IUCN South-Eastern European e-Bulletin

Issue 11 • December 2006

Editorial

Dear Readers,

As the year 2006 draws to a close, we are pleased to present the 11th issue of the IUCN South-Eastern European e-Bulletin.

Intending to keep you informed about all that is going on in the region, we wish you much pleasure in reading the news and proceedings of many projects and activities that take place - some of the topics that were mentioned before were followed up, in order to provide you with new information. Many activities and projects were newly implemented in the region in these last months, and we are happy to say, that the motivation for working in the field of nature conservation is as high as ever.

The news and events cover a broad variety of themes and topics. Many thanks to all of you who have contributed with articles and pictures. The guidelines for submitting articles for the IUCN SEE e-bulletin can be found on the last page of this issue.

In the name of the whole team, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year 2007!

With warm regards,

Katharina and AleksandraIUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe

Programme Office for South Eastern Europe

IUCN SEE – New Staff

On December 1st 2006, L‘ubomira Vavrová joined IUCN SEE team by replacing Maja Zitkovic as the new Project Manager. She holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation.

Previously, for almost 5 years, she worked as a zoologist in the State Nature Con-servancy of the Slovak Republic in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. Zoology, books and sports are part of her hobbies.

We welcome L‘ubomira in the IUCN SEE team!

IUCN Membership

The 66th Council Meeting, which was held in Gland, IUCN Headquarters on 6-8 November 2006, admitted 27 new members. Therefore the membership stands at a total of 1,043 members from 147 countries spread across IUCN’s 8 statutory regions, with: 83 states, 110 government agencies, 736 national NGOs, 82 international NGOs and 32 affiliates.

Members that have been admitted during the pe-riod 2005-2006 have stated knowledge sharing (41%), networking (39%) and influence (11%) as their main reasons for joining IUCN.

L‘ubomira Vavrová is the new IUCN focal point for Membership issues in South Eastern Euro-pe. You may contact her for more information on Lubomira.Vavrova@iucn.org.

On the world wide web you will also find the IUCN Members Portal with regularly updated information http://www.iucn.org/members/por-tal.htm or contact Ursula Hiltbrunner, Mem-bership Relations and IUCN Governance on ursula.hiltbrunner@iucn.org.

Content

NEWS 1 Nature Reserve Ezerani, Heaven for the Birds 2 Feeding Ground for Vultures Is Ready in Central Balkan National Park 3 Ratification of Carpathian Convention 4 Countdown 2010: Development of Eco Villages Network 5 1001 Ponds – Stories of Life 6 Rats exterminated in important colony of Eleonora’s falcon 7 Successful first translocation of Brown Bear 8 Carnivore Research is Progressing 9 New International Masters Programme 10 Pelister Mountain Conservation Project - a natural resource management initiative funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), has been completed at the end of 2006 11 Saving the river Dobra12 Designing the peninsula13 New Green Belt Website14 Papuk Nature Park 15 Lastovo Archipelago – 11th Nature Park in Croatia16 Seizure of killed birds on the Croatian Border17 Ten years of Donauauen National Park celebrated with guests from all central Danubian countries18 Call for Student Applications19 Stara planina20 Albania and Greece cooperate for Lake Micro Prespa

EVENTS21 Balkans Peace Park Meeting 22 European Members Meeting in Barcelona23 9th regular meeting for the Transboundary Prespa Park in Albania 24 SGF project workshop25 Conservation Efforts In Turkey Gaining Momentum26 Wise Management of Middle Danube Floodplains27 National Workshop on National Red Data Books in Turkey: Current Status and Future Action 28 9th European Day of Parks in Europe’s protected areas

FUNDING29 Cross Border Cooperation Croatia

PUBLICATIONS30 Integrated River Basin Management31 Endangered Species and Habitat Types in the Slovenian Sea

1 Nature Reserve Ezerani, Heaven for the Birds

Macedonia: On 28th of July 1996, the law for the first strict nature reserve „Ezerani“ located on the northern shore of Prespa Lake, between the villages Sir Han and Asamati, was published in the Off. Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia, nr. 37/96.

The total area of the reserve is 2.137 hectares. Within this area there are 105 species of aquatic birds, such as White pelican (Pelecanus crispus), Dal-matian pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus), Pygmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmeus), Ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) and other relevant rare species which can be found and seen everyday. In 1997, the government of the Re-public of Macedonia transferred the task of protecting of the Ornithologi-cal Reserve Ezerani to the Bird Study and Protection Society of Macedonia (BSPSM).

BSPSM, with the help of the Environmental Fund of Macedonia, USAID and the British embassy, made an effort to reconstruct and equip the first in-formation center for a protected area in Macedonia, which is in the village Asamati, on the same border with the reserve. This information center now gives all kind of information to visitors of the reserve, and additionally it ser-ves as a place where domestic and international explorers can stay, as well as a biological research center. Members of BSPSM organise seminars there every year for sustainable agriculture - and the building is frequently visited by student groups from the region and from abroad. In the past few years, with the support of the Norway embassy, BSPSM upgraded the infrastructure of the reserve by installling infrastructure, such as entrance gates, a bird watching tower and road-signs, and by improving the road network through the reserve. For more information, please contact Prof. Dr. Sci. Bran-ko Micevski, brankom@ukim.edu.mk

2 Feeding Ground for Vultures Is Ready in Central Balkan National Park

Bulgaria: The feeding ground encircled by electric fence is made according to the instructions of the veterinary service - and therefore limits access to the food set out for vultures in this place for bears, wolves and foxes. The localities selection was based on an analysis on the causes of extinction of this species in the territory and an assessment of the potential regions suitable for reintroduction. The surveys were made by specialists from the Committee on Reintroduction as part of an action plan for reintroducing and protecting vultures on the Balkan Peninsula. The plan was developed by leading European nature conservation organisations and it combined the ac-tivities for protecting the highly threatened four vulture species in the Balkans - bearded, griffon, Egyptian and monk. The constructed facility is part of a joint project between the park’s directorate and the Birds of Prey Protection Society for the reintroduction of griffon vulture as a nesting species in the area of Central Balkan National Park. The project was supported by the National Trust Eco-Fund and implements the Agree-ment Memorandum signed between the Ministry of Environment and Waters and the Consortium of NGOs for conservation of vultures in Europe.

While being heavily populated with griffon vultures in the past, the park nowadays still offers preserved habitats, large areas and sound protection. There are reports about the appearance of single ranging griffon vultures, but the main reason for their short sojourn in the park is the lack of enough suitable food resources. By developing a ground designated for artificial feeding, it is expected that wild griffon vultures will be attracted permanently, and that this will increase the chances for con-stituting a nesting colony in the park. The next step of the project will then be the building of an aviary in the region and the delivery of birds for artificial breeding. More information will be available from Diana Terzieva from the Central Balkan National Park Directorate, did@centralbalkan.bg, and on www.centralbalkannationalpark.org.

