1

Issue 7 · December 2005 Brussels · Moscow · Belgrade · Warsaw

IUCN South-Eastern European e-Bulletin

Dear readers,

2005 is coming to an end and this is the final issue of the IUCN SEE e-bulletin for this year. There have been plenty of activities in the last three months as you will see in the bulletin. As always, thank you for sharing your work with all of us and we hope to continue this fruitful cooperation in the future. The bulletin is also available on the website of IUCN Regional Office for Europe at www.iucneurope.org. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe

Content News

1 EarthVoice Romania – 10 years of IUCN membership 2 Mapping and meeting: IUCN regional projects for the European Green Belt 3 Register for IUCN Members portal 4 Green Home for the Montenegrin Green Belt 5 Albania joins Montenegro in protection of Skadar Lake 6 Illegal trade of reptiles increases 7 Dutch LNV supports South-Eastern European Green Belt project 8 New MSc programme in protected area management 9 Ecological corridor for large mammals in the Balkans 10 Halting the loss of biodiversity on the agenda of IUCN project in Stara planina 11 Turkey prepares Action Plan for the Grouse 12 Slovenians intensify research on Martino’s vole 13 Republic of Srpska develops two new by-laws of the National Protection Act 14 Juku migrates from Estonia to Serbian and Croatian forests 15 Aliakmonas survey reveals new populations of gulls and terns in Greece 16 Action plan for vultures in Serbia 17 Birding for beginners 18 Green Action fights poaching in the Velebit mountains 19 Future steps for Golija-Studenica Biosphere Reserve 20 IUCN National Committee in Turkey 21 WWF promotes sustainable tourism in Gornje podunavlje 22 Proposal for protection of a geological site in Serbia 23 Balkan Peace Park Info Centre opened in Albania 24 Two new vacancies in IUCN HQ and Bonn 25 The Swiss based “pandas” need a fundraiser 26 Executive Secretary sought by CERI 27 Training centres for protected areas – lessons learnt for SEE

Events

1 Integrating development and conservation to help the Caucasian Black Grouse 2 DAI launched at Skadar Lake 3 Sunce NGO presents status of Croatian otters in Italy

2

4 EuroMAB 2005: challenging the SEE territorial development strategies 5 Novi Sad hosted the first SEE Green Belt conference 6 WWF benefits from The Nature Conservancy’s conservation planning tool 7 IUCN European offices discuss management issues 8 Europarc’s training seminar for developing stakeholder partnerships 9 Macedonian Ecological Society and partners strengthen plans for Balkan Lynx protection 10 Cleaning and birdwatching in Slano Kopovo reserve 11 Trilateral agreement on the way in Prespa? 12 International designations and wetland management 13 CERI General Assembly 14 GMO-free Rhodope 15 Launch of the Regional Volunteer Program for Reconciliation 16 SEE mountains at UNEP agenda 17 Croatia hosts Biodiversity in Europe conference 18 CBD COP8

Publications

1 Connecting nature and cities 2 Global vision for transboundary conservation 3 Socio-economic report on Mediterranean coasts and wetlands

News 1 EarthVoice Romania – 10 years of IUCN membership EarthVoice Romania was founded in 1993 as a non-profit organization with the mission to implement the scientific, educational and management products into various social, economic and other decision-making sectors. This NGO is a member of The World Conservation Union (IUCN) since 1995. EarthVoice Romania is also a member of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). EarthVoice Romania’s work is related to the implementation of international Conventions and European Union Directives, as well as to the national strategy for biodiversity conservation. The organisation is oriented towards awareness raising and education of communities about biodiversity issues and sustainable development, while it also focuses on development of management plans for protected areas at national scale. Special attention is given to the development of the institutional framework to support adaptive management of ecosystems. More information is available from Nicoleta Geamana, Project Coordinator, nicoleta_geamana@yahoo.com. 2 Mapping and meeting: IUCN regional projects for the European Green Belt

The first IUCN’s project that will cover the entire route of the European Green Belt is starting by the end of 2005: a GIS mapping and a creation of a geo-database, using the Corine Land Cover data, which will show the land cover types and land uses. Later on, the protected areas along the borders will be overlaid. The aim of the project is to draw the existent data together and standardise them into one format. The output will serve a dual purpose, being a scientifically rigorous database for Green Belt stakeholders to target their actions, and a communication tool to decision makers and the public. Donors for this project are the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN, for the Central European Green Belt) and the German Federal Environment Foundation (DBU, for the Fennoscandian and South-Eastern Green Belt).

The second project relates to the strengthening of cooperation between different stakeholders along the Green Belt. A BfN-financed project, facilitating a series of four regional workshops is being conducted for the Fennoscandian (2006), the Central European (2008) and the South-Eastern European (SEE) Green Belt (2005, 2007). The first Central European meeting was held in Mitwitz, Germany, in October 2005, while the first one for SEE took place in Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro, in November 2005. For further information please contact Alois Lang, Green Belt Coordinator, IUCN SEE, Alois.Lang@iucn.org.

3

3 Register for IUCN Members portal

Gland, Switzerland: The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has launched the IUCN Members’ Portal, the space which is restricted to IUCN Members and staff. All IUCN Members are invited to register at www.iucn.org/members/portal.htm and they are welcome to use the portal for getting various information such as funding and partnership opportunities, announcements of events, as well as for interaction with other IUCN Member organisations via the discussion forums.

