CIC Magazine 2018/1 – English version by International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC)

CIC MAGAZINE 2018/1

Conseil International de la Chasse et de la Conservation du Gibier Internationaler Rat zur Erhaltung des Wildes und der Jagd International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Editorial

Focus – 65th CIC General Assembly

Opening Ceremony

Sustainable Meat: Facts or Fables? Panel Discussion

Facts or Fables: The Wolf Beyond Little Red Riding Hood

Food, Values, and Stories for the Future: A Vegetarian’s Journey to Hunting

Game Meat – the Best Promotion for Hunting

Hunting for Treasure 2018

President of IUCN visited members’ General Assembly

Divisions

Young Opinion Recruitment

Specialist Groups Established within the CIC Applied Science Division

Wildlife Watch 3rd Annual International Trophy Evaluation

Trophy Evaluation System Updates #10

Regional and Country News

CIC German Delegation at the Jagd&Hund in Dortmund

The Romanian Bear Problem Seems to be Resolved

SCI Adopts Policy on Captive Bred Lions

German Africa Award 2018 goes to a Nature Conservationist from Tanzania

Click on any of the photos to jump to the article!

There are several links in the magazine to videos, audio files and photo albums. Look for the video or audio link sign once you move over a picture. The photo albums are highlighed too.

Video or audio link 3

Photo album

International Relations

A Milestone in Cooperation

Africa leading at the European Parliament!

CIC was Part of the World Migratory Bird Day 2018

Wildlife Estates Celebrates the Role of Wildlife Management in Private Conservation

EU Large Carnivore Platform Plenary Meeting: Comparing Good Practice Across the EU

Bowhunting – with CIC Support

Media and Publications Awards

German Translation of „The Last of Old Africa“ Receives the CIC Literature Prize

Who Owns Nature?

CIC Working Group Young Opinion Thesis Award 2018

International Journalism Symposium

Halali Magazine

Announcements

Release of the 11th Edition of the Evolution of CITES

The CIC Recognized as Observer to UNESCO ICH Convention

New Item in the CIC Shop

66th CIC General Assembly Windhoek Namibia 2–4 May 2019

Interview with Maxi Pia Louis, Director of NACSO

New Head of the Namibian CIC Delegation

Falconry Book from Germany

Women and Sustainable Hunting Conference

In Memoriam, Dr. Peter Lebersorger

Publisher: CIC Headquarters H-2092 Budakeszi, P.O. BOX 82, Hungary Phone: +36 23 453 830 • Fax: +36 23 453 832 E-mail: office@cic-wildlife.org • www.cic-wildlife.org Layout and typesetting: Alíz Ertler, a.ertler@cic-wildlife.org

EDITORIAL

Dear Members of the CIC, dear friends, I would like to report on what we have done in the first six month of 2018.

Joint CIC/FACE Declaration on the funding initiative “1 Euro/hunter”

I just would like to take the highlights, as we have done many small, but important things. One of the big highlights was our meeting in Brussels, which was organized by CIC, SCI, FACE, and ELO. We had a very successful meeting, the motto was Keep Calm and Let Africa Take the Lead, as the title says, it was about bringing representatives from various African Governments to the European Parliament, and to show those people in the European Parliament what Africa has to say from their viewpoint about the European way of interfering in African internal matters. That was very successful and it helped a lot to keep up the dialogue between Europe and Africa. Another highlight was our General Assembly in Madrid. Under the motto “Hunting: Facts or Fables” we had several interesting topics and presentations to follow, amongst others, we also had a highly successful International Journalism Symposium, which is of course another significant event. For you to remember, these are journalists who meeting once a year, for the time

being, and are normally not journalists who work for hunting communications, but those working in the general world and are hunters. This is a very important initiative of the CIC!

We were extremely pleased to see quite a lot of new members joining the CIC, and of course a particular pleasure was to see our friends from China, The China Wildlife Conservation Association , in Madrid. The organization represents a huge number of hunters in China. Dear members of the CIC, another exciting topic is the next General Assembly, which is taking place on the 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5 May 2019, in Windhoek, Namibia. We hope that many of you will make the journey to come to Namibia. Please check the website and the e-mail you will get, because we soon are going to open the new website for this General Assembly. Needless to say that you might want to take the opportunity to hunt before or after the GA, and we will be there to provide the necessary information about that.

We also held various discussions on large carnivores, in particular the wolf, and on meat consumption. The talks were thought-provoking and critical to the global discussions of today. Another significant part of the GA was the talks surrounding the one Euro per hunter project. As you know this project is critical for financing our work, which we need to do quickly and efficiently. We have just signed a common statement between FACE and CIC about this project, which means, ideally, every hunter in Europe and in the rest of the world, is ready to pay 1 euro to be collected by their national hunting associations, and 50 % goes to the CIC and 50% goes to FACE. This will give us the opportunity to finance our urgently needed work.