News

3 Ratification of Carpathian Convention

Romania: It is a great pleasure to inform you, on behalf of the Romanian Focal Point of the Carpathian Conventi-on, that the ratification Law (389/19.10.2006) of the Carpathian Convention has been published in the Official Journal (No.879/27.10.2006) of Romania.

For more information please contact UNEP Vienna ISCC, Nikoleta Tvrda (Ms.), Team Assistant at the United Nations Envi-ronment Programme, e-mail: nikoleta.tvrda@unvienna.org or visit the website www.carpathianconvention.org.

4 Countdown 2010: Development of Eco Villages Network

Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro: Financed by the Austrian Development Co-operation (ADC), the Project „Countdown 2010: Development of Eco Villages Network in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Mon-tenegro“ is focusing on the principles of in-tegrated conservation of biodiversity and its natural resources in order to achieve sustainable economic development of village communities. It is planned to carry out investigations on the territory of villages regarding their potentials and needs focusing on ecotourism, organic agriculture, gathering of forest fruits, herbs and mushrooms, preservation and development of old handicrafts and traditions as well as branding of local products and their placement to the market in the country and abroad.

After more than a decade of crisis in the region, this is the first time that non governmental organizations from Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are starting a cooperation in the field of conservation and sustainable development upon their own initiative. By responding to many challenges and problems of unsustainable development practices the region is facing, the NGOs wish to use this project and the exchange of information and experiences in order to stop negative popu-lation and economical trends and to find possibilities for the survival of villages and for the enhancing the quality of life in these communities.

The Centre for Cultural and Information Development „Most“ from Žabljak will be implementing the project activities for Mon-tenegro in the Durmitor region starting from the village of Podgora, and then spreading to the communities of Tepca, Duzi and Crkvicko polje. It is planned to work on the process of creating and spreading the Eco Villages Network in Montenegro. The project partner for B&H is the NGO „Request“ from Tuzla, which is active on a state level, with the main goals of nature conservation, promotion of cultural and historical values and principles of sustainable development. The project will be imp-lemented in Vranica mountain, at the Prokoško Jezero Lake, which is being threatened by extreme pressure on the mountain ecosystems, illegal development, exploitation of berries and a growing number of visitors. Serbia is being represented by the NGO Centre for Development of Democracy and Youth „Sunčani vrhovi“, and the project activities will be carried out within the borders of Kopaonik National park, in four villages belonging to the municipality of Brus.

In cooperation with its partners, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) will be implementing this project within the framework of its strategy for South East Europe „Conservation Without Frontiers“ and the goals of the European Programme „Count-down 2010 – Halt the Loss of Biodiversity“. The project is financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), accor-ding to its main goals of environment conservation and poverty reduction. The activities are being monitored by ADAgency units in Sarajevo, Podgorica and Belgrade, and the implementation period is planned from October 2006 until September 2008, after which the project will be handed over to the villages for the sake of continuous implementation of the develop-ment programme on their own and ensurance of the sustainability of this project.

For more information, please contact Munever Salihovi, munever@request.ba, Sinisa Stevovic, hitss@cg.yu, Milan Radulovic, milancer2003@yahoo.co.nz, or Joerg Lohmann, Joerg.Lohmann@iucn.org.

5 1001 Ponds – 1001 Stories of Life

Slovenia: On karstic terrain, all rainwater flows underground, and the lack of surface water in the coastal region of Slovenia has in the past led to the creation of a dense network of water containers called ponds. These were used to guarantee water supply to households as drinking water, for washing, watering the animals, for irrigation and for the production of ice. Today, as waterworks have been built and animal husbandry is in decline, the ponds – ranging from a few to tens of metres in diameter – are gradually losing their initial importance and are being abandoned. Ponds, however, are proving to be increasingly important for the environment, since in these dry areas they are the only habitat for several plants and animals that need still waters for their survival.

In order to preserve these networks of ponds, the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation started carrying out a project entitled “1001 Ponds - 1001 Stories of Life” together with its Italian partners within the cross-border cooperation programme In-terreg IIIA Slovenia - Italy in 2005. The project‘s priorities comprise the census of the existing ponds and life forms therein, education – mainly of children – on the importance of ponds and the renovation of abandoned ponds with the aim of re-establishing the ecological network.

We have organised training courses for teachers and pond guardians, so that they are now able to care for the ponds in their respective areas. We are organising various workshops to introduce the life in the ponds to the children and we are trying to stimulate their reflection on the importance of ponds by organising writing, drawing and photographic competiti-ons. We are helping the local population to rebuild their ponds and, consequently, to regain confidence in the environmen-tal institutions. You will find further details on the project on the website www.zrsvn.si/1001kal.

7 Successful first translocation of Brown Bear

Serbia: One individual of Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) was captured on Sunday, October 29th 2006 within the National Park “Tara”, at the locality Gorušica on the feeding place for bears. A two-year-old male named Djura was caught into an Aldrich foot snare and within hoursit was transported to the mountain Južni Kučaj in Eastern Serbia. This is the first Brown Bear translocated from NP “Tara” within the project “Increase in viabi-lity and population recovery of Brown Bear Ursus arctos in northeastern Serbia”.

The project was initiated, enabled and supported by the Directorate for Environment Conservation (Ministry of Science and Environment Conservation of Republic of Ser-bia), Directorate for Forests (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Industry of Republic of Serbia), Public Enterprise „Srbijašume“ and National Park “Tara“.

The immediate realization of the project by the Biology Faculty (University in Belgrade) included bringing together expert participants and forming the Serbian bear translo-cation team.

The capture was done according to plan and did not hurt the animal in any way. Af-ter the trapping, Djura the bear was anesthetized with a sedating gun, followed by a detailed checkout of physical condition and health and measuring of morphological characters. Djura weighed 103 kg, and could be said to be in a particularly fine phy-sical condition.

The bear was transported in a specially made metal cage. At 4:40pm Djura was re-leased at the locality Valkaluci-Nekudovo, which is managed by the PE “Srbijašume”, where four new feeding places for bears and other animals were established within this project.

Milan Paunovič, MSc., senior curator of the Natural History Museum, Biological Dept., milan.paunovic@nhmbeo.org.yu or milannhmbeo@yahoo.com.

6 Rats exterminated in important colony of Eleonora’s falcon

Greece: As part of the Eleonora’s LIFE project, the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS - BirdLife in Greece) and the RSPB are trialling some pilot management measures in Eleonora’s falcon and audouin’s gull breeding colonies to enhance breeding habitat quality and species breeding out-put. One of the main factors affecting breeding output in these species is rat predation on eggs and nestlings (up to 30% of egg and nestling losses in some colonies).

