Brussels, 10/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - Humans and large carnivores have to live together in Europe, but sharing the same territory is not without its problems. Farmers, defenders of the environment, hunters and scientists therefore met in Brussels on Tuesday 10 June to exchange ideas and best practice on the best way of minimising conflicts between human interests and the presence of large carnivores, such as the brown bear, wolf, wolverine and lynx. These once threatened predators are now on the increase in the European Union. The platform of the European Union on the coexistence between man and large carnivores, which was officially launched by the European Commission on 10 June, held its first working meeting to adopt its mandate and working programme.
This dialogue platform responds to the need for constructive dialogue and cooperation between all players concerned by the need to conserve these animal species, reconcile differing opinions and find solutions to the social and economic problems stemming from the spread of large carnivores, which can be a danger to farm stock.
An online resources centre will play a central part in distributing information on the platform's activities, collate best practice in the form of documents or a handbook, serve as a bridge to the websites of the member organisations and host media resources.
Due to human activity, the five species of large carnivores present in Europe have certainly seen spectacular declines in numbers and distribution, but increasing protection and public awareness about their vital role in healthy ecosystems have caused many populations to stabilise or increase, and to return to areas from which they had been absent for decades or even centuries.
Janez Potocnik, European Commissioner for the Environment, is calling for “peaceful coexistence” between humans and large carnivores. “We need to treat our natural neighbours with respect - but we also need to heed the concerns of those whose lives are genuinely affected by their close proximity”, he said, launching the platform.
The platform brings together eight stakeholder associations: the CIC (International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation); COPA-COGECA (European farmers and European agri-cooperatives); ELO (European Landowners' Organisation); the EUROPARC Federation; FACE (European Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation); joint representative of Finnish and Swedish reindeer herders; IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature); European Union Representative Office; and WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature, European Policy Office). The members of the platform will meet once a year. Thematic workshops will also be arranged.
Tony Long, Director of WWF, sums up the problem as follows: “The return of large carnivore species in many areas of Europe is a conservation success story. Although little noticed, the fact is that the populations of endangered species like the brown bear in Karelia and Spain, the wolf in Germany and Poland and the wolverine in the Scandinavian countries have doubled in population in the last 10 years. The EU nature directives, such as the Habitats Directive (directive 92/43/EEC), have played a crucial part in this. But this conservation success brings new challenges in its wake, especially in areas where traditional farming practices have disappeared. New ways have to be found of sharing experiences that allow and encourage the coexistence between animals, livestock and large carnivores”.
Luc Bas, director of the IUCN Representative Office to the EU, stresses his organisation's willingness to “foster a positive dialogue”, adding that “finding common ground is in the DNA” of this international organisation, which brings together a wide range of experts representing all interests in the issue.
The population of the brown bear grew by 7% between 2005 and 2012 (from 15,800 to 17,000), with lynx numbers rising by 20% between 2000 and 2012 (from 8,000 individuals to 10,000). The wolf population is also on the increase (12,500 individuals in Europe). In Scandinavia, it has doubled in ten years (from 150 to 300), and has risen sharply in Germany and Poland (from 19 individual to 150 today), but the wolf is still threatened in certain regions, such as southern Spain. The wolverine population doubled between 2005 and 2012 (from 675 individuals to 1,250). (AN)