The Croatia Hunting Federation is taking a leading role with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in the Dalmatian Stakeholder Platform which seeks to find practical solutions that respect the interests of local stakeholder with the goal of successful coexistence with the wolf.
The members of the Platform include representatives from all relevant stakeholders (Hunters, livestock breeders, authorities at different administrative levels) together with IT specialists, damage experts, Tracker network coordinators, communal wardens, inspection services, Nature conservation NGOs, National and Nature Park representatives, and the Croatian forests enterprise. All agree to achieve long-term conservation of the wolf through sustainable management of its population and provide to support the livestock sector and hunting ground managers regarding incentives and use of space.
Dalmatia is an area (project covering 13 000km2 ) with high level of livestock depredation and attacks on hunting dogs. Livestock industry changed in the past years from small livestock production to large livestock production. Livestock management associated with cattle is less careful and allows a higher proximity to animals and predation risk. Illegal dumping of carcasses and garbage attract wolves and stray dogs, increasing the risk of hybridization and possible wolf habituation to human presence. The Platform is just as focused on solutions to avoid conflicts happening in the first as it is to help with ongoing problems. Participation in research and monitoring is also a key activity.
Main conflict topics:
- Damages – depredation of livestock, conflict with farmers and hunting dogs, conflict with hunters
- Poaching (illegal shooting, poisoning)
- Mistrust among stakeholders, and towards authorities and science/experts, complete lack of cooperation due to lack of transparency of data related to wolf
- Fear of wolves
- Wolf proximity to settlements
Planned work
Participatory meetings with stakeholders in order to discuss concerns and opportunities related to human-wolf conflict, for promoting coexistence. Special emphasis will be placed on actions that can complement activities within the LIFE WildWolf project. Plan is to develop a (long) list of actions through the platform meetings, and commonly agreed upon selection process on priorities – to take joint actions towards solutions..
Outcomes so far
So far, a total of 4 workshops, out of the planned 12, have been held. The objective of the first workshop was to bring together pertinent and interested parties involved in the coexistence and/or management of wolves, to brief them on the project’s activities, to discuss about Croatian experience on wolf management, to analyse the challenges of platform establishment and to decide on the structure and format of the platform, a total of 43 persons, representatives of 23 different institutions/organizations/individuals participated in the first workshop included of which there were 36 stakeholders and 5 members of the project team. Based on the identified priority platform’s themes and other exchanged information and views of the participants, the following draft of the mission was created at the at the second platform meeting . In part of the third workshop, the livestock breeders who attended the event were able to presented more about the issues that they face because of wolves and other predators, and The fourth workshop focused on hunters, the challenges they face, and possible solutions.
The platform is co-financed with the grant „ Support for Coexistence with Large Carnivores” (Tender reference number: ENV/2023/OP/0019).