After carrying out an assessment of the rat predation problem and the feasibility of the implementation of an effective rodent extermination pro-ject, HOS and the RSPB decided to trial out a rat control experiment (the first ever in Greece) on the Lagofytonisia islands (15ha), comprising three small islands Kasidhis, Lachanou and Polemika (see map below), located in the protected area of the National Marine Park of Alonnisos, Northern Sporades. The islands had a good population of brown rat, but are rarely visited by people, as there is no landing-pier. The distance to the next bigger island is 500m.

The trial used 150kg of Brodifacoum-based BRODIRAC. Reptiles and invertebrates are not susceptible to this slow-acting anticoagulant rodenticide. Due to its action, rats generally die in their borrows, therefore not posing risk of poisoning to rap-tors and scavengers that might feed on live rats or their corpses. Poisoned rats pose no danger to aerial feeding Eleonora’s falcons, and no victims of primary or secondary poisoning have been observed among the other bird species.

Poison was disposed by hand in March 2005, before the arrival of the falcons from their winter quarters, while a number of bait stations were established throughout the island for monitoring the presence of the rodents. Rats were still present in the first two weeks of monitoring following the poisoning campaign, but then no more evidence of their occurrence was found. Today, 18 months later, there is still no evidence of any rat presence on the island, so the trial eradication attempt was decla-red successful, and the islets declared rat-free.

The immediate conservation gains are tremendous – the islets breeding population of shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), yellow-legged gull (Larus cachinnans) and Eleonora’s falcon did not suffer any egg or nestling losses due to rat predation. A second rat eradication trial is now underway in Kastronisia off the northern coast of Skiathos in the Northern Sporades, an islet which hosts a considerable colony (48 pairs) of Eleonora’s Falcon. A comprehensive site identification analysis for further rat eradi-cation trails covering the whole Aeagean is being prepared. This will cover both the feasibility and conservation gains of such an action across the thousands of Greeks islets and islands in the Aegean, and will result in a prioritized list for further rat control action. This project also resulted in a considerable transfer of know-how on rat eradication to other Greek partners, as detailed guidance material on rat eradication methods and operations was prepared. For information please contact Jose Tavares, RSPB country programmes officer for Turkey, Greece and Portugal, on jose.tavares@rspb.org.uk.

Mladjan Zivanovic

Mladjan Zivanovic

Branko Karapandza

8 Carnivore Research is Progressing

Turkey: Historically, there has been very limited infor-mation on carnivores of Turkey. The first scientific field study on carnivores was the one conducted by IUCN Species Survival Commission Wolf, Cat and Hyaena Specialist Groups member Ozgun Emre Can in 2000 on grey wolves. Since then there has been a growing research interest on carnivores of Turkey. A group of graduate students of biology and foresters are now conducting camera trapping surveys in selected areas of Turkey to gather data on the ecology of carnivores and their prey.

Camera trapping surveys lead by Ozgun Emre Can have so far focused on wolf, brown bear, wild cat and their prey species in selected sites distributed in North West and North East parts of Turkey. Surveys not only reveal the status of carnivores in selected areas but also provide a training opportunity for biologists and foresters. For more information, contact Ozgun Emre Can at emre.can@bozayi.org.

9 New International Masters Programme

Sarajevo, Belgrade: The Forest policy and economics education and research project (FOPER), coordinated by the Euro-pean Forest Institute (EFI), aims at strengthening the capacity of modern forest policy and economics education, training and research in the Western Balkans region. FOPER will work towards a permanent training program in the region, consisting of both an international MSc, a course on forest policy and economics, as well as continuous training for professionals already working on these issues. In addition to this, FOPER will support science-policy interface in forestry.

In the context of the EFI project on FOPER, a new International Master’s Programme has been launched. The teaching will start in March 2007 in the Faculty of Forestry, University of Sarajevo and will later continue in Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade.

The future vision of the FOPER Professional Training programme, through the Re-search Forest Institutes, is that each country in the region – in addition to professio-nal training in other forestry fields - establishes a sustainable basis and institutional structure for continuous adult education in the field of forest policy and economics. This should serve entities of public administration that deal with forest related issu-es, as well as employers and professionals in the forest sector. This process should create measurable impacts to work performance of the trained persons with increa-sed skills and knowledge. The conservation of biodiversity and amenity values, e.g. will be one of the topic in FOPER program.More information can be found on www.efi.fi/projects/foper.

10 Pelister Mountain Conservation Project completed

Macedonia: Throughout the three-year project, a pioneer approach has been promoted to address natural resource ma-nagement in the Pelister region (Southwest Macedonia). The major project outputs include participatory development of a management plan for Pelister National Park, the first of its kind in Macedonia, and a strategy for sustainable management of a commercial model species (Rosa canina) as basis for further participatory resource assessments.

In parallel, improved practices for sustainable use of non timber forest products and development of ecotourism have been supported through trainings and small grants for the communities. A regional label for Pelister products has been set up, while a new organisation, established to manage the label, aims at enhancing collaboration between different stakeholders.

From 2007 onwards, the implementation of the management plan will be supported by SDC, while the new regional organisa-tion will continue to develop local initiatives. Natura Nova – a new consulting company established by the Project team that builds on the experience accumulated in the frame of the project – will provide its technical advice with the support of Pro Natura – Friends of the Earth Switzerland. The project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. For more information plese contact Marija Spirovska, Pelister Mountain Conservation Project, marija.spirovska@pmcp.org.mk.

11 Saving the river Dobra

Croatia: The river Dobra is considered to be one of the most beautiful rivers in Croatia. It springs in Gorski kotar and after 35 km submerges underground. Nine kilometers further it reappears as the Lower Dobra. This part of river is famous for its numerous rapids and waterfalls which make it the best whitewater rafting location in Croatia. Also it is one of the few habitats of many endangered species, such as the Danube salmon (Hucho hucho) and endemic fish soufie (Leuciscus souffia). A lot of birds that nest by the river and mammals like otter (Lutra lutra) are included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened species.Unfortunately, the Dobra is now threatened by a hydropower plant! The constructioan of this power plant will raise the water level and flood the whole canyon of the Lower Dobra, which will surely deteriorate the ecosystem of the river. In spite of the fact that the EIA for this project was made 20 year ago, construction has already started. This construction is contradicting the Bern convention, the Habitats and Birds directives and the Convention on Biological Diversity. The NGO Green Action has contacted competent authorities for mentioned conventions, European Parliament and Community, organised meetings and excursions with the media and is hoping to get help from you as well! For more information please contact: Tamara Kirin or Irma Popovic, Green Action, irma@zelena-akcija.hr, www.zelena-akcija.hr.

