2
A vision for population management plans The goal of population management plans is to provide a coordinated framework for management of the individual carnivores that constitute a biologically meaningful population irrespective of how many administrative units (counties, federal states, countries) they cover. This coordinated framework aims to set some basic principles and general goals for the management of the population, while allowing for locally adapted solutions within the different parts that fall within the different administrative units. This approach is referred to as “freedom within frames”. It is based on the understanding that Europe is a diverse continent, both in terms of human culture and ecology. Therefore, there is no universal approach for large carnivore conservation that can Best practices – how to conserve carnivores work in all circumstances. Rather, the approach must be tailored to the local social and ecological conditions and the status of the large carnivore population. The guidelines which have been developed include detailed recommendations for both the process by which the population level management plan should be developed and on the content. Some of the most important issues that need to be addressed concern (1) ensuring that the connectivity within the population is enhanced or maintained, (2) ensuring the connectivity with other populations is also enhanced or maintained, (3) ensuring that total mortality levels are sustainable. Successful conservation of large carnivores in Europe requires a flexible and pragmatic approach. There are many different situations that can arise, however there are a number of issues that constantly occur in most populations. The first concerns depredation on domestic livestock. Depredation rates can be serious in situations where natural prey is scarce and where livestock are grazed in carnivore habitat without any form of protection. Depredation causes an economic loss for farmers and can create negative attitudes towards large carnivores. There are many methods that can be used to protect livestock from large carnivores. The most widely used today are modern electric fences and the traditional shepherd – livestock guarding dog system. If used correctly these methods can greatly reduce depredation, however, their introduction may require some restructuring of livestock husbandry. A second issue concerns competition with hunters for game. There are over 5 million hunters in Europe, and wild ungulates constitute a highly prized and valuable quarry for hunters. These species are also the natural prey of wolves and lynx. The impact that large carnivore depredation has on the availability of harvestable game for hunters can vary from the insignificant to the dramatic. In all cases, the presence of large carnivores requires that hunters re-evaluate their quotas to take predation into account. One of the most controversial aspects of management concerns hunting and lethal control of large carnivores. In practice, there is no reason why large carnivores cannot be harvested in the same way as other game species provided their populations are sufficiently large and well monitored. In fact, in many parts of Europe their acceptance by the rural public may depend on their being harvested. Even in areas where they are not hunted, lethal control may be needed in a range of circumstances. In all cases where large carnivore populations are subject to deliberate human-caused mortality there is a need to establish effective regulatory and monitoring systems. Carnivores and Natura 2000 The Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe (LCIE) Compared to many other threatened or endangered species large carnivores are very adaptable in their choice of habitats and are rather tolerant of human activities. They are able to exploit a wide range of habitats, including forests of many types, alpine tundra, shrublands, and in some cases even agricultural lands. Therefore, within Natura 2000 sites it is unlikely to be large carnivores that place the greatest demands on management or restrictions of human land-use. Maintaining forest cover and abundant wild ungulate prey is most important for wolves and lynx. For bears, it is important to ensure that suitable trees that provide mast are maintained, as well as secluded areas for den sites. In Natura 2000 sites where emphasis is placed on maintaining livestock grazing to conserve specific traditional landscapes there is a potential conflict between carnivores and livestock which will require the modification of livestock husbandry. Individually, Natura 2000 sites are likely to only embrace the home ranges of some individual large carnivores. However, when viewing the entire network, these sites have the potential to make a major contribution to large carnivore conservation, especially if attention is paid to the matrix in which they are embedded such that connectivity is maintained. The LCIE is a Working Group within the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the Word Conservation Union (IUCN). The LCIE functions as a focal point for a network of experts working on issues relevant for large carnivore conservation. The members of the LCIE include scientists from several disciplines, conservationists, and administrators. The LCIE works in three main areas: The LCIE works with all relevant interest groups, including scientists, NGOs, government agencies and pan-European bodies like the Council of Europe and the European Commission. Activities include developing good conservation practice guidelines and position statements, holding and facilitating workshops, providing expertise on demand, and helping transfer knowledge and experience between different parts of Europe. In summary, our goal is to provide a technical platform of scientific and experience based expertise that the whole conservation community can draw on to help conserve large carnivores in Europe. Information about the LCIE and Europe’s large carnivores can be found at: www.lcie.org 1. Coordination and networking between projects run by LCIE working group members and partners; 2. Some specific LCIE working projects and products; 3. Inspiration and guidance to the wider conservation community. LARGE CARNIVORES KNOW NO BOUNDARIES LARGE CARNIVORES KNOW NO BOUNDARIES The European populations of large carnivores at a glance The European populations of large carnivores at a glance

