EU Large Carnivore Platform Seventh Regional Workshop Report Budva, 6 November 2018
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EU Large Carnivore Platform Seventh Regional Workshop Report Budva, 6 November 2018 Report of the Seventh Regional Workshop of the EU Platform on Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores Budva, 6 November 2018 This report was drafted for the Platform members with the assistance of adelphi consult GmbH and Callisto, as part of the services provided to DG Environment of the European Commission for Service Contract No. 07.0202/2017/768359/SER/ENV.D.3. It does not necessarily reflect the official view of the European Commission. Visit the Platform at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/species/carnivores/coexistence_platform.htm Contents Introduction 3 Background 3 Aim of the workshop 4 Workshop format 4 Workshop attendance 4 Workshop presentations 5 Introduction and workshop aims 5 Introduction to the ‘EU Platform on Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores’ 5 Overview from the neighbouring countries 8 Need for population level management of large carnivores in the region 11 Examples of transboundary / regional cooperation and initiatives from the region and other EU countries 11 Break out groups discuss the potential for establishing a Dinara-Pindos-Balkan regional large carnivore platform and workshop statement 13 Conclusions and next steps 14 Workshop statement 14 Next steps 15 Annex 1. Agenda 17 Annex 2. Participants list 20 Annex 3. Break out groups results 22 GROUP 1: What are the topics a platform in the Dinara-Pindos-Balkan region needs to address? 23 GROUP 2: Which are the most important challenges that the platform will face?24 GROUP 3: Taking the EU Large Carnivore Platform as a role model: what should a platform in the Dinara-Pindos-Balkan region look like? 27 ALL: Views on establishing a platform 28 Annex 3. Pictures 29 Introduction The EU Platform on Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores organises regional workshops twice a year in areas where there are ongoing conflicts regarding people and large carnivores. The seventh regional workshop, entitled Coexistence between people and large carnivores: transboundary cooperation and preparing the ground for a platform in the Dinara-Pindos-Balkan region, was organised by the Platform members WWF (represented by WWF Adria) and IUCN-LCIE in partnership with EuroNatur, Parks Dinarides – network of protected areas of Dinarides and the Center for Protection and Research of Birds in Montenegro. The workshop took place between 10:00-16:30, 6 November, the day before the 4th Conference of Parks Dinarides 7-8 November 2018. Background In the Dinara-Pindos-Balkan region, the traditional cultural landscapes and large wilderness areas have been preserved on a scale unmatched by many countries of the European Union (EU). Thanks to its specific geographical position on the dividing line between several biogeographic regions and its characteristic ecological, climatic and geomorphologic conditions, the Western Balkans are one of the richest European regions in terms of biodiversity, including three large carnivore (LC) species – brown bear, wolf and lynx. The prospect of EU membership is currently a key political driver in the region. Strong economic growth and progressive integration of the countries in the region into the EU are the goal for many, to bring the stability, security, and prosperity that the people of the region are hoping for. However, this process will only be successful if it preserves and enhances the environmental and social capital rather than sacrificing it. For environmental managers, transposing of EU environmental law will be a challenge including expanding the Natura 2000 network, important for meeting the biodiversity policy goals of the EU. Current status of large carnivore populations The Dinara-Pindos brown bear population is shared by nine countries and the Dinara-Balkan wolf population by ten. According to the current state of knowledge both populations are stable, while the population status of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) including the critically endangered subspecies Balkan lynx (Lynx lynx balcanicus) is very fragile. LC populations are shared among EU and non-EU member states. Cross-border cooperation has received little attention on the European level despite the threats and uneven legal protection and conservation status, and problems encountered due to conflict with humans. Conservation management challenges The awareness of EU guidelines for population level conservation and management in the Dinara-Pindos-Balkan region is very low as well as the capacity and competences to follow the guidelines. Until now, there is no common platform to agree a joint approach to managing LC in the area. At the same time, threats to their conservation status, e.g. large scale infrastructure projects, are increasing. Some of the counties in the region do not have properly regulated LC conservation and management strategies, including monitoring programs. The legal framework is not aligned with EU and international standards, management plans do not exist or are not implemented. While relevant international conventions (Bern Convention and CITES) have been signed by most of the countries, they are not implemented. For those countries considering EU accession, the state for establishment of Natura 2000 sites and implementing the Habitats Directive are behind schedule. 