Bio-diversity

The development of the present project proposal is based on three main reasons: - The still continuing use of poisoned baits against the terrestrial predators - The fats overgrowing of the high mountain pastures which are thus quickly loosing their natural value - And, the unwillingness and the impossibilities of the local people to restore the free grazing of the livestock in the treeless zones of the high mountains as profitable and in the same time traditional and sustainable practice. Location Central Balkan National Park and the municipalities surrounding the park s territory. Project Target Groups - Local farmers to be compensated for their damages caused by predators - Farmers who plan to launch their own business - The shepherds of gypsy origin who will be hired to look after the herd - Central Balkan National Park Directorate - The Nature conservation NGOs working the frame of the Action Plan for Recovery and Conservation of the Vultures on the Balkan Peninsula and the adjacent regions. Goal and expected impacts - Establishing and maintenance of compensation program in order to the stop use of poisoned baits. - Recovery of the free grazing in the treeless zone of the Central Balkan as traditional agriculture practice for conservation and sustaining of the specific biodiversity and to prevent the habitat degradation of valuable habitats. - Creation of business model of sheep herd for production of organic food and distribution of the know-how. Objectives and expected results - Established herd numbering 750 sheep by the end of the project. - More than 800 ha representing territory of world significance is sustainable managed - Successfully compensated between 30 and 80 farmers and stopped use of poisoned baits - 5 experts are successfully trained on evaluating damages by large carnivores. - The local farmers are given successful model of organic food business. Major activities - Establishment and maintenance of the sheep herd - Development and maintenance of the compensation program - Training of experts for evaluation of damages caused by predators. - Information campaign to increase the popularity of the compensation program and the gained know-how of a successful model for producing organic food. Partnership with GEF SGP proposals/projects The project is going to be implementing in partnership with the already running project Recovery of the long-distance seasonal migration of the livestock herds (transhumance) in Eastern Bulgaria as a traditional environmental friendly agriculture practice . Our intention is to attract the sheep herd owned by FWFF Blagoevgrad, and to join it with our herd during the summer months so the number of the animals who will graze in high mountain pastures will be nearly doubled. Afterwards, part of our herd can migrate, together with the herd from Kotel to the wintering grounds in Eastern Rodopi mountain. Thus, as a result of the partnership, both projects will multiply their results. It is worth to mention that this partnership is not just copying of similar activities, but one of the very few examples for a synergy in the work of the Bulgarian NGOs. Sustainability The project itself is sustainable simply because it is a profitable initiative and this way there will be no need for seeking new donors to secure funds in order to keep running it. The profits from the sheep herd will be use only to expand it, thus assuring more funds. From other side, that project is closely connected with the Balkan Vultures Action Plan and the reintroduction of the Griffon Vulture in the Balkan mountain, particularly with the Birds of prey protection society s project for the reintroduction of the Griffon Vulture in the Central Balkan National Park. These projects will run at least for the next 10 years, hence both NGOs FWFF and BPPS will present in the area in a long-term.

Bulgaria