Duration of the project:

1.10.2020. – 30.9.2025.

Total value:

€ 1.832.811,00

EU co – financing:

€ 1.004.792,00

Beneficiary coordinator:

Vulture Conservation Foundation, Netherlands

Partners:

BIOM Association, Croatia; Shoqata Ornitologjike e Shqipërisë, Albania; Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia; Fund for Wild Flora & Fauna, Bulgaria; Hellenic Ornithological Society, Greece; Macedonian Ecological Society, Macedonia; Ornithological Society of Our Birds, BiH; Country of Protection and Preservation of Natural Resources in Macedonia (Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania).

Web page: BALKAN DETOX LIFE

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 of this problem.

Specific objectives of the project:

• Improving the availability of information on the extent and problem of poisoning on the Balkan Peninsula
• ensuring real and continuous engagement of relevant state institutions in the fight against illegal poisoning of wild animals
• increase in the number of detected cases of poisoning by 40%, increase in the investigated incidents of poisoning in the region by 20% and at least 6 successfully processed cases within the project
• raising public awareness of the problem of poisoning
• reducing the number of cases of wildlife poisoning as a product of awareness raising
• the general public about the illegal use of toxins in the environment and the dangers it poses to human health and wildlife
• establishment of a national working group for the fight against poisoning and development of operational protocols in case of poisoning
• strengthening regional cooperation and exchange of information, knowledge and expertise by wildlife forensic pathologists, toxicologists, lawyers and public prosecutors.

Expected results:

1. Published study on the practice of illegal poisoning of wild animals
2. Established and formalized national working groups to combat poisoning
3. Developed and adopted three standard operational protocols – for investigation, forensic autopsy and toxicological analysis, based on examples of best practice from Spain
4. Increased general understanding of the scope of the problem and increased ability to respond immediately and effectively to poisoning incidents by competent state institutions
5. A total of five fully developed national protocols against poisoning, two of which will be officially adopted by the competent state authorities of the BalkanDetox LIFE partner countries
6. Increased awareness of key stakeholders about the harmfulness of the use of poisonous baits, the death of many wild animals and the dangers they pose to human health
7. Establishment of national databases, which contain all cases of illegal poisoning.
8. Published public periodic reports with relevant information on all cases of i ntentional and unintentional poisoning.