12 Designing the peninsula

Montenegro: This project creates a vision for the future environmen-tally and culturally healthy evolution of the Luštica peninsula, a very potent and unique site along the Adriatic coast in Montenegro.

While acknowledging the contemporary and increasingly important need for ecological incentives in designing, planning and management of our environments, the work utilizes a holistic ecosystems approach as a methodological tool to ravel the site’s inherent organizational and operational complexities. Imagined and embodied in a Natural and Cultural Heritage Park, the development vision is fundamentally driven by the idea of the immortality and destiny of a place, often referred to as the sense of a place.

The focus of the project is embedded in the search, discovery and eventual safeguarding and enhancement of Luštica’s genius loci, thereby ensuring its ecological and economical sustainability, and the overall health of its reconciled natural and cultural communities. By proposing a resolution for existing problems and fostering intrinsic potentials of the site, the thesis offers a new paradigm for developing our environments wherein the spirit of a place plays a quintessential role in defi ning their very identity and meaning. For more information please contact Sasa Cvetkovic, University of Waterloo, B.E.S. M.Arch., scvetkov@uwaterloo.ca.

13 New Green Belt Website

Funded by BfN and established in cooperation with UNITgraphics in Novi Sad, the pages are now open for public. The idea of a website that would represent a network of all partners and projects involved with the Green Belt was taken up by the graphic designer in a very structured arrangement.

The project with its vision and key information is set out neatly in the basic pages that are now accessible. An opening page leads straight to the description of the initiative, the route of the Green Belt, the structure of the organisation and the Programme of Work. Links and addresses are to be found in a database. Addi-tionally, all issues of the newsletter can be downloaded from an archive.

The heart of the website will be the pages that describe the regions, the sites and the projects implemented along the Green Belt from Finland down to Turkey and Greece. These pages now stand at disposal for all

of you to inform and present your organisations, your projects and important Green Belt sites.

Please contact Katharina Diehl at the IUCN Green Belt offi ce in Hun-gary for any information you might need on katharina.diehl@iucn.org or visit the website on www.europeangreenbelt.org.

14 Papuk Nature Park

Croatia: With the fi nancial help of the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Cro-atia, Papuk Nature Park and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic Croatia carried out the project “Guidelines for birds’ friendly management of forest in the Papuk Nature Park”.

Nature Park Papuk spreads over 33 600 ha of forests and covers the Papuk and Krndija Mountains in north-eastern part of Croatia. The biological diver-sity - especially in forests birds - is particularly affected by intensive timber harvesting and the disappearance of old forests with its large amount of dead wood. Never the less, Papuk Nature Park area still supports nationally important populations of forest birds such as honey buzzard, stock dove, grey-headed woodpecker, black woodpecker and white-collared fl ycatcher. The most important bird areas in Papuk NP are old beech forests with characteristics of primeval natural forest and old beech and fi r forests that are isolated breeding area of several mountain bird species in Croatia.

On December 4th 2006 the round table was organized and it was concluded that for the conservation of birds and the forest biodiversity, larger areas of old forests should be excluded from the management, and also that a larger amount of dead wood should exist in all economically important, managed forest. Protection of forest biodiversity is possible through permanent cooperation of Croatian Forests Ltd, a company for forest and woodland management, and Papuk Nature Park, bearing in mind the need for protection of rare and endangered species and sustainable use of forest resources. All project results are published in the project booklet. For more information please contact Mrs. Vlatka Dumbovic, Papuk Nature Park, kontakt@pp-papuk.hr; www.pp-papuk.hr.

Zrinka Jakl

15 Lastovo Archipelago – 11th Nature Park in Croatia

Croatia: According to the Protected Natural Values Register of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia a total of 444 parts of nature are pro-tected under 8 categories. At the moment there is no area protected under the category of a regional park. Protected areas of Croatia cover 532,063.35 hectares, i.e. 6.07 per cent of the total area of Croatia or 9.40 per cent of the mainland area of Croatia.

Certain areas of outstanding value for the biological and landscape diversity of the Republic of Croatia enjoy international legal protection. The Plitvice Lakes National Park has been included in the UNESCO World Natural Heri-tage List. The Ramsar List of the Convention on Wetlands contains Kopački rit and Lonjsko polje Nature Parks as wetland habitats of international impor-tance, the Crna mlaka fishponds as a special ornithological reserve and the Lower Neretva. The Velebit Mountain belongs to the UNESCO world network of biosphere reserves.

On the 29th of September 2006, the Croatian Parliament voted out a new marine protected area in the Republic of Croatia – the Nature park “Lastovo archipelago”. The archipelago is the 11th Nature Park in the Republic of Croatia. Total area is 195,83 km2, 52,71 km2 are islands and 143,12 km2 is marine area. The Nature Park icludes 44 islands, cliffs and reefs. The biggest islands in this area are Lastovo and Sušac.

The area is one of the most preserved marine areas in the Adriatic. Therefore, due to high preservation characteristics, it is of national and international importance, with a pronounced landscape, educational, cultural, historical and touristic values, together with biological and landscape biodiversity, including sea and sea bottom.

The Government of the Republic of Croatia will constitute a public institution within 6 months, that will take care on the management of the Nature Park “Lastovo Archipelago”.

For more information, please contact Marina Mlakar, PhD, Department for Marine and Environmental Research in Zagreb at the Rudjer Boskovic Institute, mlakar@irb.hr.

In 2003, WWF and SUNCE declared this area as on of the priority areas for the conservation of the Mediterranean biodiversity. Intensive advocacy activities over last few years and collaboration on all levels insured local support necessary for the initia-tion of political process of the declaration of protected area. The park has been established due to its values, such as diverse landscape, rich marine biodiversity, rare and endemic plant and animal species, rich Holm oak forests but also archeological findings and rich cultural heritage.

Before the declaration of “Lastovo archipelago” protected sea surface of the Republic of Croatia without this protected area counted for only 0.07% of sea territory. This new protected sight will significantly contribute to the conservation of the Adriatic and in general Mediterranean biodiversity. The next challenge for the park is to develop management scheme that will allow efficient conservation and economic development of local community.

For additional information please contact Zrinka Jakl, Association for Nature, Environment and Sustainable Development SUNCE, Croatia, info@sunce-st.org or visit the website on www.sunce-st.org.

As an additional information on Lastovo, we were provided with an abstract on migrating Honeybuzzards on Lastovo (pu-blished as: Lastovo - a new bottleneck site for the migratory Honey Buzzards Pernis apivorus? In: Acrocephalus 22 (108): 163 – 165, 2001):

Between August 22nd 2001 and September 3rd 2001, 221 migrating Ho-ney Buzzards were observed on the island of Lastovo, Croatia. This relatively large number of birds at the beginning of the autumn mig-ration indicates a migration route from the coast of Dalmatia to Italy. Lastovo is an ideal stepping stone for raptors crossing the Adriatic Sea and should be protected as proposed by the Croatian Programme for Physical Planning. Further studies are needed to clarify the importance of this flyway.