LARGE CARNIVORES KNOW NO BOUNDARIES KNOW …ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/species/carnivores/... · recommendations for both the process by which the population level

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A v

isio

n f

or

po

pu

lati

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pra

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ide

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inta

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pre

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esp

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Info

rma

tio

n a

bo

ut

the

LC

IE a

nd

Eu

rop

e’s

la

rge

ca

rniv

ore

s c

an

be

fo

un

d a

t:

ww

w.l

cie

.org

1.

Co

ord

ina

tio

n a

nd

ne

two

rkin

g b

etw

ee

n

pro

jec

ts r

un

by

LC

IE w

ork

ing

gro

up

m

em

be

rs a

nd

pa

rtn

ers

;

2.

So

me

sp

ec

ific

LC

IE w

ork

ing

pro

jec

ts

an

d p

rod

uc

ts;

3.

Insp

ira

tio

n a

nd

gu

ida

nc

e t

o t

he

wid

er

co

nse

rva

tio

n c

om

mu

nit

y.

LA

RG

E C

AR

NIV

OR

ES

K

NO

W N

O B

OU

ND

AR

IES

LA

RG

E C

AR

NIV

OR

ES

K

NO

W N

O B

OU

ND

AR

IES

Th

e E

uro

pe

an

po

pu

lati

on

so

f la

rge

ca

rniv

ore

sa

t a

gla

nc

eT

he

Eu

rop

ea

np

op

ula

tio

ns

of

larg

ec

arn

ivo

res

at

a g

lan

ce

Ca

rniv

ore

co

nse

rva

tio

n in

21

st c

en

tury

Eu

rop

eF

rom

th

e p

oin

t o

f vi

ew

of

larg

e c

arn

ivo

res

(gra

yw

olv

es,

Eu

rasi

an

lyn

x, b

row

n b

ea

rs

an

d w

olv

eri

ne

s) t

he

ea

rly

to m

id 2

0th

ce

ntu

ry w

as

a c

lose

ca

ll. D

uri

ng

th

is p

eri

od

th

eir

po

pu

lati

on

s, w

hic

h h

ad

on

ce

co

vere

d m

uc

h o

f th

e E

uro

pe

an

co

nti

ne

nt,

ha

d

be

en

re

du

ce

d

to

sma

ll fr

ag

me

nts

b

y th

e

co

mb

ine

d

imp

ac

t o

f d

ire

ct

hu

ma

n

pe

rse

cu

tio

n a

nd

ha

bit

at

ch

an

ge

. Ju

st i

n t

ime

, th

e 1

96

0’s

an

d 1

97

0’s

sa

w a

gra

du

al

ch

an

ge

in

p

ub

lic

att

itu

de

s to

wa

rds

the

se

spe

cie

s w

hic

h

lea

d

to

ch

an

ge

s in

a

ttit

ud

es,

ha

bit

at

an

d l

eg

isla

tio

n i

n t

he

ir f

avo

ur.

Sin

ce

th

en

th

eir

po

pu

lati

on

s h

ave

re

bo

un

de

d

ma

inly

th

rou

gh

n

atu

ral

exp

an

sio

n,

bu

t in

so

me

c

ase

s th

rou

gh

re

intr

od

uc

tio

n.

To

da

y, m

ost

po

pu

lati

on

s o

f la

rge

ca

rniv

ore

s in

Eu

rop

e a

re e

ith

er

sta

ble

or

exp

an

din

g.

Th

ere

are

sti

ll a

fe

w s

ma

ll p

op

ula

tio

ns

(esp

ec

ially

be

ars

) w

ho

se f

utu

re i

s a

ca

use

of

co

nc

ern

, b

ut

on

a E

uro

pe

an

sc

ale

th

e s

tatu

s o

f th

ese

sp

ec

ies

ap

pe

ars

to

be

se

cu

re. T

he

refo

re, w

e a

re n

ot

at

a s

tag

e w

he

re w

e a

re t

ryin

g

to s

ave

th

em

fro

m im

min

en

t e

xtin

cti

on

. In

ste

ad

we

are

try

ing

to

fin

d w

ays

to

ac

hie

ve

a s

ust

ain

ab

le c

oe

xist

en

ce

wit

h v

iab

le p

op

ula

tio

ns

of

the

se s

pe

cie

s in

th

e s

ha

red

la

nd

sca

pe

wh

ere

we

live

, w

ork

an

d p

lay.

