PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Greece occurs in two major population nuclei, located approximately 200 km apart, in the north-western and north-eastern part of the country. This represents the southernmost edge of the species range at the European level, and thus is of outstanding bio-geographic importance. The total bear population in the sub-areas (targeted by the project) is estimated at approx. 250 individuals, representing circa 50% of the total brown bear population in the country. Both at national and project area scale, human-caused mortality rates (9% and 7.8%, respectively) are above the sustainable threshold of 4%. TheApennine brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) is an endemic subspecies of the Central Apennines whose range is estimated at circa 5 000 km2, surviving in a small remnant population estimated at around 50 individuals, whose future strongly depends on population increase and range expansion. Unsustainable mortality rates are the main threat, particularly human-caused mortality. Data collected in MNP confirm that problems to be addressed are human-related and concern two main issues: lack of awareness and availability of anthropogenic food for bears, leading to problematic behaviours (and in turn to negative attitudes toward bears).
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE ARCPROM projects aims to:
- Improve Ursus arctos conservation status in terms of population levels and trends by achieving sustainable human-bear co-existence status through minimisation of bear-human interference and subsequent conflicts detrimental to the species;
- Minimise the intrinsic risk associated with small populations for Apennine brown bear through actions in newly recolonised areas where an increasingly stable presence has been observed in the last years;
- Maintain human-caused mortality at a sustainable level: in Greece not exceeding 4% of the minimum estimated population in the project area; in MNP preventing human-caused mortality of bears living in the project area (4-5 bears/year representing circa 10% of the estimated population);
- Maintain the number of reproductive females at no less than 10-12% of the minimum estimated bear population in the targeted areas in Greece; in Italy maintain the number of reproductive events at no less than 1 event/2-3 years for females present in MNP;
- Improve the tolerance level of specific target groups regarding their coexistence with broen bear;
- Establish stakeholder consultation and involvement through the operation of Local Platforms on Coexistence between People and Bears in all four project areas;
- Adopt specific monitoring and management techniques dealing with the conservation of brown bear in the four National Parks;
- Build institutional capacity via acquisition of know-how by personnel of the four National Parks on specific monitoring and management techniques dealing with the conservation of brown bear;
- Efficiently operate self-sustainable units supporting on a long-term basis a certain category of preventive measures (i.e. anti-poison bait dogs, guarding dogs, bear emergency teams);
- Promote the added value from the presence of brown bear in project areas in local agricultural products and tourism services labelling;
- Strengthen transboundary cooperation in the project areas; and
- Promote the value of volunteerism to achieve nature conservation goals.
RESULTS
Expected results:
- Intervention of bear emergency teams and use of aversive conditioning devices in at least 15 cases/yr of human-bear conflicts over the project areas;
- Decreased conflict with habituated bears by 80%;
- Improved management of anthropogenic food-related resources in the areas where bears exhibited problematic behaviour in the Majella NP and surrounding areas, by the protection of 100% of human-produced food used by bears in the selected villages;
- Cooperation between Livestock Guard Dog (LGD) owners and livestock breeders (approx. 20 participants), and donation of high-quality LGDs (30 puppies & 4 adult dogs);
- 700 anti-poison first aid kits donated to livestock farmers operating in areas of high-risk for poisoning LGD and bears;Establishment of 4 Local Platforms for Coexistence between People and Bears (6 stakeholder groups will take part in each platform);
- Information and awareness level of specific target groups improved; Bear-friendly labelling for 10 products/services,. promotion in 30 events for tourists;
- Human-caused bear mortality maintained at <4%;
- Number of the yearly reproductive females no less than 10-12% of the minimum estimated bear population in the targeted areas in Greece;
- Number of reproductive events no less than 1 event/2-3 yrs for females present in MNP, Italy;
- Improvement of local attitudes towards bears in project areas; and Improvement of the capacity of the management bodies of National Parks as well as of other management actors dealing with coexistence between bears and people, both in the 4 project sub-areas and in at least three other parks.