Since the first alarming reports in the 1970s on the magnitude of annual bird killing in the Mediterranean countries, a lot of attention has been paid to several hotspots. The identification of bottleneck sites was important to estimate the impacts and to provide measures for their protection. For Croatia, information on migrating raptors is still poor, and only little is known about the impact of hunting on migrants. The preservation of the stop-over sites along the 5,780 km long Croatian coastline is an important goal of the country’s environmental policy. With its 415 m high mountain “Hum”, Las-tovo is an ideal site for the raptors to gain height before covering some 100 km long distance across the sea to Italy. Further information on the number and phenology of migrating birds on Lastovo would be important to clarify the importance of the island. For more information, please contact Martin Schneider-Jacoby, Martin.Schneider-Jacoby@euronatur.org.

General map of raptor migration in the Mediterranean (BIJLSMA 1987). The circleindicates the new migration corridor between the Dalmatian coast via Lastovo to Italy.

16 Seizure of killed birds on the Croatian Border

Croatia: On December 6th 2006, customs officers at Karasovici border crossing near Dubrovnik on the state border between Croatia and Montenegro found 856 specimens of killed birds hidden in the car of an Italian citizen. The birds were packed in 30 plastic bags and weighed 27,5 kg. Nature Protection Inspection, with the help of experts from the Ornithological Institute of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, determined that the birds belong to four species: Carduelis car-duelis (Goldfinch), Anthus pratensis (Meadow Pipit), Gallinago gallinago (Common Snipe) and Motacilla alba (Pied Wagtail) - all strictly protected according to the Nature Protection Act in Croatia. The determination of species was successfully and promptly done, based only on the pictures the customs officer took and sent by e-mail to the Inspection.

The birds were seized and the offender was held under custody. It was determined that he was planning to carry the birds, that were apparently killed in Albania across Montenegro and Croatia into Italy. He was fined 2700 € for breaking custom law, 2000 € for smuggling protected bird species and 540 € for carrying undeclared hunting ammunition. After court ruling the offender was set free, but his passport was retained until he pays the fine.

This case is just the most recent out of many seizures this year of live or killed animals being smuggled mostly by foreign hunters in or from Croatia. It is a good example of successful cooperation amongst all governmental institutions working together on preventing illegal transboundary transport of protected species. For more information, contact Ms Zrinka Domazetovic, Ministry of Culture, Nature Pro-tection Directorate, zrinka.domazetovic@min-kulture.hr, www.min-kulture.hr.

17 Ten years of Donauauen National Park celebrated with guests from all central Danubian countries

Austria: The Danube Floodplain (Donauauen) National Park was established in 1996 along the only free-flowing stretch of this river in Austria, spanning Vienna and Bratislava, following the strong protests against a planned hydro power station and dam at Hainburg, which threatened to completely destroy all habitats of critical importance at the national and international level. Since then this national park comprising functional alluvial ecosystems has become regional leader in wetland conservation.

The celebration of the 10th anniversary of this national park took place in the small picturesque village Orth an der Donau, where the headquarters of the national park is situated. The park director Carl Manzano welcomed all guests, especially the ones coming from the countries along the middle Danube and representing pro-tected areas: Croatia (Kopacki Rit nature Park), Serbia (Gornje Podunavlje Special Nature Reserve), Hungary (Danube-Drava National Park) and Slovakia.

The full-day celebration took place in the medieval castle in Orth. Each guest-country presented its traditional food, handworks, traditio-nal music and a presentation of one protected area. Serbian participants came from Gornje Podunavlje Reserve (handworks from Backi Monostor and traditional food from Backi Breg) and Koviljsko-Petrovaradinski Rit (Brankovo Kolo tamburica orchestra). More information at www.donauauen.at, Marko Tucakov mtucakov@eunet.yu and Sonja Badjura vilinsonja@gmail.com.

18 Call for Student Applications

Erasmus Programme: We would like to draw your attention to two Erasmus Mundus MSc programmes that may be of in-terest to students at your own institution or at institutions within your professional network. Both programmes are two-year integrated Masters Courses in Forestry but with a different profile:

SUFONAMA (Sustainable Forest and Nature Management): The overall objective is to qualify graduates to deal with the chal-lenges of modern natural resources management in Europe and other temperate regions, that is, sustainable management of forests and nature areas in an integrated landscape context.

SUTROFOR (Sustainable Tropical Forestry): The overall objective is to qualify graduates to deal with the challenges in contemporary tropical forestry, that is, sustainable tropical forestry management is becoming increasingly complex due to improved knowledge and a growing demand for products and services.

Full descriptions of the two Erasmus Mundus MSc programmes, inclusive of application procedure and forms, are found on: www.sufonama.net and www.sutrofor.net. There are fifty scholarships available: each of EUR 42,000 (EUR 21,000 annually for two years). Application deadline for non-EU students is 1 February 2007, for EU students 17 August 2007. Dr. Carsten Smith Olsen and Dr. Niels Strange, Director of SUTROFOR and Director of SUFONAMAThe Royal Veterinary and Agricultural UniversityDanish Centre for Forest, Landscape and PlanningRolighedsvej 23, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark

19 Stara planina

Serbia: Within the framework of the project ”Raising Awareness about Biodi-versity and Sustainable Community Development in the Stara Planina Area” several activities were carried out in November.

The Institute for Conservation of Serbia organised a workshop as part of an “Eco Edu” education programme for teachers with the aim to introduce them to the latest achievements in nature conservation. The programme also aims to instruct them in methods and skills to present these findings to school chil-dren in a way that would encourage them to become active participants in the overall conservation effort.

Another training in community-based participatory planning in protected areas, was held in Gamzigradska Banja. The training was carried out by experts from Quebec-Labrador Foundation/Atlantic Center for the Environment and it was designed for teams of participants representing each of the four principle Serbian communities in the Stara planina region, as well as for one team from the Stara planina region of Bulgaria. Participants were particularly positive about the participatory format of the workshop, the team-based exercises and the dialogue and discussion.

Children and youths were given a chance to participate in a competition “How do I see Mt. Stara planina” (through my camera or my drawing) with awards given to best photos and drawings. The aim of this event was to motivate children to establish a close relation with nature and its heritage. The best photos and drawings are being published as postcards of the Mt. Stara Planina.

At the same time, the first experimental planting of gentian (Gentiana lutea) seedlings in the Stara Planina region was carried out. The seedlings of this en-dangered medicinal species were produced by the Sinisa Stankovic Research Institute. The aim of the project is to protect and conserve gentian in the Na-ture Park, and to enable the revitalisation of its original population.