For information on how to become a Member of the largest global conservation organisation, please visit www.iucn.org/members. IUCN membership consists of States, Government agencies, political/economic integration organisations and national and international NGOs. These organisations normally share and support IUCN objectives and have a substantial record of activities in the field of nature conservation. The role of IUCN Members is crucial for leading the Union as they elect the IUCN Council and help develop and implement the IUCN Programme. The World Conservation Congress is the major gathering of IUCN Members and an important platform for discussing conservation issues and strengthening of partnerships. The deadline for submission of membership applications to be considered by the IUCN Council at the end of 2006, is 15 May 2006. Individuals can only become members of some of the six IUCN expert Commissions: Species Survival Commission (SSC), World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM), Commission on Environmental Law (CEM), Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) and Commission on Environment, Economics and Social Policy (CEESP). For further information, please contact Maja Zitkovic, Project Officer, IUCN SEE, maja.zitkovic@iucn.org. 4 Green Home for the Montenegrin Green Belt

Montenegro, Serbia and Montenegro: In September 2005, Montenegrin environmental NGO Green Home, in partnership with WWF MedPO, started to implement a two-year project “Durmitor-Tara-Prokletije Green Belt - Conserving the biological diversity of the South-Western Balkans”. This project aims to provide suitable conditions for long-term conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources in the Green Belt area of Montenegro. This task will be accomplished by designing a coherent and effective framework for the conservation of the Durmitor-Tara-Prokletije landscape and gathering data needed to support future conservation initiatives, by building capacities of selected key actors, and developing partnerships.

The first phase of the project is expected to end in May 2006 with the development of a report covering the mentioned geographical area and including biological, socio-economic and stakeholder assessments, the analysis of the root causes of biodiversity loss, and respective maps. So far, the priority conservation needs have been identified through the preliminary assessment, and in partnership with local NGOs Most and Natura. More information is available from Natasa Durakovic, Project Coordinator, Green Home, natasa.green@cg.yu. 5 Albania joins Montenegro in protection of Skadar Lake

Tirana, Albania: On 2 November the Albanian government announced that 495 km2 of the Albanian wing and surrounding habitats of Lake Skadar will be protected, thus combined with the National Park on the Montenegrin side of the lake, this will create a new protected area covering almost 900 km2 across the borders of Albania and Montenegro. IUCN joins the Dinaric Arc Initiative (DAI) partners in congratulating the Albanian government for this designation which creates a solid basis for enhancement of transboundary cooperation with Montenegro in joint management of

the site. Strengthening of collaboration on Skadar issues was noted by the Prime Ministers of Albania and the Republic of Montenegro half a month before this designation occurred, during the conference organised under the DAI framework in Vranjina and Shkodra.

4

Lake Skadar is the biggest freshwater body in the Balkans which hosts some of the most important bird habitats and migratory areas of the region. Approximately 250 recorded bird species, including the Dalmatian pelican and golden eagle, and 45 fish species inhabit the lake and its surrounding areas, which are also home to large mammals such as bears. Apart from the lake, the protected area on the Albanian territory includes coastal mountains and Buna (Bojana) delta (the delta is not protected on the Montenegrin side). For more information please contact Martin Schneider-Jacoby, Project Manager, Euronatur, martin.schneider-jacoby@euronatur.org or Maja Zitkovic, Project Officer, IUCN SEE, maja.zitkovic@iucn.org. 6 Illegal trade of reptiles increases

Zagreb, Croatia: In 2005, the Nature Conservation Inspection of the Croatian Ministry of Culture, registered rise in the number of seizure of Hermann’s tortoise, Testudo hermanni. In comparison with previous years, the interest for small birds is slowly decreasing, while black market is turning towards small reptiles. 506 specimens of Hermann’s tortoise were seized at the border crossing Bajakovo (Croatia-Serbia and Montenegro) and placed in the rescue centre in Croatia until taking over by the Serbian competent authority. Soon after, another seizure happened at Macelj border crossing with Slovenia. 42 animals are currently in the rescue centre waiting for spring to be released into

nature. For more information please contact Katica Bezuh, Nature Conservation Inspection, Ministry of Culture, katica.bezuh@min-kulture.hr. 7 Dutch LNV supports South-Eastern European Green Belt project

Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro: IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe (SEE) has started to implement a project “Integrating local communities and nature protection in the European Green Belt”, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), BBI Matra scheme. This is the first site-based project implemented by IUCN in the framework of the Green Belt Initiative, as the project foresees intense ground-work in Gornje

podunavlje Special Nature Reserve (Serbia and Montenegro). The main activities will relate to enhancement of transboundary cooperation between Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia and Hungary due to the geographical location of the Gornje podunavlje protected area, through knowledge and experience sharing and in order to perform habitat inventory and mapping of the mentioned area. The produced map will serve as a basis for development of the Management Plan for Gornje podunavlje. Cooperation will be activated also through a transboundary workshop and engagement of neighbouring countries’ experts in the capacity building of the Reserve’s staff and local stakeholders. IUCN and its local implementing partners, the Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia and Drava League from Croatia, will work on awareness raising of local communities and integration of biodiversity conservation with sustainable rural development. This will serve the goal of Countdown 2010 initiative as protected areas are considered to be the key sites for halting the loss of biodiversity. Apart from the local and national levels, this project will have impacts on the European level, as among others issues, the results will serve the implementation of the pan-European Green Belt Programme of Work and will be widely communicated through the network of relevant organisations. 8 New MSc programme in protected area management Klagenfurt, Austria: In 2005, the University of Klagenfurt has established a Master of Science programme in Management of Protected Areas. The programme focuses on protected area (PA) categories and European and international designations, nature conservation strategies in Central and Eastern Europe, participative approaches in PA management and other issues important for effective PA management. IUCN has been actively involved in the design of the masters programme. The course is held in English and takes place at the University premises and some PAs of Central and South-Eastern Europe. For more information about scholarships and application procedures for 2006, please visit www.mpa.uni-klu.ac.at.