Th

is is

a b

old

exp

eri

me

nt

wh

ich

ha

s n

eve

r b

ee

n a

tte

mp

ted

be

fore

in

Eu

rop

e.

La

rge

ca

rniv

ore

s h

ave

de

mo

nst

rate

d t

ime

an

d

ag

ain

th

at

the

y a

re a

ble

to

liv

e c

lose

to

us,

an

d t

o t

ole

rate

ma

ny

of

the

dra

ma

tic

c

ha

ng

es

tha

t w

e h

ave

infl

icte

d o

n t

he

Eu

rop

ea

n la

nd

sca

pe

. T

he

qu

est

ion

re

ma

ins

if

we

are

ab

le t

o li

ve w

ith

th

e la

rge

ca

rniv

ore

s.

On

e t

hin

g i

s c

lea

r, a

ch

ievi

ng

co

exi

ste

nc

e w

ith

la

rge

ca

rniv

ore

s in

mo

de

rn d

ay

Eu

rop

e r

eq

uir

es

ca

refu

l p

lan

nin

g a

nd

ma

na

ge

me

nt

of

bo

th l

arg

e c

arn

ivo

res

an

d

hu

ma

n a

cti

viti

es.

Cru

cia

l to

all

ma

na

ge

me

nt

ac

tivi

tie

s is

th

at

the

y o

cc

ur

at

the

rig

ht

spa

tia

l sc

ale

s a

nd

th

at

the

y a

re c

oo

rdin

ate

d. L

uc

kily

, th

ere

are

two

se

pa

rate

bo

die

s o

f p

an

-Eu

rop

ea

n l

eg

isla

tio

n,

the

Be

rn C

on

ven

tio

n a

dm

inis

tra

ted

by

the

Co

un

cil

of

Eu

rop

e a

nd

th

e H

ab

ita

t’s

Dir

ec

tive

ad

min

istr

ate

d b

y th

e E

uro

pe

an

Co

mm

issi

on

, th

at

ha

ve p

rovi

de

d s

om

e c

on

tin

en

t w

ide

co

ord

ina

tio

n.

Ho

we

ver,

if

we

are

to

mo

ve

forw

ard

an

d r

ea

lly a

ch

ieve

su

sta

ina

ble

co

exi

ste

nc

e t

he

re is

a n

ee

d t

o d

eve

lop

eve

n

mo

re c

on

cre

te a

nd

co

ord

ina

ted

ac

tio

ns

at

the

on

ly le

vel t

ha

t re

ally

ma

kes

bio

log

ica

l se

nse

the

p

op

ula

tio

n.

Re

co

gn

isin

g

this

, th

e

Eu

rop

ea

n

Co

mm

issi

on

h

as

co

mm

issi

on

ed

th

e L

arg

e C

arn

ivo

re I

nit

iati

ve f

or

Eu

rop

e (

LC

IE)

top

rod

uc

e a

se

t o

f g

uid

elin

es

for

de

velo

pin

g p

op

ula

tio

n b

ase

d m

an

ag

em

en

t p

lan

s fo

r la

rge

ca

rniv

ore

s.

Co

nse

rvin

g l

arg

e c

arn

ivo

res

–th

e n

ee

d f

or

a p

op

ula

tio

n

ap

pro

ac

hL

arg

e

ca

rniv

ore

s u

se

very

la

rge

a

rea

s –

wit

h

sin

gle

in

div

idu

als

ra

ng

ing

o

ver

terr

ito

rie

s o

f 1

00

to

20

00

km

2.

As

a r

esu

lt t

he

y te

nd

to

oc

cu

r a

t ve

ry l

ow

de

nsi

tie

s,

an

d

the

ir

po

pu

lati

on

s fu

nc

tio

n

on

m

ass

ive

sc

ale

s o

f m

an

y th

ou

san

d

squ

are

ki

lom

etr

es.

