The 15th annual meeting of the Coordination Forum for Central and Eastern Europe of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) was held from 8-9 January 2015 in Arad, Romania. This yearly meeting was organized in close collaboration with the Romanian Hunting Association (AGVPS) and the CIC Headquarters. The President of the CIC Coordination Forum for Central and Eastern Europe, Mr. Toni Vrščaj welcomed all participants and he guided the meeting throughout two days with his talent and passion for conserving wildlife and hunting culture in the region. The host organisation was represented by AGVPS Director General Dr. Neculai Şelaru, Vice-Presidents Florin Iordache and Dr. Atilla Kelemen, both members of the Romanian Parliament, and the Director of AJVPS Arad, Nicu-Mircea Deme.
Two topics were chosen for this workshop: the implementation of the four strategic priorities of the CIC in the region, and the status and proposed management of the golden jackal in response to its spread towards Western Europe.
In the morning session, President of Honour Dieter Schramm presented the history of the CIC and its development into a renowned international organisation for sustainable use. Director General Tamás Marghescu highlighted the organisation’s successes at the international conservation policy level and the relevance of the four strategic priorities to each CIC Member and its National Delegations.
In the afternoon, esteemed international experts presented the existing policies related to the golden jackal and possible explanations for the seemingly fast spread of the species. National delegates reported on the current population status of this predator species and their current management methods. In the concluding discussion participants worked towards finding a common ground in both monitoring and management of the species.
The presence of FACE Secretary General Filippo Segato was heartily welcomed by participants, as most delegates of the CIC Coordination Forum are also members of FACE. Coordinated efforts within the hunting community are very important to implement concrete actions at the international level. Like at the previous meeting of the Coordination Forum in Macedonia, the European Commission was represented by Dr. András Demeter, Advisor to the DG Environment, who thanked both CIC and FACE for their participation on and support to the recently established EU platform on Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores.
The event followed the tradition of organising technical events on large carnivores. In 2010, the CIC Coordination Forum met in Sofia, Bulgaria to discuss the conservation and sustainable management of bear populations; in 2011, wolves were in the spotlight in Bratislava, Slovakia; and in 2013, the Forum brought forward the critical status of the Balkan Lynx. At the conclusion of the 2013 Forum, participants agreed to form a Green Alliance for the Balkan Lynx to promote its conservation. This year, large carnivores will also be on the agenda of the 62nd General Assembly of the CIC in Bulgaria.
Please download here the Resolution of Arad, the joint declaration of delegates of the meeting addressing the covered topics.