5

9 Ecological corridor for large mammals in the Balkans In April 2005, Euronatur has started to implement the project “Balkan Green Belt as an ecological corridor for bear, wolf and lynx”, in cooperation with NGOs from Albania and Macedonia, and with financial support from the German Federal Agency for Nature Protection (BfN). The project aims to secure the border region between Macedonia and Albania, mainly focusing on the Jablanica-Sebenik area, as the ecological corridor for large mammals and other migrating animal species. This project creates a suitable basis for trans-national dialogue between the key stakeholders from Albania and Macedonia. It foresees capacity building workshops for NGOs from the two countries, especially focusing on theoretical and practical knowledge on monitoring and management of large mammals, and protected area designation (in light of the NATURA 2000 standards). For more information please contact Annette Spangenberg, Euronatur, annette.spangenberg@euronatur.org. 10 Halting the loss of biodiversity on the agenda of IUCN project in Stara planina

Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro: The Norwegian Agency for Development and Cooperation (NORAD) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has approved funding for IUCN SEE’s project “Raising awareness about biodiversity and sustainable community

development in the Stara Planina area”. Stara planina is one of the sites on the pan-European Green Belt route on the border between Serbia and Montenegro and Bulgaria, thus the activities in this site will feed into the strengthening of the Green Belt network of protected areas. The project will focus on the local communities that have central role in halting the loss of biodiversity. Raising awareness about biodiversity values and sustainable agricultural practices will be used to integrate biodiversity into existing community initiatives. Round table discussions and training workshops will aim to improve community-based transboundary conservation and cooperation. The project is being implemented jointly with the Regional Environmental Center (REC). For more information please contact Alois Lang, Green Belt Coordinator, IUCN SEE, alois.lang@iucn.org. 11 Turkey prepares Action Plan for the Grouse Turkey: In mid-November, the Wildlife Unit of the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry and Doğa Derneği jointly organised a meeting to start the process of developing a national Species Action Plan for the Caucasian Black Grouse. Facilitated by Umberto Gallo-Orsi of BirdLife International’s European Office, the meeting brought together Ministry staff from throughout the species’ range in North-East Turkey and conservation staff from Turkey, Georgia and the UK who assessed the available information on the species, much of it gathered during Doğa Derneği’s two year project on the species, and identified the main threats and possible actions on a site by site basis. Increased access to highland areas through uncontrolled road construction, with associated problems of increased disturbance, habitat destruction and fragmentation; illegal hunting; and an underlying lack of awareness of the importance of the species were identified as the key issues to be addressed. The first draft of the Plan is now under production. More information is available from Geoff Welch, Project Manager, RSPB, geoff.welch@rspb.org.uk. 12 Slovenians intensify research on Martino’s vole

Koper, Slovenia: Martino's vole Dinaromys bogdanovi is an ancient member of the rodent subfamily Arvicolinae, with a small range on the karstic bedrock of the Western Balkans. So far, Martino’s vole was found only in the mountains along the eastern Adriatic coast, but knowledge on its biology is very limited. In the last years, the Science and Research Centre at the University of Primorska (Koper, Slovenia) intensified research on Martino’s vole. Molecular studies show that the genus has been possibly isolated for approximately six million years which extends its history towards the end of the Messinian crisis. It is

also known from fossil evidence that the rate of evolution was slow with only two fossil species known since the Upper Pliocene. It is essential to initiate a long term non-invasive monitoring to get at least some basic understanding on the population dynamics of this elusive animal. Because its habitat is not under direct threat by human activities, Martino’s vole could hardly qualify for one of the IUCN Red Data Book categories of threatened species. More information is available from Boris Krystufek, boris.krystufek@zrs-kp.si.

6

13 Republic of Srpska develops two new by-laws of the National Protection Act Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Within the framework of the REReP EU CARDS project, "The assistance in environmental law drafting in the South-Eastern Europe", the Ministry of Physical Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina, BIH) has drafted two by-laws to complement the entity's Nature Protection Act (NPA). The project is in the same time being implemented in the Federation of BIH and the representatives of the two entities will meet on the 20 December in Sarajevo to discuss the subsidiary by-laws developed in both entities. The Federation and the Republic of Srpska have adopted their own set of laws on nature protection during the 2002 and 2003. Both NPAs are framework laws containing sets of regulations, but the adoption of further subsidiary legislation is crucial for NPAs’ strengthening. In October 2005, the Ministry of Physical Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska initiated drafting of the two specific by-laws, to be discussed in Sarajevo. These relate to the Rulebook on the Red List of threatened species and natural habitats, and the by-law on the propositions, conditions and competences for proclamation of the protected areas. More information about the outcomes of the meeting in Sarajevo is available from Ozren Laganin, Ministry for Environmental Protection, bj_minurb@blic.net. 14 Juku migrates from Estonia to Serbian and Croatian forests

Croatia-Serbia and Montenegro: Juku, a four-year old Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga, fitted with GPS transmitter in Estonia (within the LIFE-Natura project implemented by the Estonian Ornithological Society), has been inhabiting lowland forests between Bosut and Sava Rivers in the border region of Serbia and Croatia since early November. Juku is obviously attempting to over winter in this forest complex which is in both countries declared as IBA, although systematic and integral conservation is still missing. In Croatia the site is nominated to be SPA under NATURA 2000 network. According to the recent data gathered by BirdLife International, the European population of Spotted Eagle is

small and declining. It is globally threatened species listed as Endangered according to the IUCN Red List. More information is available from Marko Tucakov, mtucakov@eunet.yu or Urmas Sellis, urmas@kotkas.ee or at www.kotkas.ee/sateliit2.htm. 15 Aliakmonas survey reveals new populations of gulls and terns in Greece

Greece: Significant increases in the Greek breeding populations of slender-billed gull Larus genei and gull-billed tern Sterna nilotica have been revealed by a survey of the Aliakmonas Delta, carried out this summer by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB – BirdLife in the UK) and the Hellenic Ornithological Society (BirdLife in Greece). The survey succeeded in its aims of identifying important populations of breeding birds in this little known part of the Axios, Loudias, Aliakmon Delta-Alyki Kitrous Special Protection Area, protected under the European Wild Birds Directive.

