Project number:

LIFE24-NAT-DE-LIFE-DinPin-Bear/101214048

 

Duration of the project:

1. 1. 2026. – 30.6.2031.

 

Total value:

9,426,977 €

 

EU contribution:

7,070,233 €

 

Coordinating beneficiary:

EuroNatur – European Nature Heritage Foundation (Germany)

 

Partners:

University of Zagreb – Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Croatia), Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Croatia), Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania – PPNEA (Albania), National Agency of Protected Areas – AKZM (Albania), Center for Environment (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Ministry of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska (Bosna and Herzegovina), Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Resource Environmental Center – REC BiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency – OFYPEKA (Greece), Kallisto – Wildlife and Nature Conservation Society (Greece), Slovenia Forest Service (Slovenia), DivjaLabs Ltd. (Slovenia), Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia (Serbia), University of Belgrade – Faculty of Biology (Serbia), Macedonian Ecological Society – MES (North Macedonia), Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (North Macedonia), Center for Protection and Research of Birds – CZIP (Montenegro), Environmental Protection Agency (Montenegro), Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency – KEPA (Kosovo), ERA – Environmentally Responsible Action Group (Kosovo)

 

Project description:

In the Dinaric-Pindos Region threats to Bear conservation are increasing. Some of the countries in the Region do not have properly regulated large carnivore conservation and management strategies, including monitoring programs, their legal frameworks are not aligned with EU and international standards and Management Plans do not exist or are not implemented. While relevant international conventions have been signed by most of the countries, they are not adequately implemented. The state for establishment of Natura 2000 sites and implementation of the requirements of the Habitats Directive are behind schedule for countries aiming at EU accession. As an umbrella species, bears live in small densities, require large home ranges and are highly susceptible to habitat fragmentation, degradation and loss. Any fragmentation of the habitats and/or populations are harmful because it reduces or completely disables the connectivity of the population and movement of individuals across habitats. Some of the imminent results of the fragmentation are genetic drift and bottleneck effects, both resulting in population declines. The awareness of EU guidelines for population level conservation and management is very low in the Dinaric region, as is the capacity and competences to follow those guidelines. Three EU countries of the population (HR, SI and EL) are placed at the verge of the entire range and therefore are strongly dependent on the well-being of the entire population. Therefore, the main objectives of the DinPin Bear project will be:

• To identify and reduce the level of habitat fragmentation and bear population loss

• To reduce the level of conflicts of bears with human activities and to provide tools for coexistence with local communities

• To strengthen the legal and procedural basis for monitoring and management of bears

• To enhance and align transnational cooperation on bear management

• To gain the support of key stakeholders for assuring long-term bear conservation.