This project is being implemented by IUCN - the World Conservation Union in cooperation with the Regional Environmental Center (REC), funded by the Norwegian government (NORAD). For more information, please contact Duska Dimovic, duska@natureprotection.org.yu.

20 Albania and Greece cooperate for Lake Micro Prespa

Greece/Albania: The first joint scientific and technical study concerning Lake Micro Prespa (shared between Albania and Greece) and river Devolli (Albania) was recently completed. The study focused on the interaction between the two water systems, which were artificially connected in the mid ‘70s, so that water from the lake could be used for irrigation purposes in Albania.

The project was vital, since water integrated management on a river basin level forms one of the main objectives of the transboundary Prespa Park (Albania, Greece, FYR of Macedonia). Findings showed that the diversion has adversely affected the ecology of the southern end of Micro Prespa in Albania. If it con-tinues to operate, the consequences could be catastrophic for the sensitive ornithofauna of this lake of international importance.

Meetings between expert scientists and the competent water authorities in the two countries revealed a common under-standing of the problem and a joint will for environmentally acceptable alternative solutions. The explicit decision of the Albanian Administration not to use the Lake as a storage reservoir in the future is also very encouraging. The adoption of a sustainable development model for the area, which will determine future water needs and integrate environmental concerns into all sectors, and also will enable the inhabitants to benefit from wise water management, seems to be the only right solu-tion on a long-term basis.

The project was carried out by the Greek NGO Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) and the Albanian NGO Protection and Preservation of the Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA), with co-funding by the Hellenic Aid Agency (Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and WWF-Greece. For more information please contact Mrs. Daphne Mantziou, SPP, d.mantziou@wwf.gr, and Mr. Spase Shumka, PPNEA, sprespa@yahoo.co.uk.

21 Balkans Peace Park Meeting

Plav, Montenegro, 14 October 2006: BPPP UK Committee Chair Antonia Young and her assistant Abbey Radis most recently attended a Balkans Peace Park Coalition Meeting, which took place in Plav, Montenegro, on the 14th of October. This was a preparatory meeting for their upcoming 15th of November Regional Conference in Prishtina, Kosova: Balkans Peace Park: Strategic Cooperation between Civil Society, Local Authorities and International Institutions.

Thus, the aim of the meeting in Plav was to organise and share the tasks and responsibilities among the NGOs for this regional BPP conference. The very successful and productive meeting was organized by the ERA Group, a BPP Coalition Kosovar Partner NGO, and included 21 attendees, with fairly equal attendance from all three regions.

The BPP Coalition member NGOs present at the meeting were “Triton” (MN), “ERA Group” (KS), BPPP UK Committee, “Hajla” (MN), HRID (MN), Alpet Shqiptare (Kos-UNMIK), Environmental Center “Valbona” (AL), Information Center for BPP (AL), Aquila (Kos-UNMIK), and New Community (AL).

Please see the website www.balkanspeacepark.org for more information or contact: a.t.i.young@bradford.ac.uk.

Events

Fatos Lajci

22 European Members Meeting in Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain, 18-21 October 2006: Towards 2010 and beyond, a vision for European Nature, has taken place in Barcelona from 18-21 Octo-ber. More than 200 delegates from 37 national governments, the European Commission, five UN organizations, 88 NGOs, private companies, the IUCN Secretariat and Expert Commissions discussed the next IUCN Programme 2009-2012. They had the opportunity to share their experiences and ideas for a new vision for European Nature and to participate in a wide range of working groups and training sessions on fundraising, policy advocacy and media work.

Protected areas in Europe

The first day of the Members Meeting was dedicated to Protected Areas in Europe and aimed to act as a forum for the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Commission members to discuss topics such as the IUCN Global and European Programmes on Protected Areas, Natura 2000, IUCN Categories, World Heritage Plans for Europe and linking National Committees and WCPA.

Plenary Sessions

During the plenary sessions of the pan-European Members Meeting, Ladislav Miko, Director Nature Directorate European Com-mission, Aldo Cosentino, Director General for Nature Protection Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea and Protection of Italy, Mark Held, Secretary General European Outdoor Group, Bill Jackson, Director IUCN Global Programme, Graham Bennett, Director Syzygy, Andrew Terry, Scientific Advisor IUCN Regional Office for Europe, Patrick Worms, Aspect Public Relations, Sebastian Win-kler, Head Countdown 2010 and Tamás Marghescu, Director IUCN Regional Office for Europe, contributed by sharing their vision and experience on nature in Europe.

Working Groups

During the second day of the Meeting the participants were divided into a number of different working groups where they had the opportunity to discuss and share ideas and experiences on a number of different themes: a vision for nature in Europe beyond 2010, key elements of the IUCN European Programme 2009-2012, Europe at the World Conservation Congress 2008, new models for financing nature conservation and communication solutions for nature and biodiversity.

For more information please contact Chantal van Ham on Chantal.VanHam@iucn.org.

25 Conservation Efforts In Turkey Gaining Momentum

Ankara, Turkey, 30 November-1 December 2006: The Turkish GEF-2 Project Team held a meeting on the participatory planning process implement-ed in four demonstration sites representing different biogeographic zones of the country. The meeting took place in the headquarters of the Ministry of En-vironment and Forestry in Ankara. A guest speaker, the Director of the Central Balkan National Park, Bulgaria also attended the meeting and gave a speech on the Bulgarian planning experience.

The representatives of the project units located in the areas have given de-tailed information about the participatory planning process and presented draft management plans to the audience comprising mainly of the Ministry officials as targeted. The small grants programme, which has proved to be an effective tool in gaining support of the local people has been discussed in the meeting as well. The feedback given in the general discussion session has been largely positive.

The final management plans of the four areas are to be issued in the first months of next year and executed after approval by the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks. These plans would be the first participatory management plans and an exemplary model to build an effective Protected Area System in the country, that holds a remarkable biodiver-sity, including 75 percent of all plant species occurring in Europe and 3300 endemic species as well as being part of a major flyway for millions of migratory birds. For more informatin please contact akalin.orhan@gmail.com.

24 SGF project workshop

Bardaca Wetlands, Northern Bosnia & Herzegovina, 24-25 November 2006: In the framework of the Ramsar SGF project “restoration and rehabilita-tion of the Wetland Region Bardaca” a workshop was held on the 24th and 25th of November in the middle of the Bardaca area, where the Sava river forms the border between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Croatia. This is a mosaic of near natural Sava flood plain areas with diverse habitat structures and the swallow fish ponds which are covering about one quarter of the Bardaca core area. About 35 representatives from governmental, university and local institu-tions as well as NGOs and individual land-owners participated in the two days event.