Yo

un

g in

div

idu

als

ca

n d

isp

ers

e o

ver

very

la

rge

are

as

–w

ith

on

e w

olf

in

S

ca

nd

ina

via

ha

vin

g b

ee

n d

oc

um

en

ted

to

tra

vel o

ver

10

00

km

(a

s th

e c

row

flie

s).

As

a r

esu

lt t

he

y a

re v

ery

dif

fic

ult

to

co

nse

rve

on

th

e t

rad

itio

na

l sc

ale

s o

f p

rote

cte

d

are

as

an

d s

ing

le c

ou

ntr

ies.

Of

the

33

la

rge

ca

rniv

ore

po

pu

lati

on

s th

at

we

ha

ve

ide

nti

fie

d i

n E

uro

pe

, o

nly

4 a

re c

on

tain

ed

wit

hin

th

e b

ord

ers

of

a s

ing

le c

ou

ntr

y –

an

d e

ven

th

ese

sp

an

mu

ltip

le a

uto

no

mo

us

reg

ion

s w

ith

in f

ed

era

l sta

tes.

If

we

are

to

e

nsu

re t

ha

t p

op

ula

tio

ns

of

larg

e c

arn

ivo

res

in E

uro

pe

re

ac

h a

nd

sta

y a

t fa

vou

rab

le

co

nse

rva

tio

n s

tatu

s th

ere

is a

ne

ed

fo

r d

iffe

ren

t re

gio

ns

an

d c

ou

ntr

ies

to c

oo

pe

rate

in

th

e d

eve

lop

me

nt

of

co

ord

ina

ted

ma

na

ge

me

nt

pla

ns

for

the

bio

log

ica

l u

nit

s a

s th

ey

exi

st –

un

its

wh

ich

in

so

me

ca

ses

spa

n o

ver

8 c

ou

ntr

ies.

Th

is w

ill r

eq

uir

e

tra

nsb

ou

nd

ary

co

op

era

tio

n b

etw

ee

n E

U a

nd

no

n-E

U c

ou

ntr

ies.

It

is a

n a

mb

itio

us

go

al

–b

ut

on

e w

hic

h i

s n

ec

ess

ary

to

gu

ara

nte

e t

he

su

rviv

al

of

the

se s

pe

cie

s in

E

uro

pe

fo

r fu

ture

ge

ne

rati

on

s.

Bro

wn

be

ars

Urs

usar

ctos

Wo

lve

s C

anis

lup

us

Wo

lve

rin

e G

ulo

gul

o

Eu

rasi

an

lyn

x Ly

nxly

nx

Dis

trib

utio

n: 1

0 b

ea

r p

op

ula

tio

ns

in E

uro

pe

. Ve

ry s

ma

ll p

op

ula

tio

ns

inc

lud

e t

he

C

an

tab

ria

n(n

ort

he

rn S

pa

in),

th

e P

yre

ne

es

(Fra

nc

e a

nd

Sp

ain

), t

he

Alp

s (I

taly

),

an

d A

bru

zzo

(Ita

ly).

Th

ere

are

tw

o m

ed

ium

siz

ed

po

pu

lati

on

s, t

he

Sta

raP

lan

ina

(Gre

ec

e)

an

d t

he

Rila

Rh

od

op

e(B

ulg

ari

a -

Gre

ec

e).

La

rge

p

op

ula

tio

ns

inc

lud

e t

he

Din

ari

c-P

ind

os

(Au

stri

a, S

love

nia

, Cro

ati

a, B

osn

ia &

H

erz

eg

ovi

na

, Mo

nte

ne

gro

, Se

rbia

, Alb

an

ia,

M

ac

ed

on

ia a

nd

Gre

ec

e),

th

e

Ca

rpa

thia

n (

Po

lan

d, S

lova

kia

,

Uk

rain

e, R

om

an

ia, S

erb

ia),

th

e S

ca

nd

ina

via

n (

No

rwa

y,

Sw

ed

en

), t

he

Ka

relia

n(n

ort

he

ast

ern

No

rwa

y,

Fin

lan

d, R

uss

ia)

an

d t

he

Ba

ltic

(E

sto

nia

, La

tvia

,

Be

laru

s, R

uss

ia).