The survey discovered a series of important and previously unknown populations of breeding gulls and terns. Located on a series of low-lying offshore islands, the colonies supported significant populations of Mediterranean gull Larus melanocephalus, slender-billed gull Larus genei, gull-billed tern Sterna nilotica, common tern Sterna hirundo, and little tern Sterna albifrons. Previous SPA population estimates for slender-billed gull, gull-billed tern and common tern were considerably lower than those discovered. It is likely that the difficult access and resulting lack of disturbance has allowed these important colonies to survive and flourish in this remote part of the SPA. For more information please contact Andrew Dodd, andrew.dodd@rspb.org.uk or Jose Tavares, jose.tavares@rspb.org.uk. 16 Action plan for vultures in Serbia Serbia and Montenegro: The project "Vulture Action Plan in Serbia", implemented by the Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia in cooperation with local NGOs, has recently been finalised. The project was financially supported by the Black Vulture Conservation Foundation, Frankfurt Zoological Society, League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) and the French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development, and was part of the international "Action Plan for the recovery and conservation of vultures on the Balkan peninsula” project. The results showed that the number of Griffon Vultures in Serbia is

7

increasing – during 2005, 60 nestlings were detected by detailed monitoring in the remaining three colonies. The total number of this species in Serbia was estimated at approximately 80 couples.

The management of the feeding spots for Griffon Vultures was intensified in the Trešnjica River and the Uvac Gorges, resulting with higher number of birds visiting these areas. Feeding places for the Egyptian Vulture were established in the Pčinja Gorge, while there are plans to establish the same in the Stara Planina. For further information you may contact Bratislav Grubac, Ornithologist, Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia, grubacs@ptt.yu. 17 Birding for beginners

Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro: "Birding for Beginners", a 25 minutes long movie, directed by Filip Colovic in close cooperation with Dragan Simic and members of the League for Ornithological Action of Serbia and Montenegro (LOA), was shown on the national TV on 7 November. This is the first national TV production explaining the process of birding on two bird species examples (Starling and Chaffinch). The movie provides extensive practical advice on field marks, equipment, optics, ID problems, as well as the competition and tourism aspects. In Serbia, birding is still a relatively new concept of outdoor recreation and people are generally confused about it. Public awareness is probably best illustrated by a statement of one fishpond local manager addressing a group of foreign bird-watchers: “What is the point of watching a bird if you can’t shoot it?” The movie “Birding for Beginners” addresses this issue with the aim to change this kind of views and increase the membership in bird protection NGOs. More information is available from Dragan Simic, LOA, ddsimic@eunet.yu.

18 Green Action fights poaching in the Velebit mountains

Gospic, Croatia, 10 November: A seminar on “The implementation of CITES and problem of poaching in the Green Belt Velebit area” was held in the Lika county of Croatia, as part of the Green Belt Velebit project Green Action has been implementing jointly with WWF MedPO since 2001. Through this seminar, the Green Action and WWF have undertaken action towards raising awareness of local inhabitants about poaching and the need to reinforce hunting legislation with anti-poaching measures. Poaching, especially that of wild birds, is one of the main problems in the Velebit area. The seminar also provided customs officers with better tools to address poaching and undertake

anti-poaching measures. Representatives of the responsible Ministries presented the new Hunting Law proposal, ways of active implementation of CITES, the role of inspection in CITES’ implementation and CITES position in the Nature Protection Law. The Green Action presented the problem of poaching in the Green Belt Velebit area. The seminar was very well attended, which indicated that local people are aware of and interested in the problem of poaching. The participants were mostly hunters, representatives of Nature and National Parks, local NGOs, foresters, County officials and customs officers. Extensive discussions held during the seminar helped to raise awareness about the problem of poaching in Velebit and will hopefully lead to its complete eradication. More information is available from Jagoda Munic, Green Action, jagoda@zelena-akcija.hr 19 Future steps for Golija-Studenica Biosphere Reserve Golija-Studenica, Serbia and Montenegro: The Association for Ibar Valley Development (IDA) NGO from Kraljevo has finalised a yearly project "Possibilities for sustainable development, tourism and agriculture in Golija-Studenica Biosphere Reserve", in cooperation with partner organisations, Centre for Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Development from Belgrade, Kraljevo based Eco Movement and the Veterinarian Institute, and the Association for Protection and Development ‘Golija Mountain’ from Ivanjic. The project was funded by The World Bank and the Regional Environmental Centre (REC). Thematic reports resulting from the seminars that were held during the project implementation in four municipalities (Kraljevo, Ivanjica, Novi Pazar and Raska), are produced and are available from Dragan Roganovic, Executive Director, IDA Kraljevo, ibarda@ptt.yu.

8

20 IUCN National Committee in Turkey Turkey: The Members of IUCN in Turkey have recently organised themselves in the National Committee. This is the first IUCN National Committee in one of the South-Eastern European countries. The IUCN Committees (national or regional) are normally established in order to facilitate cooperation and help coordinate the Union’s work. More information about IUCN’s structure is available at www.iucn.org/en/about. 21 WWF promotes sustainable tourism in Gornje podunavlje

Serbia and Montenegro: WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme (DCP) and DOEN Foundation are starting a project “Sustainable rural tourism as a tool for improving nature management in the Middle Danube Floodplains” in Vojvodina province of Serbia and Montenegro. Gornje podunavlje area on which the project focuses, is a little developed rural region, economically disadvantaged, yet possessing a rich natural and cultural heritage which could support a considerable sustainable tourism trade. This combined floodplain area is currently managed under three different national protection regimes in Serbia, Croatia and Hungary. However, these lands represent a single

ecological unit and there should be a unified ecosystem management, with the same high standards of European best practice in nature protection throughout, in order to protect, preserve and restore this unique European natural heritage. This project aims to promote ecotourism, through training and marketing, particularly in the Serbian part, but also to ensure that tourism service providers understand that well-managed nature is an economic asset, and to encourage them - as stakeholders - to take an active part in ensuring that it is effective. It is anticipated that another benefit of this project will be improved contacts and cooperation across national frontiers, between nature managers, tourism entrepreneurs and citizens. More information is available from David Reeder, Project Manager, WWF-DCP, daimawr1@yahoo.co.uk or from Marko Tucakov, Project Coordinator, Bird Protection Society of Vojvodina, mtucakov@eunet.yu. 22 Proposal for protection of a geological site in Serbia

Serbia and Montenegro: The Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia developed a study on the protection proposal of the Rajkova Pecina cave, located in Eastern Serbia. The cave is included in the Geological Heritage Inventory of Serbia as a remarkable geomorphologic object of national and wider regional significance. Rajkova Pecina is particularly significant for its preserved geological features, and with a total length of 2,304 m it is one of the longest known caves in Serbia. It is the habitat of bats, and it represents a palaeontological location of the fossil fauna. The cave is proposed to become a Nature Monument and a natural asset of the 1st category according to the national categorisation (3rd protected area management category according to IUCN). For further information please contact Nedeljko Kovacev, nedeljko@natureprotection.org.yu.

