasian eagle- Bubo bubo 1 1 wild boar Sus scrofa 1 1 TOTAL 298 4 0 27 0 329 Deák et al in prep. Journal of Vertebrate Biology

Baits found by MME’s Poison and Carcass Detection Dog unit (2013-2020) Helicon Life, PannonEagle Life

SPECIES OR CHEMICAL SCIENTIFIC HUNGARY AUSTRIA CZECHIA SERBIA SLOVAKIA ALTOGETHER

Gallus gallus egg (bait) domesticus 37 37 Gallus gallus chicken (bait) domesticus 21 3 24

Anas platyrhynchos domestic duck domesticus 17 3 20

viscera (bait) indet. Mammalia. 11 7 18 Columba livia domestic pigeon (bait) domestica 13 13

carbofuran (pure pesticide) 1 2 3

pheasant (bait) Phasianus colchicus 2 2

phorate (pure pesticide) 2 2

roedeer (bait) Capreolus capreolus 2 2

domestic guineafowl (bait) Numida meleagris 1 1

unknown (bait) indet. 1 1 Sus scrofa domestic pig (bait) domesticus 1 1

european hare (bait) Lepus europeaus 1 1

TOTAL 108 1 3 11 2 125 Deák et al in prep. Journal of Vertebrate Biology

MME’s Poison and Carcass Detection Dog unit – poisoning events (2013-2020) Helicon Life, PannonEagle Life

35

30

25 11

20 1 4 12 4 1 15 7 5

8 10 20

16 15 0 12 5 11 11 6 7

0 2013 Aug-Dec 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Jan-Aug Poisoning events with PCDD unit Poisoning events without PCDD unit Mass poisoning (no PCDD unit)

Deák et al. in prep. Journal of Vertebrate Biology

Genetic tracking

• could also play important role at investigations • collaboration with the University of Veterinary Science

Establishing winter feeding places and artificial nests

• Operating five feeding stations in Slovakia and Hungary

• 100 artifical nest platforms are placed in four project countries.

Habitat management - restoration

• Construction of “Hare roads” – providing shelter for small game population

• Increase water availability and restoring natural water regime Monitoring of breeding success of the Eastern Imperial Eagle

• Monitoring of breeding success – color ringing chicks or using drone for difficult localities • 2020 - in Hungary 291 breeding pairs with 445 chicks Monitor mortality of immature imperial eagles by GPS tracking

• 20+ imperial eagle fledgelings were tagged in the project period

• rehabilitated birds also received loggers

Thank you for your attention!

https://imperialeagle.eu https://www.facebook.com/PannonEagleLIFE