Project name:
BalkanDetox LIFE – strengthen national capacities to fight wildlife poisoning and raise awareness about the problem in the Balkan countries LIFE19 GIE/NL/001016
Duration:
01.10. 2020. – 30. 9. 2025.
Total budget:
1,832,811.00 €
Association Biom budget:
242.036,03€
Lead partner:
Vulture Conservation Foundation
Partners:
Shoqata Ornitologjike e Shqipërisë, Albanija;
Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia;
Fund for Wild Flora & Fauna, Bugarska;
Hellenic Ornithological Society, Grčka;
Macedonian Ecological Society, Makedonija;
Ornitološko društvo Naše ptice, BiH;
Qendra “Për Ruajtjen dhe Mbrojtjen e Mjedisit Natyror në Shqipëri” (Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania)
Contact:
Marija Martinko Ivanov
Bolesław Słociński
Project website
Project goals
Ensuring the real and continuous engagement of relevant state institutions in the fight against illegal poisoning of wild animals
Creation of a national working group to combat poisoning and development of operational protocols in case of poisoning
Increase in the number of detected cases of poisoning by 40%, increase in investigated incidents of poisoning in the region by 20% and at least 6 cases successfully processed within the project
Strengthening regional cooperation and exchange of information, knowledge and expertise by forensic wildlife pathologists, toxicologists, lawyers and public prosecutors
Project summary
The background and problem we want to solve
The most common way of poisoning wild animals in the Balkans is the deliberate placement of poison baits to kill wild predators or other wild and domestic animals that may harm livestock or game. In addition to the targeted animals, other vulnerable species also suffer because it is an indiscriminate means of killing animals. Vultures, as the main scavengers in nature, often become victims of poisoning, either by directly consuming bait or by feeding on the remains of dead poisoned animals. Frequent and repeated cases of poisoning in the Balkans have resulted in 465 confirmed vulture deaths in the last 20 years, and a VCF study estimates that at least 115 vultures die annually from poisoning in the Balkans, as only about 20% of such cases are detected and documented.
Project approach and solution
The project aims to improve the management of poisoning incidents and achieve a significant reduction in the mortality of vultures and other affected wildlife species, ensuring real and continuous engagement of relevant state institutions in combating this issue and raising public awareness about this problem.
Project area
Balkanski peninsula: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia.
Planned activities:
Establishing operational protocols for all relevant institutions in investigating poisoning incidents at the national level in all Balkan countries
Development and adoption of strategic national documents against wildlife poisoning
Wildlife Crime Academy – Strengthening institutional capacity and efficiency of prosecution to better manage wildlife crime cases by adopting Spanish best practice experience
Public awareness campaign and educational programs
Materials and publications
View
- Standardized protocol for coordination in cases of poisoning – BalkanDetox LIFE
- STUDY ABOUT THE ILLEGhttps://www.biom.hr/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Stand.-protokol-za-koordinaciju-u-slucajevima-trovanja-BalkanDetox-LIFE.pdfAL USE OF POISON IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE BALKAN PENINSULA
- EFFECTS AND IMPACT OF MISUSE OF PESTICIDES ON HUMAN HEALTH
- Balkan Wildlife Poisoning Map
- “Traces of poison” Campaign on the problem of poisoning wild animals
- Wildlife Crime Academy
- “Traces of poison” Campaign on the problem of poisoning wild animal
Watch this short video
The BalkanDetox LIFE project is funded by the European Union, the Croatian Office for Cooperation with NGOs, and the Fund for Environment and Energy Efficiency. The implementation of the project in Croatia is the sole responsibility of the Biom Association.