Nature Conservation

This month, FACE has chosen the Latvian conservation of large carnivores as the Biodiversity Manifesto project of the month. The Latvian hunters are involved in multiple ways in a project to monitor population changes in Wolf and Lynx populations. Latvia has managed a stable population with a slight increase. The objective is to have no less than 300 – 500 wolves (Canis lupus) in spring before young puppies are born. This is a well managed population that has come from an...

31 May, 2017 /

To mark the 25th Anniversary of the Habitats Directive and of the LIFE Programme, the European Commission together with the European Parliament, the Council Presidency and the Committee of the Regions declared 21st May as “European Natura 2000 Day”. Natura 2000 is producing good results but implementation clearly needs improvement at Member State level in particular with greater stakeholder involvement and dialogue. FACE will be supporting a better implementation of Natura 2000 as outlined in the EU Action Plan for Nature, People...

19 May, 2017 /

FACE was present at a conference on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The CAP is a major policy in Europe and currently uses the largest portion of the European Commission’s (EC) budget (almost 40%). It has resulted in major improvements in food production since its conception in 1957, however, there is recognition that the future CAP to be more sustainable. For FACE, the decline in farmland biodiversity, especially (huntable) small game species, is a very important subject....

12 May, 2017 /

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) accounts for nearly 40% of the EU budget and is a crucial support mechanism for agriculture and the rural environment in Europe. Many hunters will be aware that European agriculture has had a significant impact on farmland biodiversity, including many small game species. In 2020, the CAP will be revised; FACE and its members will be working hard to improve the next CAP and its consequences for hunting and conservation. In FACE’s view, the next CAP...

10 May, 2017 /

This year, the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE) is celebrating World Migratory Bird Day as a means to promote the recently established Waterbird Fund. FACE is calling on those who sustainably use and conserve waterbirds to contribute to this important Fund to ensure that we better understand the status of our migratory waterbird populations. The FACE Biodiversity Manifesto demonstrates that hunters are already actively involved in managing and creating wetlands that are important for migratory birds in Europe. However,...

10 May, 2017 /

Last week, the European Commission published its “Action Plan for Nature, People and the Economy”, which was the result of the “Fitness Check” of the EU nature directives. FACE, with input from its Members, has been involved in the entire Fitness Check consultation process including the development of this EU Action Plan. The Plan includes important actions for European hunters to be delivered by 2019, including: Updating guidance on species protection rules under the Habitats Directive; Updating the “Key concepts document on the...

04 May, 2017 /

On 29 April, ANCPG, RSHCB, and FACE highlighted the necessity for stronger collaboration between farmers and hunters at a conference on farmland small game management. All stakeholders agreed on the importance of strong partnerships to conserve small game species threatened by the intensification of farming. Related Member: BELGIUM: Royal Saint-Hubert Club de Belgique (RSHCB)...

02 May, 2017 /

The project of this month reflects the problem of biodiversity loss on farmland in Europe and demonstrates how hunters contribute to nature conservation in the Netherlands. Agricultural areas in The Netherlands are increasingly becoming more intensive, industrial and monotonous. This means that wildlife from extensive managed crops and grassland is going down in many areas. For wildlife like Pheasants, Grey Partridge and in future also Hare, this represents a serious threat. They depend on a diverse landscape in which they can...

28 April, 2017 /

Examples from Europe where hunting positively influences the conservation of threatened species. In 2017, FACE gathered nine projects in five countries in Europe where hunters are involved in the conservation of threatened species. Hunting, as an activity, creates a powerful incentive for the promotion of biodiversity conservation. Species that are threatened by changing land uses and farming practices, like the Grey Partridge and the Red Grouse, can benefit from actions of hunters. It is in all our interest to conserve biodiversity;...

25 April, 2017 /

On Tuesday 7th March, FACE, the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU, organised the conference “The future of the Nature Directives: Where are we going?”, hosted by MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz and MEP Renata Briano at the European Parliament in Brussels. Recently, the European Commission (EC) published the Fitness Check evaluation of the EU Nature Directives and concluded that they remain highly relevant and fit for purpose. However, in order to fully achieve the objectives of the Nature...

08 March, 2017 /

The Languedoc-Roussillon region has two Natura 2000 sites: the “Causses du Minervois” Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which aims to preserve natural habitats and species; and the “Minervois” Special Protection Area (SPA), which aims to conserve important habitats for bird populations. Established in 2014, the main objective of these projects is to maintain and restore the favourable condition of species and habitats in the Minervois Region. Members of the Departmental Federation of Hunting in the Aude and Herault provinces are involved...

03 March, 2017 /

Situated in the north of Scotland and with an area of 4,528 km2, the Cairngorms National Park is Britain’s largest national park. The Cairngorms National Park contains many natural habitats containing a number of rare and endangered species. In order to preserve the ecological and cultural richness of the National Park, the OpenNESS project partnered with the ‘Cairngorms Nature Strategy Group’ to assess and promote the ecosystem services and natural capital concepts in relation to sustainable land management. Since 2000, the main objective...