We hope to see you many of you!

George Aman President of the CIC

g: Facts or Fab les n n ? Hu

65TH CIC GENERAL ASSEMBLY 3–5 May 2018, Madrid, Spain “HUNTING: FACTS OR FABLES?” World Forum on Sustainable Hunting

The 65th General Assembly of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation under the motto “Hunting: Facts or Fables?” was organized in Madrid, Spain on 4 and 5 May. During the two day event, the participants discussed and deliberated the aspects of hunting, which are currently under attack by its opponents.

Juan Del Yerro, Honorary Member of the CIC Spanish Delegation; George Aman, CIC President; Luis de la Peña, Head of the CIC Spanish Delegation

George Aman, President of the CIC underlined that it is important that hunters are on the right track and that the continuous falsehoods are losing their credibility more and more. He added “The tireless efforts of the CIC, from the local to international levels, to hold discussions on sustainable use have started to get the ball rolling towards greater acceptance. Agreement is not sought, as agreement can be a very personal thing, but understanding and acceptance of the facts and dismantling of the fables is necessary. Let us use this time together in Madrid to build on the fruitful discussions we had in Montreux and continue to stand up for what is truly right and ask: is it a FACT or is it a FABLE?”

Luis de la Peña, Head of the CIC Spanish Delegation pointed out that 47 years passed since the last general assembly has been organized in Spain. He added that as hunting is part of Spanish culture and their tradition, the rural word of Spain is not able to survive without it. “We are very proud of those private land owners who have devoted their efforts to sustain wildlife. This is truly the land of hunting.”

Photo Album of the Opening Ceremony and Members’ Assembly

Watch the Opening Ceremony speeches on the CIC Youtube Channel.

Director General Esperanza Orellana, Rural Development and Forest Policy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food, and Environment in her welcome remarks underlined that hunting actively contributes to the active growth of rural territories, and noted that the CIC is a remarkable feature, and a compelling voice of hunting organizations and individuals. She added: “Hunting: facts or fables helps to dismantle fables which discredit the hunting sector.“ mentioning that hunting has a special relevance for Spain, as more than 13% of Spanish land areas have been dedicated to protection and conservation purposes, and it has 11 natural parks. “There is a challenge in making protection compatible with growth and well-being of local populations. 80% of land is suitable for hunting in Spain creating more than 186,000 jobs, which justifies the support of the MAPAMA. Beyond economic figures, we must consider the contribution of hunting to society. Spain is threatened by depopulation in rural areas and hunting is an engine of activity in these regions, generating wealth and jobs which may otherwise disappear. Considering the above, we believe we can promote and boost hunting activity in Spain. Spanish national hunting strategy includes the participation of all stakeholders. I thank you, on behalf of government of Spain, for being here with us today.”

Esperanza Orellana

Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros

Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros, the High Commissioner for Marca Espana in his opening address that reiterated that 47 years have passed since the last CIC General Assembly in Spain, and that he hopes that much time won’t pass

José Ramón Lete

before the next one! “It’s a privilege to welcome you here, in the land of hunting, where people are passionate about the game. We are surrounded by friends and nature, and we want to make sure that hunting stays a sustainable activity. Facts or fables is the right approach of what it is. It boosts the economy, it is a sport, and also a way of living for rural communities” José Ramón Lete, State Secretary of Sports (Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports) stressed that hunting is

fundamentally important to conservation, not only a passion. He added that passion for hunting is inseparable from the human condition. It is a historical and global practice which can only be understood with absolute respect for nature. Hunters are one of the first defenders of our natural environment. “We want a world where wildlife is conserved as part of nature for the benefit of society as a whole, and for the future generations. How can we protect it? How can we stop the degradation of planet?”

He highlighted that finding the answers must be the priority. He added that hunting surely contributes to the conservation of nature, as the protection of wildlife is carried out through the control of overpopulation. “87% of Spain’s territory is a hunting land, but hunting is not only a sport, it is also an industry that generates 180,000 jobs and favors the development of rural areas with investments of 300 million EUR in conserving our environment.”

Panel Discussion on Sustainable Meat: Facts or Fables? The panel discussion hosted Mr. Cerulli and Prof. Fa, along with other international experts including Dr. Shane Mahoney, Mikael Antell, and Sven Wiszniewski, with Prof. Klaus HacklĂ¤nder moderating.

Since the Industrial Revolution, meat has become an important part of our diets due to its ease of access and lowcost through the explosion of intensive industrial farming. Current meat consumption habits must change in order to support our sustainable future.

Watch the entire panel discussion on the CIC Youtube Channel.