The main target of the SGF project is the designation of the area as Ramsar site and to elaborate a draft management plan, including also the development of materials for education and public awareness work. The workshop was focussing on the first both aspects, while launching a booklet about Bardaca in Serbian and English language as well as a documentary video. Presentations and working group sessions led to future action points and a final site visit to gain a better understanding of landscape patterns, water regime and land-use-practices. More detailed information about the project can be found in English and Serbian language at http://www.bardacadzaba.com.

23 9th regular meeting for the Transboundary Prespa Park in Albania

Korcha, Albania, 20-21 November 2007: The Prespa Park Coordination Committee held its ninth regular meeting on the 20th and 21st November in Korcha, Albania. Apart from the committee members, various international stakeholders attended the meeting and were informed about the local and transboundary activities, which took place during 2006, aiming at the conser-vation and sustainable development of the Prespa Park basin.

One of the main discussions during the meeting focused on an analysis of the content and the organisational structure of the five-year transboundary proj-ect carried out under the title “Integrated ecosystem management in the Pre-spa Lakes basin of Albania, FYR-Macedonia and Greece”. The project will be funded by the GEF – Global Environment Facility and other international and national donors with a total budget of approx. $14 million, and its implementa-tion is expected to start at the beginning of 2007.

Furthermore, two important trilateral side workshops took place during the first day of the meeting. The first one concerned the water management of the Prespa region, and was carried out under participation of representatives of the water services of the three countries sharing the basin. The participants agreed on the necessity for the appointment of a trilateral technical working group on water issues as well as the establishment of a transboundary monitoring system for the waters of the basin. The second side meeting concerned the spatial planning in the Prespa basin and was realised with the participation of repre-sentatives of the relevant authorities of the three countries. The discussion involved the legal framework and the methodology of the spatial plans under preparation for the basin at the national level. The participants agreed to exchange the relevant terms of reference and to organize an expert meeting among the study teams to consider further coordination.

For more information please contact the Prespa Park Secretariat, at the Society for the Protection of Prespa, spp@line.gr.

28 9th European Day of Parks in Europe’s protected areas

EUROPARC, 24 May 2007: The EUROPARC Federation invites parks across Europe to take part in the 9th European Day of Parks on and around 24 May 2007. The theme is „Living Working Landscapes“ and the requirements for sustainable de-velopment in and around protected areas. Parks are invited to interpret the theme as they wish. Events and activities could be held on the themes related to people living and communities in protected areas, the economic benefits of protected areas for rural communities, as well as the environmental value of landscape conservation.

EUROPARC will further promote the pan-European focus of this initiative by providing a complete overview of events organised by EUROPARC members. We would therefore be very pleased if you could register your activities on the 2007 European Day of Parks calendar on www.europarc.org/in-ternational/data/edp.htm. This international initiative was launched to promote the aims and work of national parks, nature parks, biosphere reserves and Natura 2000 sites. In 2006, more than 350 events were organised by protected areas, government authorities and non-governmental organisa-tions in 18 European countries to mark the occasion on and around 24 May, a date chosen to com-memorate the designation of Europe‘s first nine national parks in Sweden on 24 May 1909.

For more information please visit the Europarc website on www.europarc.org or contact Sindy Bublitz, s.bublitz@europarc.org.

27 National Workshop on National Red Data Books in Turkey: Current Status and Future Action

Ankara, Turkey, 7-8 December: The IUCN Turkish National Committee organized a workshop to decide on the process of producing “National Red Data Books in Turkey” with the financial and technical support of IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation. The workshop, coordinated by TEMA Foundation in partnership with the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry, gathered around 100 participants. Experts from the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry, academics, NGO representatives and IUCN representatives gathered to present the current status of the national red data books, to discuss the process for finalizing, maintaining and updating red data books of Turkey.

Participants discussed on the topic of “how national red data books can assist in implementing national policies on nature conservation”. The workshop conclu-sion comprised the plan to establish working groups on taxonomic classes, and a steering committee to lead the process. Experts discussed on how to manage and update the data on red list species, and how existing biodiversity databases can be incorporated into this process. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry was pres-ent in all the discussions.

The workshop has significantly contributed for creating a consensus on the process and initiated the preparation of many national red lists in close future. More informa-tion on the meeting is available from Yesim Erkan, Workshop Coordinator, TEMA Foundation, yesime@tema.org.tr.

26 Wise Management of Middle Danube Floodplains

Sombor, Serbia, 7-8 December 2006: Within the WWF’s project of promot-ing ecotourism as a tool for improving nature management in Serbia, a man-agement planning workshop was held in Sombor on 7 and 8 December 2006. It was a successful attempt for a gathering of all key stakeholders in the area of the Serbian Gornje Podunavlje reserve - giving them an opportunity to learn and participate in the discussion on how to manage this area. Except Vojvo-dinasume PE, who manage the reserve, representatives of local councils, mu-nicipalities of Sombor and Apatin, activists of local NGOs, provincial and state conservation authorities, Volunteer’s Center of Vojvodina as well as managers of protected wetlands in Vojvodina participated in the discussion.

After presentations of WWF activities in Serbia, Dr. Christian Baumgartner (NP Donauauen, Austria) gave an extensive in-troduction in management planning process and presented the management plan of this Austrian National Park which is a strong leader in floodplain conservation in the region. Ivan Darko Grlica presented the problems in the Drava wetlands conservation, as well as in the recent efforts in habitat mapping and restoration. Duska Dimovic gave an overview of the biosphere reserve nomination process, having in mind that Gornje Podunavlje is included in plans for establishing a Dan-ube-Drava-Mura biosphere reserve. Biljana Panjnovic presented the reserve itself, after which a management planning was simulated. Participants spent the following day in Backi Monostor, a key village in the area.

The management planning requires a serious participatory process. Vojvodinasume was strongly encouraged to support all the stakeholders to be included in it actively. WWF will be the main catalyst in this important step. More information from Marko Tucakov, project coordinator mtucakov@eunet.yu.