3 Conflict between different interest groups Cohabitation between people and large carnivores has a long history in the region and people have developed ways to minimise LC damages and so minimise conflict. On the one hand, this tradition should be preserved and maintained, and even used as a showcase for a number of west European countries. On the other hand, inevitable lifestyle changes such as urbanisation, changes in farming practices or tourism lead in some cases to new or increased conflict. It is important to involve a range of stakeholders (such as farmers, hunters, touristic developers, space planners) in the discussions from an early stage to avoid the many mistakes of early conservation management in EU countries. Aim of the workshop The workshop had the following aims: To introduce participants to the concept and work of the EU LC Platform as a potential blueprint for a Dinaric LC platform; To start a process of establishing / reinforcing transnational communication and networks working on LCs in the Dinarides To share information on the current national status of the LC species in each country; To identify threats and needs with regard to the establishment of a population based management of the three LC species in the region; To assess interest in and if possible establish a common vision for the purpose and tasks of a future Dinaric LC platform; To set up an initial group of contacts / mailing list of interested parties. Workshop format The first half of the workshop focused on short inputs to share information on the following topics: Role of the EU Platform; National status and management of LC; Existing regional platforms in the EU and existing transboundary cooperation in the Dinaric region. This was followed by break-out groups which looked at different aspects of what a regional platform could cover. Following the break-out groups, a workshop statement was drafted and the content discussed and agreed in the plenary. See Annex 1 for the full agenda. Workshop attendance The workshop was attended by the Platform members ELO, WWF, FACE, the Finnish Reindeer Herders Association and IUCN-LCIE. From the region, the participants were mainly managing authorities, park authorities, nature conservation NGOs, scientists and fewer hunting representatives. See Annex 2 for a list of participants. 4 Workshop presentations Introduction and workshop aims Introduction and workshop aims, Andrea Štefan (the World Wide Fund for Nature – WWF) & Annette Spangenberg (EuroNatur) The workshop aims to address the challenges of managing large carnivores across ten countries where there is currently little existing common dialogue on species management. Transboundary management involving many stakeholders and authorities is urgently needed. On the EU level transboundary management is recognised as necessary (see the guidelines on population management) and this is also recognised by many stakeholders. The aim for the workshop is therefore to bring together those dealing with large carnivores in the region so that they can exchange information and learn from one another about the current state of knowledge in the different countries. Additionally, the workshop aims to introduce the concept of the EU Platform to learn about how this works and it could potentially be of use in the region. It is also a chance to network, in the breaks and more interactive session of the workshop. The main outcome desired is a common vision for the purpose of a regional platform. However, the organisers are very well aware, that establishing a platform in the Dinara-Pindos-Balkan region requires a lot more effort, both on national and international level. Thus, this meeting is a first step, also taken into consideration that not all those needed to establish such a platform are present in this initial scoping meeting. Introduction to the ‘EU Platform on Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores’ Session chaired by Luis Suarez, WWF Spain Introduction to the EU Platform, Luis Suarez, WWF Spain It’s important to look at the Platform name. “People” comes before “large carnivores”. The Platform is considering people first and the interactions between people which lead to conflict. The EU framework for managing LC includes regulations – the Habitats Directive and means to implement it. These means include the Action Plan for Nature, People and the Economy, guidance and learning support to member states and also the EU Platform and the regional platforms supported by the EU. The work to establish the Platform started in 2012. Because it is a complicated area, a large number of stakeholders were involved: eight different organisations representing stakeholder groups finally signed the agreement in 2014. The farmers’ organisation, COPA-COGECA, however, decided to leave the Platform in 2015. Now sever organisations are involved and their work is supported by the European Commission.