PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Wildlife poisoning are one of the most urgent conservation issues that we currently face. Poisoning is having a devastating impact on populations of numerous threatened species and could lead to local and regional extinctions. The use of poison baits is one of the most widely used methods worldwide for eradication of predators and undesirable animals, such as feral dogs, cats and those identified as vermin. Poison is frequently used to kill animals considered to be harmful to certain human activities, such as game management for hunting and livestock farming. The Illegal use of poison is considered one of the most significant threats regarding illegal killing of birds of prey, especially vultures. Poison is the greatest threat to vultures in the Balkan Peninsula, and has contributed to the regional extinction and severe depletion of all the species in the region. The bearded and the cinereous vulture are now on the verge of regional extinction, while the number of Egyptian vultures has declined by more than 50% in the past 10 years (amounting to 70 breeding pairs). The population of griffon vulture has disappeared from many countries such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. Awareness of the severity of this problem is limited, not only among governmental institutions but also the general public. This partly explains why in several countries wildlife poisoning is a low priority for enforcement agencies and the judiciary system.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of the BalkanDetoxLife project is to improve the management of poisoning incidents in the target areas, leading to a significant reduction of mortality of vultures and other affected species from poisoning. The project will regularly engage governmental authorities to ensure that poisons are labelled as socially unacceptable.
Specifically, the project aims to:
Increase available information on the scope of the problem in the Balkan Peninsula;Secure the continued engagement of the relevant governmental authorities in the region against illegal wildlife poisoning by increasing their capacity and by formalising national anti-poisoning working groups;Reinforce the operational capacities and coordinative institutional action by adopting three standard operational protocols for investigation, forensic wildlife necropsy and toxicology; Strengthen institutional intervention efforts through the adoption of national road maps for each country; Increase the number of detected poisoning incidents by 40%, investigated poisoning incidents in the region by 20% with at least six successfully prosecuted cases within the project;Increase awareness of the key target audiences by introducing preventive measures as alternatives to poison to around 60-80 livestock breeders from the regions hotspots;Reduce wildlife poisoning incidents by 20% by the end of the project;Increase cooperation between governmental institutions through engagement within the national anti-poisoning working groups; andEnhance regional cooperation and exchange of knowledge and expertise between enforcement agents, wildlife forensic pathologists, toxicologists, lawyers and public prosecutors.
RESULTS
Expected results:
Published Study on the practice of illegal wildlife poisoning, its scope and severity and the substances most commonly used in the region; National anti-poisoning working groups in Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Albania, comprised of representatives of relevant institutions, enabling a coordinated approach to investigation and legal proceedings of poisoning incidents; Three standard operational protocols: investigation, forensic necropsy and toxicological analysis;Increased public awareness of the extent and nature of the problem and increased capacity for immediate and effective response to poisoning incidents by relevant governmental authorities by provided training around 20-30 enforcement agents, 20 veterinarians and toxicologists and up to 20 public prosecutors andjudges trained in the Balkans;Five national anti-poisoning road maps (for Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Albania), two of which officially adopted by the relevant governmental authorities; A 40% increase in the number of detected poisoning incidents, 20% of investigated poisoning incidents and at least six successfully presented cases to the court by the end of the project; National databases in Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Albania, containing all incidents of illegal poisoning; Public reports from Croatia, Greece, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Albania from the second year of the project, containing relevant information on all intentional and non-intentional poisoning cases; and Transfer of expertise on a regional and European level between relevant stakeholders.