Dis

trib

utio

n: N

ort

he

rn E

uro

pe

in t

wo

ma

in p

op

ula

tio

ns;

th

e S

ca

nd

ina

via

n p

op

ula

tio

n (

75

0

ind

ivid

ua

ls)

co

veri

ng

No

rwa

y, S

we

de

n a

nd

no

rth

we

ste

rnF

inla

nd

, an

d t

he

Fin

nis

h-R

uss

ian

p

op

ula

tio

n (

45

0 in

div

idu

als

) c

ove

rin

g F

inla

nd

,

n

ort

hw

est

ern

Ru

ssia

an

d n

ort

he

ast

ern

No

rwa

y.

Th

ere

is p

rob

ab

ly s

om

e e

xch

an

ge

of

ind

ivid

ua

ls

b

etw

ee

n t

he

se t

wo

po

pu

lati

on

s, a

nd

th

e

Fin

nis

h-R

uss

ian

po

pu

lati

on

is c

on

ne

cte

d

to t

he

larg

er

Sib

eri

an

po

pu

lati

on

to

the

ea

st.

Dis

trib

utio

n: 1

0 p

op

ula

tio

ns.

No

rth

we

ste

rnIb

eri

a (

Sp

ain

an

d P

ort

ug

al -

24

00

),

Sie

rra

Mo

ren

a(s

ou

the

rn S

pa

in -

50

), A

lps

(Fra

nc

e, I

taly

an

d S

wit

zerl

an

d –

13

0-1

60

),

Ita

lian

(It

alia

n p

en

insu

la –

50

0-8

00

), C

arp

ath

ian

(C

zec

h R

ep

ub

lic,

Slo

vaki

a, s

ou

the

rn P

ola

nd

, Uk

rain

e, R

om

an

ia, S

erb

ia,

Hu

ng

ary

-5

00

0),

Din

ari

c-B

alk

an

(S

love

nia

, Cro

ati

a, B

osn

ia

& H

erz

eg

ovi

na

, Se

rbia

, Mo

nte

ne

gro

, Alb

an

ia,

F

YR

Ma

ce

do

nia

, Gre

ec

e, B

ulg

ari

a -

50

00

), K

are

lian

(Fin

lan

d, w

est

ern

Ru

ssia

-7

50

), B

alt

ic (

Ru

ssia

,

E

sto

nia

, La

tvia

, Lit

hu

an

ia, B

ela

rus,

no

rth

ea

ste

rnP

ola

nd

, Uk

rain

e -

36

00

), a

nd

Ge

rma

n-P

olis

h

(e

ast

ern

Ge

rma

ny,

we

ste

rn P

ola

nd

-<

50

)

a

nd

Sc

an

din

avi

a (

No

rwa

y,

S

we

de

n –

13

0-1

50

).

Dis

trib

utio

n: 8

po

pu

lati

on

s, in

clu

din

g t

he

Sc

an

din

avi

an

(N

orw

ay,

Sw

ed

en

, n

ort

he

ast

Fin

lan

d –

20

00

an

ima

ls),

th

e N

ort

he

ast

ern

(Fin

lan

d, w

est

ern

Ru

ssia

, E

sto

nia

, La

tvia

, Lit

hu

an

ia, n

ort

he

ast

ern

Po

lan

d,

Be

laru

s, n

ort

he

rn U

kra

ine

–4

00

0 a

nim

als

),

the

Ca

rpa

thia

ns

(so

uth

ern

Po

lan

d, C

zec

h

Re

pu

blic

, Slo

vaki

a, U

kra

ine

, Ro

ma

nia

,

Hu

ng

ary

an

d S

erb

ia –

25

00

an

ima

ls),

th

e B

alk

an

(A

lba

nia

, FY

R M

ac

ed

on

ia,

S

erb

ia, M

on

ten

eg

ro -

<1

00

an

ima

ls),

D

ina

ric

(Slo

ven

ia, C

roa

tia

,

B

osn

ia &

He

rze

go

vin

a),

Alp

ine

(Fra

nc

e, I

taly

, Sw

itze

rla

nd

,

G

erm

an

y, A

ust

ria

,

Lic

he

nst

ein

, Slo

ven

ia),

Jura

-Vo

sge

s(S

wit

zerl

an

d, F

ran

ce

,

G

erm

an

y) a

nd

th

e

B

ava

ria

n-B

oh

em

ian

(G

erm

an

y, C

zec

h

Re

pu

blic

, Au

stri

a).