23 Balkan Peace Park Info Centre opened in Albania Shkodra, Albania: The Balkan Peace Park Information Centre, headed by Petrit Imeraj, was opened in October in Shkodra. The Centre invites NGOs and individuals interested in the environmental issues of the Prokletije area to contact Mr Imeraj at pimeraj@yahoo.com. For more information about the Centre and the Balkan Peace Park Project, please visit www.balkanspeacepark.org. 24 Two new vacancies in IUCN HQ and Bonn Gland, Switzerland: IUCN-The World Conservation Union announces two new vacancies. Programme Officer is needed for IUCN HQ Business and Biodiversity Programme in Gland and applications can be submitted at the latest by 3 January 2006. The position will explore new opportunities for IUCN’s work with the private sector, particularly in the areas of agriculture, tourism and small and medium enterprise. The second vacancy relates to the Legal Officer in the IUCN Environmental Law Programme (ELP) in Bonn. The Legal Officer must be able to effectively analyze and prepare oral and written analyses of

9

international and national environmental legislation and policy. She/he will help develop and prepare IUCN environmental law and law-related publications and materials, and be involved in fundraising for the implementation and expansion of the ELP. Applications can be sent by 31 January 2006. Full job descriptions and vacancy announcements are available at www.iucn.org/en/about/vacancies.htm. Applications should be submitted by email to jobapplications@iucn.org. More information about the Business and Biodiversity Programme is available at www.iucn.org/themes/business, while you can inform yourself about ELP at www.iucn.org/themes/law. 25 The Swiss based “pandas” need a fundraiser Gland, Switzerland: WWF International is seeking an Online Fundraising Manager to work for the Fundraising and Marketing Department. The person will be responsible for developing and implementing fundraising strategies for WWF’s website and manage WWF International’s global membership programme. A cover letter and CV can be sent to recruitments@wwfint.org no later than 13 January 2006. For further information on this position please visit www.panda.org/jobs. 26 Executive Secretary sought by CERI Bratislava, Slovakia: The Carpathian Ecoregion Initiatve (CERI) is announcing a vacancy for a permanent full-time position of the Executive Secretary (formerly Coordinator), based at the headquarters in Bratislava, starting in February 2006. The Executive Secretary will be responsible for the efficient running of the Secretariat in terms of communications, fundraising and administration. CERI was established by WWF DCP in 1999 as an international network of organisations and experts working for the protection and sustainable development of the Carpathians. If you are interested in this position, please submit a CV with cover letter by no later than 16 January to the CERI Secretariat by e-mail CERI@wwfdcp.org. Please find further information at www.carpathians.org. 27 Training centres for protected areas – lessons learnt for SEE The UNEP/GEF project “Strengthening the network of training centres for protected area management through demonstration of a tested approach”, locally implemented by the EcoCentre “Zapovedniks” (Moscow), aims to improve biodiversity conservation and rural livelihoods through a better management of protected areas in Northern Eurasia. The Project Advisory Group, under the lead of Nikita Lopoukhine, Chair of IUCN WCPA, will be providing guidance to the project management team regarding the direction of the project in order to seek stronger political support for protected areas (PA) in the region and improve PA management. This experience will be useful for the SEE region in the future and more information is available from Svetlana Belova, svetaa26@mail.ru. Events 1 Integrating development and conservation to help the Caucasian Black Grouse

Posof, Turkey, September: Doğa Derneği organised a three day meeting in Posof, on the Turkish-Georgian border, which brought together 29 representatives of the local community, local and regional government, conservation NGOs and funding organisations to discuss how the nature conservation importance of the area, especially for Caucasian Black Grouse, could best be maintained and managed and also deliver tangible benefits for the local community. The atmosphere of the meeting demonstrated an obvious and strong local association with the environment around Posof and a desire to maintain it but also

highlighted the need to improve the standard of living of local communities which are experiencing a range of problems increasingly being encountered in rural communities in many areas – declining populations due to out-migration, declining incomes, and poor infrastructure. From a conservation point of view, these problems are resulting in changes in the traditional management of the area leading to habitat changes and, potentially, a decline in the diversity of wildlife. A variety of ongoing or proposed initiatives were discussed - nature-based tourism, wildlife-friendly organic farming and public awareness raising - and it was agreed that a strategy for integrating and

10

coordinating these initiatives needs to be developed, together with a programme of scientific research to fill the existing gaps in our knowledge. More information is available from Geoff Welch, Project Manager, RSPB, geoff.welch@rspb.org.uk. 2 DAI launched at Skadar Lake

Vranjina-Shkodra, Montenegro (SCG)-Albania, 18-22 October: Dinaric Arc Initiative (DAI) was officially launched at the international conference titled “Lake Skadar international designations for territorial development” held in Vranjina and Shkodra, and organised by UNESCO ROSTE with UNDP Podgorica’s support. During the conference, the Prime Ministers of Montenegro (Milo Djukanovic) and Albania (Sali Berisha) indicated the need for enhanced cooperation in the Skadar Lake management. The conference was attended by the Minister of Environment from Albania and Montenegro, as well as other key stakeholders in this area and international organisations.

