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. The foreseen establishment of the compensation sheep herd from the old breed Cigai, numbering more that 1 200 sheep by the end of the project seem to the elegant decision of the all three problems, at least in the project area Central Balkan National Park. The establishment and maintenance of the compensation program will eliminate the use of poison against brown bears and wolves, hence the destruction of specimens of species of world significance. The lack of such a program will leave open the biggest threat to the now running Action Plan for Recovery and Conservation of the Vultures on the Balkan Peninsula and the adjacent regions. The free grazing of the herd in the high mountain pastures in the Central Balkan National Park is going to stop the quick habitat destruction here which occurs due to the fast overgrowing. We assume that territory to be at least 1 000 ha. The created business model for organic food will be widely promoted and offered to every farmer who has interest is starting such a business. The present project surely will have multiply effect due to the following reasons. The sheep herd is out of question profitable business, hence it is sustainable and has a large potential for growing, what indeed is the aim of the BPPS team. There are detailed financial calculations which show the generated cash flow. The pure financial result (before taxes) from the sheep herd for the three years of the project is 78 729 BGN (40 374 EUR), without the financial grant from SGP of GEF. The total envisaged all costs (including the compensations for the farmers) are 324 537 BGN. The incomes generated from the products produced by the herd as well as the subsidies are 357 703 BGN. That gives profit of 33 168 BGN. To this amount it is necessary to add the amount of the grant from the SGP of GEF to start the project - 75 000 BGN, as well as the amount of 25 000 BNG which is going to be secured from other donors and BPPS. Thus, in total the project will generate over 130 000 BGN as a profit. This money will be invested in increasing the number of the sheep as well as in expanding of the scale of the compensation program. In case no additional funding can be secured (or it is insufficient or need co-financing), part of the profit will be used to establish and build the needed infrastructure sheep pen and shelters. From the very beginning of the project and its first summer the sheep herd will attract other farmers to graze their livestock in the high mountain, thus increasing the number of the animals. These numbers will particularly increase in case there are farmers who will also start similar business based on large sheep herds. The main goals of the project are - 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. The target groups are: - Local farmers to be compensated for their damages caused by predators - Farmers who plan to launch their own business - The shepherds of roma 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. The main activities are: - 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. The expected results are: - Established herd numbering 1 200 sheep by the end of the project. - More than 1 000 ha representing territory of world significance is sustainable managed - Successfully compensated between 60 and 150 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. Planning project with no co-financing, according to the decision of the Bulgarian NSC.

Bulgaria