A workshop – Protection of the Balkan lynx and sustainable hunting with hunting tourism!
MES and the Public Enterprise for Managing and Protection of the Jasen Multipurpose Area, together with the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation CIC in the period 28 February–2 March 2013, held their 14 meeting of CIC Coordination forum for Central Eastern Europe.
There were national delegations from 17 countries from Central Eastern Europe present at the workshop, experts from Norway, Switzerland, Finland, as well as representatives from FACE, UNDP, European Commission, Directorate – General for the Environment, Directorate B – Nature, Biodiversity and Land Use, the EU office in Skopje and representatives from embassies in the Republic of Macedonia.
The protection of the Balkan lynx and the sustainable hunting with hunting tourism were the main topics for discussion, that is, the aim of the meeting was the members of the International Council and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) to be introduced to:
– The critical condition of the Balkan lynx and the need for its protection;
– The benefit from sustainable hunting tourism and its implementation in Southeast European countries.
The workshop was carried out in two sessions by presenting the results from appropriate research and conditions in the Balkan countries and in other regions in Europe, discussions for the condition of the lynx population, as well as the meaning and importance of the sustainable hunting tourism in the abovementioned regions.
The final product of the two days work was the produced declaration in which the key recommendations and directions for conservation of the existing Balkan lynx population and implementation of the sustainable hunting tourism were outlined, which will lead to lynx protection. The Green Alliance has been formed in order to fulfill the set targets. The Alliance management committee is comprised of 5 members who will act together in this direction in the future.