Funding

29 Cross Border Cooperation Croatia

• Title of the Call: CARDS - PHARE - Business related infrastructure, Sup-port to civil society organisations and Cross-Border Co-operation in Croatia• Funds: CARDS PHARE• Areas: Tourism, SME Policy, Environment, Enlargement, Economy-Finances, Local development• Summary : 3 calls for proposals launched by the Ministry of Finance in Croatia for projects the fields of business related infrastructure, support to civil society organisations and cross-border co-operation• Deadlines for submission : 06 February 2006• Who can apply: Universities, Universities, Development NGOs, Federations, Unions, Research centres, Local and Regional authorities, Associations, Agencies, Chambers• Regions concerned: Croatia, EU Member States, Espace economic Euro- péen, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, The former Yugoslav Repu- blic of Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey

Call 1: Business-related infrastructure Grant Scheme• Modernisation/extension of infrastructure essential to business development (e.g. access roads to tourism sites, business incubators, industrial zones, etc)• Development of existing business incubators, business centres, industrial parks, etc.• Develop. of communal infrastructure related to tourism (water, wastewater, electricity, social and cultural centres, etc• Development of tourist infrastructure• Development of the infrastructural base for research, technology and innovation for business (including testing laborato ries, cluster-based R&D facilities and training institutions, etc.)• Development of multi-user Information and Communications Technology infrastructure• Training and technical assistance to maximise the effective use of the new infrastructure and ensure, where feasible, that the long-term sustainability is achieved

Documentshttp://cfcu.mfin.hr/tenderYYY/PHARE_2005.htm

Call 2: Cross-border cooperation• Promote economic and social development in the Croatian regions and foster greater cross-border cooperation with regi ons in B&H, Serbia, Montenegro• Enhance the capacity of local stakeholders to manage border region development in coop. with partners across the border• Increase business competitiveness in the cross-border area through establishment of cooperation with cross border part- ners and social inclusion of marginalised groups through implementation of tailor made actions for specific target groups: women, unemployed, refugees, minorities• Support sustainable joint management of natural resources and cultural heritage through projects which decrease the ne- gative impacts of human activity on environment, protect valuable natural and cultural heritage and foster cross-border areas cooperation in environmental protection and culture

Documentshttp://cfcu.mfin.hr/tenderYYY/CARDS_2004.htm

Call 3: Support to civil society organisations active in the field of environment protection and sust. development• Support civil society development by sustaining and reinforcing democratisation process in compliance with the Copenha- gen criteria and improve environmental protection in Croatia, according to EU principles and legislation• Support NGOs active in the field of environment in their contribution to the harmonisation of Croatian environmental legislation with the Acquis Communautaire, strengthening of its implementation, introducing of EU environmental standards, improvement of environmental monitoring, facilitating public participation process in the decision making and increasing public awareness• Develop and implement activities that contribute to solving environmental problems and/or improving environmental quality and/or contributing to environmental awareness• Develop partnership between civil and public sector and to increase public participation in environmental decision-making processes

Documentshttp://cfcu.mfin.hr/tenderYYY/CARDS_2004.htm

Contacting detailsMinistry of Finance - Republic of Croatia, Central Finance and Contract Unit (CFCU)Katanciceva 5, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia grants.cfcu@mfin.hr

Publications

30 Integrated River Basin Management

Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) is widely accepted as the most promising ap-proach to solve the global freshwater crisis. IRBM rests on the principle that naturally func-tioning river basin ecosystems, including accompanying wetland and groundwater systems, are the source of freshwater. Therefore, management of river basins must include maintaining ecosystem functioning as a paramount goal. To pursue this goal, IRBM brings together all river basins’ relevant parties that impact or benefit from the freshwater ecosystem to reach an agreement able to satisfy their needs as well as those of the freshwater ecosystem.

To promote a better understanding of the IRBM process within the Mediterranean context, WWF Mediterranean Programme (WWF MedPO) has published the handbook “Integrated Ri-ver Basin Management - Guidelines for the Mediterranean”. The handbook gives a snapshot of IRBM founding pillars and mechanisms, and the various ways in which it adapted to local conditions; a few case studies on river basins where the IRBM process is being implemented are described. An Annex on how to set up a short training course on IRBM and a CD-Rom with background material are also included. WWF MedPO´s wish for this publication is to contribute towards the vision of IRBM as standard practice in the conservation of freshwater in the Mediterranean.

For further information, please, contact Raffaele Mancini rmancini@atw-wwf.org.

31 Endangered Species and Habitat Types in the Slovenian Sea

The Institute of the Republic of Slovenia published the book »Endangered Species and Habitat Types in the Slovenian Sea« (authors: L. Lipej, R. Turk, T. Makovec). The release of the book is one result of the successful cooperation between the International Cooperation Office of the Principality of Monaco and the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation.

The book is a marine Red List for the Slovenian sea, differing from the »clas-sical« red lists only in the fact that apart from plant and animal species it includes the rare and endangered habitat types, with a thorough description of their status, assessment of their distribution and threats, and a survey of bibliographical sources.

The introductory part of the book is dedicated to the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic and finally the Slovenian sea. For the last, the authors state that it is very important in terms of biodiversity, in spite of its small size, shallowness and intensive urbanisation. The main part of the book is represented by the description of endangered species and habitat types. The authors based their work on the stand-points adopted in view of biodiversity conservation by the contracting parties to the Barcelona Convention. The lists have been given added value by the photographs and illustrations that clearly show the endangered species and habitats in our sea. The book ends with the legal framework concerning biodiversity conservation. A short overview is given on numerous international documents that are dealing with the protection of endangered species and habitat types and with sustainable use of resources. Special emphasis is given to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocol on Specially protected Areas and biological diversity in the Mediterranean.

According to the authors the book should be taken as an expedient in the planning of various activities in the sea and on the coast and should above all contribute to the preservation and improvement of the conditions in Slovenian waters and in the entire Gulf of Trieste, both from the aspect of biodiversity and sustainable use of resour-ces – for the present generation and generations to come.

For more information please contact Mag. Robert Turk, univ. dipl. biol. at the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation. email: robert.turk@zrsvn.si or website www.zrsvn.si

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 report on the status of your projects and actions, as well as events that you attended. You are welcome to announce new meetings and workshops and briefly report on new publications and announce funding opportunities.

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. Therefore, please be short. The editor keeps the right to shorten and modify the text if necessary.

Please send a photo to accompany your article if appropriate and indicate your email and/or web-link for further reference.

Thanks for taking these guidelines into consideration!

All contributions should be sent to Aleksandra Nesic, aleksandra.nesic@iucn.org.

ROfE‘s Structure

Regional Office for Europe (ROfE) is a branch of The World Conservation Union (IUCN) global network. We along with offices and commissions around the world link back to the President, Director General and Council of IUCN.

For a history of IUCN and an explanation of the global structure please visit www.iucn.org. ROfE is compri-sed of four IUCN offices located in Brussels, Warsaw, Belgrade and Moscow. The head officein Brussels, is a meeting point where the IUCN Programme Office for Central Europe in Warsaw, The IUCN Programme Office for the Commonwealth of Independent States in Mos-cow and the IUCN Programme Office for South-Eas-tern Europe in Belgrade can disseminate information and strategies. Together as ROfE we strive to meet our goals for a sustainable Europe by utilizing local experti-se and the strength of the global IUCN network.

ROfE in Belgrade

Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe

Dr. Ivana Ribara 9111070 BelgradeSerbia and MontenegroTel: +381 11 2272-411Fax: +381 11 2272-531Email: aleksandra.nesic@iucn.org Edited by Katharina DiehlEmail: katharina.diehl@iucn.org