On the 1st of July Croatia became EU’s 28th Member State. We take this opportunity to congratulate BIOM (BirdLife Croatia) and also welcome the organisation into the BirdLife family as one of its newest Partners!

“We are happy and proud to be part of the BirdLife family. With our work in Croatia we want to strengthen the BirdLife Partnership and contribute to the power of many” states Krešimir Mikulić, Executive Director at BIOM (BirdLife in Croatia).
BIOM’s mission is to preserve the unique biodiversity Croatia offers and to include its population into active and efficient nature protection activities. BIOM therefore welcomes the acquis communautaire, in particular in the field of environmental legislation, which provides powerful tools, such as the Birds and Habitat Directives, the cornerstones of EU’s nature legislation, which the BirdLife Partnership played a decisive role in achieving.

Since BIOM’s foundation in 2006 it has conducted more than 50 projects in the field of nature conservation encompassing birds, mammals and insects. Their ornithological surveys focus on species included in Annex I of the Birds Directive, the list of 193 bird species and sub-species which are in danger of extinction, vulnerable to specific changes in their habitat, considered rare because of small populations or restricted local distribution and that require particular attention for reasons of the specific nature of habitat. BIOM is proud to have contributed with its knowledge and data in the designation of the Natura 2000 Network, which is used to implement the Directives. BIOM provides valuable data for public institutions and government agencies filling gaps about the distribution and population status of wild birds.

In Croatia there are over 230 breeding species of birds including significant populations of the Mediterranean Shag, White-backed Woodpeckers, Ferruginous Ducks and regionally important populations of Griffon Vultures, Short-toed Eagles and White-tailed Eagles. Croatia encompasses four ecological regions – from the Mediterranean coastline, over the wilderness of the Dinaric Alps, through pristine continental floodplain forests to the border of the Pannonian steppe. Most amazing is the coast line with over 1,100 islands, islets and rocks placed in the crystal clear Adriatic Sea. The karstic mountains rise in the hinterland providing shelter for an intact wildlife comprising all large carnivores of Europe. Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors in Croatia and BIOM is dedicated to the promotion of sustainable tourism and education of future wildlife and bird watching guides. “It is a wildlife country jam packed with biodiversity!” claims Krešimir Mikulić.

To date, BIOM has more than 80 members and with three full time employees and volunteers, it makes a real difference in Croatia. Public bird watching activities and volunteer camps are regularly organised. On top of that, it advocates for best practices in environmental impact assessments studies, environmental law implementation and good governance.

For more information: please contact Vedran Lucić, Assistant Nature Conservation Advisor at BIOM.