24 February, 2017 /

FACE, Copa & Cogeca, CEPF, ELO welcome new EU Court of Auditors report showing huge potential of Natura 2000 in protecting biodiversity but warn uptake is poor as funds difficult to access. FACE, Copa & Cogeca, CEPF, ELO welcomed in Brussels today a new EU Court of Auditors report which shows the huge potential of Natura 2000 in protecting biodiversity but warn that uptake is poor as the network is not being managed properly and funds are difficult to access. The report...

24 February, 2017 /

The conference, organized by MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz, President of the Hunting Intergroup and MEP Renata Briano, Vice-President, in cooperation with FACE, will take place on 7th March 2017 at the European Parliament in Brussels. On the 7 December 2016, the European Commissioner for Environment, Karmenu Vella, confirmed the next steps of the Fitness Check of the Birds and Habitats Directives: the European Commission will develop an implementation Action Plan to improve implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives. This Action Plan...

15 February, 2017 /

Every January, many people from all over Europe go out in cold weather to count waterbirds for the International Waterbird Census (IWC), the monitoring scheme, which provides clarity on waterbird populations and their trends. In Italy, there is good cooperation in place in many areas between professional ornithologists, bird watchers and hunters to ensure good coverage of wetlands, particularly the biggest ones, such as Venice Lagoon and Po delta. Under the umbrella of ISPRA, The Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research,...

02 February, 2017 /

The Holsteiner Lebensraum Project aims to restore the ecological connectivity of the Kreis Segeberg Region (North Germany). Species and habitats became fragmented mainly due to the building of two highways. One of the main objectives was to develop the Holsteiner Lebensraum Korridore in conjunction with a range of partners, including the Kreis Segeberg eV hunters. Several actions are set up at different scales and for different habitats, including: The construction of a green bridge over the highway to reconnect the forest. Deer and...

27 January, 2017 /

FACE publishes a yearly report presenting the results of the Biodiversity Manifesto process while demonstrating European hunter’s contribution to nature conservation. Since 2013, FACE has been gathering evidence to evaluate progress under the Biodiversity Manifesto. In 2015, FACE published its first BDM report, which presented how 181 conservation projects involving hunters linked to the targets of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020. The report demonstrated that 23 of the 34 BDM actions directly contributed to the EU’s Strategy. 2016 was dominated by...

21 December, 2016 /

This wetland restoration project takes place on a hunter’s 30 ha landholding in Flanders (Belgium). The site forms part of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under Natura 2000 and the objective is it to restore an Annex I habitat; an alluvial forest with Alder (Alnus glutinosa) and Ash (Fraxinus excelsior). Between 2012 and 2013, with the financial support of Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos (Agency for Nature and Forest) and Natura 2000 subsidies combined with hunters’ assistance in the field,...

14 December, 2016 /

On the 7 December 2016, EU Commissioners confirmed the next steps of the Fitness Check of the Birds and Habitats Directives. Thus far, the extensive consultation process has pointed to the need for better implementation, increased funding for nature conservation, and fully addressing the drivers of biodiversity loss in the wider countryside. On the basis of today’s debate, the European Commission will develop an implementation Action Plan to improve implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives. This Action Plan will likely contain...

07 December, 2016 /

Since 1995, the Hellenic Hunters Confederation has been conducting the program “ARTEMIS I” “ARTEMIS I” aims to: Monitor the status, population trends and population structure of game species in Greece Acquire the necessary knowledge to achieve objective and rational management of game species Evaluate all the management measures which have been applied during previous years Confront the lack of scientific data on behalf of the state concerning hunting activity and game species population status Disprove subjective data on the state of game populations and hunting...

24 November, 2016 /

The EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy requires in its Target 2 that ‘by 2020, ecosystems and their services are maintained and enhanced by establishing green infrastructure and restoring at least 15% of degraded ecosystems’. To assist in developing this target, FACE participated in an EU technical workshop on Green Infrastructure and Restoration in Brussels the 24th and 25th of October. In 2013, the EU adopted a Green Infrastructure (GI) Strategy, which seeks to set up a physical and functional transboundary network of...

31 October, 2016 /

The Lintulahdet Life project (Bird Bays Life) restored 12 wetland sites where 35 (Annex I) bird species come to rest or breed. Finnish local hunters succeeded in reducing the numbers of predators to improve nesting success in these areas. The project was carried out in the Uusimaa region and in Southeast Finland. The project, which took place from 2003 to 2007, focused on the restoration and management of a number of important wetland for birds along the Gulf of Finland migratory...

26 October, 2016 /

The document “Hunting & Conservation of Wild Birds in the EU” is a guidance document for European and national policy makers on the implementation and interpretation of the Birds Directive in relation to hunting. This “White Paper” was developed by the European Association for Regional Hunting Traditions (AECT) in close cooperation with FACE who adopted it on 28 September 2016. It assesses of the impact of the Birds Directive on sustainable bird hunting practices in Europe, and in particular on the...

05 October, 2016 /

Brenne Regional Natural Park, managed by the Indre Department, contains 3000 artificial ponds, which have been created since the Middle Age for fish farming. Due to its natural richness, most of this wetland area is designated under Ramsar and the Natura 2000 Network In 1993, the Wildlife Habitats Foundation bought 200 hectares of this site and, with the help of the Indre Federation of Hunters, acts to safeguard the habitat threatened by agricultural abandonment, but also to promote biodiversity and raise...

19 September, 2016 /
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