This was the first site-based event organised under the DAI framework. The conference was followed by the IUCN training workshop for NGOs “Effective networking and communication to achieve the objectives of sustainable mountain development”, logistically supported by REC Shkodra and UNDP Podgorica. The environmental NGOs that attended the workshop came from Dinaric Arc countries and their activities related to this geographical area. The training was part of the IUCN’s project “NGO capacity building for cross-border conservation on the Balkans”, funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs–Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS). The NGOs were briefed about the DAI as well as about the pan-European Green Belt initiative, while having the opportunity to create contacts and discuss their work in the region. In addition to the conference and the capacity building workshop, Skadar Lake hosted the regular meeting of the DAI partners (WWF MedPO, UNESCO ROSTE, UNDP, IUCN, Council of Europe). The partners accepted FAO’s interest to officially become part of the DAI group. Euronatur NGO was present at that meeting as well, indicating its cooperation with the DAI. More information about the whole event is available from Maja Zitkovic, Project Officer, IUCN SEE, maja.zitkovic@iucn.org. 3 Sunce NGO presents status of Croatian otters in Italy

Padula, Italy, 20-23 October: The European Otter Workshop was organized in Italy under the supervision of the University of Molise, WWF Italy, University of La Sapienza di Roma and Cilento e Vallo di Diano National Park. The Croatian representatives from NGO Sunce, Gabrijela Medunic Orlic and Ivana Carev, presented their work “Habitat suitability for river otters, Lutra lutra (L.) on the Krka, Cetina, Lika and Una Rivers in Croatia”. This work, presented in the form of a poster, is the result of the surveys conducted in the last two years. The Sunce representatives focused in particular on the Krka River where three field surveys were conducted between June 2004 and August 2005

and after 16 years, this research proved presence of otters in Krka habitats. For more information on otters on Croatian rivers, please contact Zrinka Jakl, Sunce, at zrinka.jakl@sunce-st.org. 4 EuroMAB 2005: challenging the SEE territorial development strategies Hernstein Castle, Austria, 25-30 October: The pan-European meeting of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme, involving the managers of Biosphere Reserves (BR), MAB National Committees/MAB Focal points, took place nearby Vienna and was devoted to the most important aspects of BR management and coordination. The meeting was organised by the Austrian Commission for UNESCO and the Austrian MAB National Committee, in cooperation with UNESCO. BR issues in the context of the South-Eastern Europe were specifically discussed during the session organised by UNESCO ROSTE. The representatives from Bulgaria emphasised the importance of having a practical tool to better disseminate the BR concept to major stakeholders. Stara Planina National Park on the border between Bulgaria and Serbia and Montenegro has been identified as one of the key areas

11

for conducting training activities and IUCN protected area management categories were detected as a potential training topic. Further on, the participants discussed developments and future engagement of UNESCO at Ohrid and Prespa Lakes. The proceedings of the event will be available at www.biosphaerenparks.at/euromab2005. 5 Novi Sad hosted the first SEE Green Belt conference

Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro, 7-10 November: The first meeting of the South-Eastern European (SEE) partners of the pan-European Green Belt initiative has taken place in Novi Sad in November 2005, under the organisation of IUCN, Euronatur and the Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia, and with financial support from the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN). The conference, under the motto “Building Bridges”, aimed to support the exchange of information concerning projects and activities within the Green Belt at the European, as well as the state levels. About 40 participants, including the Green Belt national focal points, from

countries along the SEE Green Belt have attended this event in Novi Sad and visited a practical example of transboundary cooperation in the trilateral border area between Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia and Hungary. Important topics discussed were how cross-border cooperation can be enhanced and facilitated despite of legal and structural differences, and how the Green Belt can be integrated into local nature conservation measures. The European Green Belt was launched in 2004 to foster transboundary cooperation in nature conservation and regional sustainable development along the former Iron Curtain route (approximately 6800 km long) with the vision to create the backbone of an ecological network linking protected areas to their surrounding landscapes and communities from the Barents to the Black Sea. The route has been divided into three regional sections: the Fenno-Scandian, the Central European and the South-Eastern European Green Belt. The Secretariat for the Green Belt initiative is being held by IUCN, while the Coordinator for the SEE is Euronatur from Germany. For more information please visit www.greenbelteurope.org or contact Alois Lang, Green Belt Coordinator, IUCN SEE, alois.lang@iucn.org. 6 WWF benefits from The Nature Conservancy’s conservation planning tool

Varenna, Italy, 9-16 November: In the framework of partnership between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) NGO from the USA and WWF, Varenna hosted the TNC Conservation Action Planning (CAP) Efroymson Training Workshop. The workshop gathered WWF staff from six ecoregions: Mediterranean (Dinaric Alps), Caucasus, Baltic, Carpathians, Alps and Altai-Sayan, plus several non-WWF staff representatives working in these areas. The Dinaric Alps group consisted of representatives of WWF MedPO, Green Home NGO from Montenegro, Sunce NGO from Croatia and IUCN SEE. This working-group has practised the implementation of the CAP tool on the case

study of the South-Dalmatian islands. TNC’s CAP process is widely used in the world in order to help conservation related projects to develop adequate and most effective strategies, take action and measure success. More information on TNC is available at www.nature.org. 7 IUCN European offices discuss management issues Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, 10-12 November: The IUCN European Staff Retreat took place in Belgrade back to back with the first South-Eastern European Green Belt Conference. Management staff from IUCN offices in Brussels, Belgrade, Moscow and Warsaw focussed on project portfolio harmonisation and development of IUCN strategy and policy regarding the European programme area. It was stressed that IUCN European offices should continue providing membership service, cooperate with partner and member organisations on project implementation and further explore special niche of IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe as the hub for information regarding biodiversity conservation. For more information please contact Joerg Lohmann, Director, IUCN SEE, Joerg.Lohmann@iucn.org

Regional Coordinator

12

8 Europarc’s training seminar for developing stakeholder partnerships

Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park, Austria, 17-19 October: The EUROPARC Federation held a seminar on developing stakeholder partnerships in Natura 2000 site management as part of the EC’s Natura Network Initiative (NNi). The seminar was attended by 46 representatives of national and regional authorities, NGOs, landowners and protected areas. Ladislav Miko, Head of the EC’s DG Environment Directorate B ‘Protecting the Natural Environment’, highlighted the importance of communication for Natura 2000 and the current state of the development of Natura 2000. A broad variety of stakeholders shared their expertise and experience in the management of Natura 2000 sites by presenting

their case studies related to forestry, agriculture, military use, tourism, local community involvement and protected area management. All presentations and the conclusions drawn from the seminar are available at www.europarc.org. 9 Macedonian Ecological Society and partners strengthen plans for Balkan Lynx protection

Mavrovo, Macedonia, 15-17 November: Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) has intensified its activities related to conservation and protection of the Balkan Lynx in Macedonia and Albania, in cooperation with IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, Euronatur, KORA Switzerland, Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment of Albania (PPNEA), and BIOECO Macedonia. The experts from these organisations gathered in Mavrovo in November to discuss the future steps, while the establishment of this coalition was a follow up of an earlier meeting organised by Euronatur in April 2005.

