Upon initiative from the Croatian Agency for Environment and Nature (HAOP), BIOM (Croatian nature conservation NGO) is actively working on the preparation of a National Action for the Griffon Vulture. As a first step toward preparation of this plan was the organization of the first stakeholders workshop, that took a place on the Monday 28 May in Rijeka, organized by BIOM and HAOP. The objective of this meeting was to gather all relevant stakeholders from Croatia (organisation related to vulture conservation, vulture threats and governmental institutions), to inform them about the status of the species in Croatia, but also actively involve them into the Action Planning process.
Most of the invited institutions attended: representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Energetics, Environmental Inspectorate, Croatian agency for environment and nature, Ministry of Agriculture-Directorate for forestry and hunting, Veterinary Institute, – Birds of Prey Conservation Society, regional authorities, etc. Total of about 50 participants attended the workshop.
VCF is formally involved in this process, at this workshop presented the Vulture MsAP and supported the working session of the meeting. Our roll in this process is to reflect what was highlighted as priority to vultures into the Vulture MsAP and also to secure the implemententation of the Vulture through the new National Plan for the Griffon Vulture in Croatia. Collaborating and facilitating this process is actually implementing a specific action from the Vulture MsAP Acton Framework.
After the information and educational morning presentations given by BIOM and VCF a working session followed, where all participants were divided to threat related working groups (poisoning, electrocution and collision, disturbance, food availability/shortage and other threats). As members of the groups were representing diverse institutions, each group had opportunity to talk and share their opining to the different subject/threat. Were intensive process that but extremely useful in collection of first ideas and insides about the Griffon Vulture threats in Croatia.
It is important to note that significant conservation efforts in Croatia related to vultures have been made in the past by national NGOs. Thanks to that effort Croatia is holding one of most important griffon vulture population in the Balkan Peninsula, counting about 100 breeding pairs.