Facts or Fables: The Wolf Beyond Little Red Riding Hood The return of the wolf and new challenges associated with its conservation are currently hot topics across Europe. In light of this, the CIC organized, in the framework of the 65th General Assembly in Madrid, a session dedicated to the topic. This session brought together experts from various stakeholder groups to deliberate the various aspects of wolf conservation. Dr. John Linnel, moderator of the session “Facts or Fables: The wolf beyond Little Red Riding Hood”, gave a short introduction on the controversy surrounding wolf conservation and wolf management plans in Europe to set the scene.

The EU has new budgets dedicated to biodiversity conservation, such as

Vesa Ruusila, Director of Game and Recreational Fisheries, from the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, shared, in his speech “What does the EU Member State Finland think? The view of the Government”, that in 2000 wolves existed only in the eastern parts of Finland but just 16 years later they could be found throughout the country with a higher concentration being found in the

Nicola Notaro, Head of Unit, European Commission DG Environment, in his key note “Stance of the European Commission on wolf conservation”, informed the audience that the wolf is a protected species under The Habitats Directive. At the same time, however, it is recognized that wolves are commonly the subject of human-wildlife conflict, which has resulted in a growing consensus on the issues which arise from co-existence. One of the main causes of the new problems is that wolves came back where they have never been or got extinct many years ago. Certain level of adjustment from all sides is necessary. We need to properly address the conflicts (eg. prevention, mitigation, compensation, lethal management, technical assistance) in a legal framework. 14

southern and eastern lands. In Finland, wolves can be hunted in Finland yet there are still social conflicts (such as loss of hunting dogs, fear of wolves among locals) and economic losses (mainly on reindeer and local livestock).

forum to promote the dialogue among conservation actors. After the above experts set the scene, a panel discussion was held including Mr. Notaro; Luis Suarez, WWF Spain; Dr. Valeria Salvatori, Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe; Anne Ollila, Reindeer Herders’ Association of Finland; Torbjörn Larsson, Swedish Hunting Association; and Dr. Juan Carlos Blanco, of the Spanish Wolf Project CBE.

Due to these conflicts there has been a national effort to prepare a management plan, in consultation with local councils, this year which includes a damage compensation system. The main aim for the future is to maintain the favourable conservation status.

The main outcomes included a consensus among all panellists that wolf conservation policy should: be based on science; include different stakeholders in the debates; be more transparent; and have a system of monitoring of the efficacy of research conducted and/or consulted.

Tuomas Hallenberg, President of the Finnish Hunting Association, presented “The view of the Finnish Hunting Association” and further described the situation of wolves in Finland emphasizing that challenges arising in the management of wolves occur mostly in the south. LUKE (Natural Resource Institute of Finland) prepares the wolf population estimates which are not debated. The Finish Hunters’ Association hosted the national wolf

Read the full article on the CIC website

Food, Values, and Stories for the Future – A Vegetarian’s Journey to Hunting Tovar Cerulli, author of The Mindful Carnivore: A Vegetarian’s Hunt for Sustenance, which has earned praise from hunters, ecologists, and vegetarians alike, gave an informational keynote speech at the 65th General Assembly of the CIC. To ensure the future of hunting, we must, of course, ensure its sustainability in terms of wildlife populations and habitat. Yet it is equally important—and, in much of the world, even more urgent—to ensure its sustainability in terms of social and cultural habitat, in terms of systems of value and meaning in which hunters and hunting are understood not merely as acceptable but as worthy. One of the overarching stories that I often hear from hunters is that we are under attack and increasingly isolated. And there is truth in that story.

But I think we need to ask questions that strike closer to home: What are we doing—or not doing—that contributes to this state of affairs? What roles do our stories and our mindsets play in perpetuating this pattern, in blinding us to the shared values that we may have, in shaping others’ perceptions of us, and in sometimes polarizing and oversimplifying the debate? 16

If we are accustomed to thinking that our values and our critics’ values are fundamentally opposed, and to defending ourselves against them, seeing them as enemies who must be defeated, it is difficult to imagine other possibilities. It is difficult to see, for example, that our values and our critics’ values are often rooted in the same core ideas, including respect for the land, for

animal welfare, and for the sacredness of life. I want us to create and protect the social and cultural habitat in which hunting can thrive. I want us to create and protect a world, as the CIC

Vision Statement puts it, â&#x20AC;&#x153;that values and supports sustainable hunting for the benefit of people and nature.â&#x20AC;? To do that, we need to tell much more powerful stories: stories that convey

Follow Tovar Cerulli on his Facebook page

our respect for animals and the larger natural world, and that illustrate how deeply relevant and connected hunting, and we as hunters, remain to the changing world we inhabit.

