 BSPB
The signing of the historic agreement between BSPB and UHAB
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BSPB and hunters pledge to work together
03-02-2006
In Sofia on 31 January, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB, BirdLife in Bulgaria) and the Union of Hunters and Anglers of Bulgaria (UHAB) signed the first national agreement of its kind, stating their shared belief in the importance of the EU Birds Directive as a suitable legal instrument for the conservation of wild birds in Bulgaria. Bulgaria is joining the European Union in 2007 or 2008.
This development has been inspired by the spirit and contents of an EU level Agreement signed between BirdLife International and FACE (the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU) in Brussels in October 2004 (UHAB is the Bulgarian member of FACE).
Preparatory talks started more than a year ago, led by the understanding that the preservation of Bulgaria’s biodiversity is a key common priority to BSPB and UHAB, given the increasing threats and losses of habitat facing the country's birds. Both organisations have recognised that overexploitation of forests and water resources, use of pesticides and poisonous chemicals in agriculture, and the construction boom at the Black Sea Coast have already caused significant and irrevocable damage to Bulgaria’s wildlife.
As a result both organisations have agreed that the designation of Natura 2000 sites should now be given the highest priority. These sites will be protected under EU law, and will include Important Bird Areas (IBAs) identified by BirdLife.
Following the official signing of the Agreement, Mr. Boris Barov, Executive Director of BSPB presented a proposed National List of Special Protected Areas (SPAs), which will form part of Natura 2000, to the Chairs of over 80 local hunting societies. BSPB has been authorised by the Bulgarian Government to assess data and develop the proposal for the country's SPA list, which contains 114 recently approved Important Bird Areas (IBAs). As a federation of 148 local hunting societies and over 120,000 members, UHAB can be a powerful supporter of BSPB's efforts and play a key role in the forthcoming public consultations for the designation of the network.
Dr. Stefan Youroukov, Bulgaria's Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry welcomed the Agreement, stating, "This is a most persuasive evidence of the maturity of these two large and influential Bulgarian organisations."