Considering the present situation of Lynx in Macedonia and the basis for its protection given by the national legislation, as well as international conventions, the outputs of the meeting in Mavrovo focused on several recommendations for future activities in Macedonia. Some of the recommendations focused on capacity building, thus it was proposed to organise trainings of three experts for Balkan Lynx’ monitoring and data collection in Switzerland; and the training of local people dealing with Lynx or other large carnivores coming from NGOs, national parks, or forest reserves in order to create core group for Lynx conservation in Macedonia. The future activities should also include public awareness raising campaign. It is necessary to estimate the geographical area of distribution of Lynx, as well as its population number and population trends, and develop monitoring activities and Lynx Management Plan. The MES aims to strengthen cooperation with experts from Albania, UNMIK Kosovo, Montenegro and Greece in order to re-enforce the transboundary cooperation in the protection of Balkan Lynx. For more information contact Dime Melovski, MES, mes@iunona.pmf.ukim.edu.mk. 10 Cleaning and birdwatching in Slano Kopovo reserve

Novi Becej, Serbia and Montenegro, 19 November: The Scientific and Research Society of Biology Students Josif Pančić from Novi Sad organised a one day waste cleaning campaign in the Slano Kopovo Special Nature Reserve, an important habitat for over 200 bird species. 33 people, mostly biology and ecology students, and several local hunters, gathered to collect metal, plastic and glass waste. The campaign was combined with birdwatching activity as the participants could enjoy the roosting of over 15 000 cranes and up to 10 000 geese, ducks, gulls and waders. The event was supported by the Provincial Secretariat for Environment of Vojvodina, Hunting Society

from Novi Becej, Magnum company from Novi Sad and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water. This combination of birdwatching with cleaning action proved as an enjoyable event for people who decided to put conservation into practice. The cooperation between the students and the Reserve’s management authorities was successful. More information is available from Marko Sciban, League for Ornithological Action, sciban@eunet.yu or Milan Ruzic at milruzic@yahoo.com. 11 Trilateral agreement on the way in Prespa? Lemos, Greece, 21-22 November: The successful conclusion of extensive development of a large (with a budget of approximately $14 million) multi-annual GEF project for the Prespa Park was the issue dominating the eight regular meeting of the Prespa Park Coordination Committee held in the village of

13

Lemos, Greek Prespa. Implementation of the project “Integrated ecosystem management in the Prespa Lake basin of Albania, FYR-Macedonia and Greece” is expected to start at the beginning of 2006. During the meeting, the Committee discussed various activities that have taken place in the Prespa basin, including several projects funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation. The Committee decided to continue its effort to achieve the adoption of a formal trilateral agreement for the area that would enable specific steps to be taken for cooperation in crucial sectors such as water management. More information is available from Vivi Roumeliotou, Society for the Protection of Prespa, v.roumeliotou@spp.gr. 12 International designations and wetland management Venice, Italy, 21-23 November: The Province of Venice, UNESCO ROSTE and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat organized a joint international workshop at the end of November in Venice, inviting wetland experts from European and North African Ramsar sites. Although the main topic was to discuss the opportunities, preconditions and consequences of designating the Venice Lagoon as a Ramsar site, the workgroups were asked to approach in a more general way the questions of the territorial planning process, of management plans for individual sites and of the dynamic effects of international designations. Alois Lang, IUCN Green Belt Coordinator, represented the transboundary wetland (Ramsar Site, National Park and World Heritage Site) Neusiedler See/Fertö-Hanság together with Andras Ambrus from the Hungarian National Park authority. More information is available at http://wetlands.provincia.venezia.it. 13 CERI General Assembly Djerdap, Serbia and Montenegro, 23-25 November: IUCN SEE attended the Carpathian Ecoregion Initiative (CERI) General Assembly in Djerdap National Park in Serbia upon invitation by WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme and Ecolibri-Bionet NGO. The Assembly was an opportunity to introduce the pan-European Green Belt Initiative, whose Secretariat is hosted by IUCN. Djerdap is one of the sites located on the Green Belt route. CERI Assembly discussed approval of new members, as well as status of diverse projects. Based on the already existing relations with WWF MedPO through the Dinaric Arc Initiative (DAI), this meeting offered another mode of cooperation and enhancement of networking of international organisations and harmonisation of projects in the region. For further information, please contact Joerg Lohmann, Director, IUCN SEE, Joerg.Lohmann@iucn.org 14 GMO-free Rhodope

Thessaloniki, Greece, 26 November: A workshop focusing on the initiative for “GMO-free Rhodope” was organised in Thessaloniki in the framework of the Balkan Conference on GMO-free Balkans. NGO representatives from Bulgaria and Greece and the managing authority of the Rhodope Range protected area and the Rhodope-Evros Supra-Prefecture, exchanged information on the existing situation in the two countries, and more particularly in the trans-border area of Rhodope. Furthermore, they discussed the cooperation potential regarding the declaration of Rhodope as the first transboundary area in the Balkans

that would be free of GMOs. The participants agreed to work towards enlarging the initiative, while the next meeting is scheduled for February 2006 in Smolyan. For more information please contact Spyros Psaroudas, CALLISTO, psaroudas@callisto.gr. 15 Launch of the Regional Volunteer Program for Reconciliation

Podgorica, Montenegro, Serbia and Montenegro, 5 December: United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and UNDP Podgorica, SOS Hotline for Women and Children Victims of Violence - Podgorica and Association for Democratic Prosperity-Zid, marked International Volunteers’ Day and European Youth Week by launching RIVER SEE Programme - Regional Integration through Volunteer Exchanges for Reconciliation of SEE. The RIVER SEE Programme represents regional collaboration between UNV/UNDP Offices throughout SEE countries that will be implemented in partnership with EU/European Voluntary Service, South East European Youth Network, and number of prominent international civil society/voluntary

14

organizations and grassroots organisations from seven Balkans countries/regions. By getting together volunteers from the Balkans this programme aims at enhancing the capacity of civil society and volunteer organisations, groups and individuals, in their effort to accelerate democratic and economic development and peace building for the region. More information is available at www.riversee.org. 16 SEE mountains at UNEP agenda Bolzano, Italy, 12-16 December: In the framework of the Mountain Partnership, UNEP and the Ministry of Environment and Territory of Italy (MATT) organised the workshop on “Sharing the Experience - Capacity Building on Legal Instruments for the Protection and Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions in South-Eastern Europe (SEE)”. The workshop was held in Bolzano from 12-13 December. This activity was organised in cooperation with the European Academy (EURAC) and it constitutes a contribution to the UNDP-UNEP-OSCE Environment and Security (EnvSec) Initiative. The event was held back to back with a similar workshop for the mountain regions of Caucasus (14-15 December) and a preparatory meeting for the first Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Carpathian Convention (16 December). For more information please contact Jasmina Bogdanovic, UNEP, jasmina.bogdanovic@unvienna.org. 17 Croatia hosts Biodiversity in Europe conference Plitvice Lakes, Croatia, 22-24 February 2006: The Croatian Government will host the 4th Intergovernmental Biodiversity in Europe conference at Plitvice Lakes National Park in February 2006. The Biodiversity in Europe conference, convened under the auspices of the Pan European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS), will serve as the mechanism for developing the pan-European input for the 8th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the CBD in Brazil. More information on the conference in Croatia is available from Andrea Stefan, Ministry of Culture, Andrea.stefan@min-kulture.hr. 18 CBD COP8 Curitiba, Brazil, 20-31 March 2006: The 8th Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity will take place in Curitiba in March 2006. The World Conservation Union is currently preparing its input for the conference, focusing on several priority issues such as progress the governments have made towards implementation of the CBD including the 2010 target, achievements done in relation to the Programme of Work on Protected Areas (endorsed at CBD COP7), marine and coastal biodiversity targets. For more information on CBD COP8, please visit http://biodiv.org. Publications 1 Connecting nature and cities

“The Urban Imperative: Urban Outreach Strategies for Protected Area Agencies”, a 90 000-word book edited by Ted Trzyna, the Leader of the IUCN WCPA Task Force on Cities and Protected Areas, has been printed and is also available on the website at www.interenvironment.org/pa/papers2.htm. The content of the book is resulting from the workshop dedicated to cities and protected areas during the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress (Durban, 2003). It

discusses the relationship between cities and protected areas and strategies for linking these two. The main message of this book is that conservationists will be more effective if they take cities and its inhabitants much more seriously. For more information about WCPA Task Force on Cities and Protected Areas, please visit www.interenvironment.org/pa. 2 Global vision for transboundary conservation “Transboundary Conservation: A New Vision for Protected Areas” provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive assessment of the global transboundary protected areas, combining the conservation science with the best nature photography. The book is a product of a partnership between the Conservation International (CI), IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), CEMEX, Agrupacion Sierra Madre, and the International League of Conservation Photographers. “Transboundary Conservation” was launched during the 8th World Wilderness Congress in Alaska, and it connects ecological conservation with political, socio-economic and peace-promoting dimensions of transboundary

15

protected areas (TBPA). It is a good reference source of TBPAs in the world, as it lists 188 TBPAs, which covers around 17% of total PAs in the world. The ordering information is available at www.conservation.org. For more information on IUCN WCPA please visit www.iucn.org/wcpa, while for WCPA Transboundary Task Force, visit www.tbpa.net. 3 Socio-economic report on Mediterranean coasts and wetlands

Tour du Valat, France: The “Socio-Economics and Conservation of Mediterranean Coasts and Wetlands” report was produced by the Biological Station of Tour du Valat and the RCU, as part of the MedWetCoast project which addresses biodiversity conservation issues in 15 Mediterranean coastal and wetland sites. The report draws from the questionnaire to relevant actors (July 2004), the case studies received from the countries, the visits of the socio-economist to Lebanon and Albania, and the discussions at the two regional socio-economic workshops held in Tour du Valat (December 2004) and Paris (November 2005). The report is an account of the

MedWetCoast approach to address socio-economic issues within the process of site management. Some suggestions for addressing these issues have been included and recommendations proposed. The report is available in an electronic format at www.medwetcoast.org. Note from the editor In the last bulletin issue, in the article on survey of otters on Lika River in Croatia, it was stated that the camp was organised by Green Action NGO and BIUS. The correct information is that the otter survey camp was organised by the Green Action and WWF MedPO. Apologies from the editor.

16

Guidelines for contributing to IUCN SEE e-bulletin IUCN welcomes articles in which you report on your 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 maja.zitkovic@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 comprised of four IUCN offices located in Brussels, Warsaw, Belgrade and Moscow. The head office, located in 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 Moscow and the IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe in Belgrade can disseminate information and strategies. Together as ROfE we strive to meet our goals for a sustainable Europe by utilizing local expertise and the strength of the global IUCN network.

ROfE in Belgrade Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe Dr. Ivana Ribara 91 11070 Belgrade Serbia and Montenegro Tel: +381 11 2272-411 Fax: +381 11 2272-531 Email: maja.zitkovic@iucn.org