Game Meat – the Best Promotion for Hunting During the 65th CIC General Assembly, the session of the Working Group Artemis was delivered in a very new style and brought an interactive element to the participants—through a culinary presentation. The President of the Working Group, Dr. Soňa Chovanová Supeková, and Head of the Swedish Delegation and former President of the Division Policy and Law, Prof. Torsten Mörner, organized a tasting of various culinary delights made from game meat. Dr. Supeková and Prof. Mörner teamed up with Peter Slačka, who is among the most recognized chefs in Slovakia and Central Eastern Europe. He is the owner of the Bratislava-based Baroza Bistro, which combines a quality modern bistro and restaurant, inspired by gastronomic delicacies from all corners of the

world. He always uses the freshest ingredients available, from organic sources whenever possible. The goal of the presentation was to encourage National Delegations of the CIC to contribute their own local recipes to the creation of an international cookbook which would show and promote the widerange of culinary possibilities and nutrition value game meat offers. The Artemis Working Group will initially have the cookbook in English, German, and French, but of course other language variations would also be encouraged!

CIC members and guests of the General Assembly had the possibility to taste three different kind of dishes: • Deer terrine with wild boar tongue • Wild duck liver with pistachios • Wild boar terrine with smoked boar sausages, smoked ham and dates The dishes were served with horseradish, pickled baby vegetables, wild garlic pesto, spring-onion purée, home-made jam, leaves from the forest and fermented fruits.

Hunting for Treasure 2018 When we talk about the achievements of the Hunting Auction this year, we must first of all mention the generosity of our members: this time we received 80 donations which is a record. Thank you all for donating! Of course, we also need enthusiastic buyers for the success, a big thank you to all those who have offered diligently as we used new innovations in bidding for the first time. As you may know, there is no “Bidding Box” any

more, bids can only be placed online. We are constantly working to improve the system, to produce an application for smartphones and make bidding seamless for the next auction, in 2019.

who do not have the opportunity to attend the General Assembly.

We will introduce and explain the application to you well before the next General Assembly, so everyone will be able to bid at their best. We hope that this will encourage more and more members to participate in the auction, even those

Unfortunately, the conditions of the live auction were not the most favourable this year, which is why we did not achieve our goal. Nevertheless, it was still a great success. Thank you, once again, for your support!

The overall result of income for this year’s auction was similar to last year’s result.

Hunting for Treasu re Donors2018 Jagdschule Gut Grambow/ Martin Lösch Hans-Werner Blöcker Joachim Wadsack George Aman Slovak Hunting Chamber / Tibor Lebocký Wilhelm von Trott zu Solz Matjaz Princic Niedersächsisches Forstamt Saupark Hotel Schökel & Richard Schökel Toni Meggle Max Vrede Lovacko udruzenje “Jovan Serbanovic” Great Spanish Hunts Norbert Vossen Dr. Rolf Roosen (Paul Parey) Prince Henrik of Denmark Kräling Cordelia & Rudolf La Nava, Javier Medem Louis de la Pena Dirk E. Brockhaus Pascal Pittet Philipp Burla Roderick & Lydia Wurfbain The Hon. Charles Pearson Hunt-ers Experiences S.L. Olivier Sarrasin & Francesco Bertazzoni Mr. Landaluce and S.A.R. Pedro de Borbón

Dr. Philip Harmer Mme Bridget van Rijckevorsel SEFAG Zrt. / Barkóczi István ZALAERDÖ Zrt. / Rosta Gyula VERGA Zrt. / Schumacher István KASZÓ Zrt. / Galamb Gábor GYULAJ Zrt. / Göbölös Péter López Queseda Abelló Family Fondation Francois Sommer / Louis de Rohan Chabot Fernando Saiz Spain - Beltran Cotoner Federazione Italiana della Caccia Mikael Antell & Artur Hagner Ewa Klingspor Metsähallitus/ Mikko Rautiainen + Jukka Bisi WG Artemis and Club of Slovak Lady Hunters / Sona

Chovanová Supeková Árpád Sárkány Asociación de Propietarios de Terrenos en la Reserva Regional de Caza “Sierra de Gredos” Carlo Alberto e Giovanni Pejrone KEFAG Zrt. / Sulyok Ferenc Abdalmalek Laraichi Christoph Tavernaro H&CAT (Hunting and Conservation Alliance of Tajikistan) Alejandro Allende Danene van Westhuyzen Ramiro Gonzales Allende Diethelm & Katja Metzger Hugo Kotzé Michael Naylor Werner Rogl Michel Mantheakis Robin Hurt Wolfgang Schenk Taxidermy/ Erik Schenk Francois Labet Nicolás Franco Pasqual de Pobil Young Opinion Armeria de Madrid Swarovski Optic Beretta Dr. Rolf Baldus Romantik Hotel Spielweg / KarlJosef Fuchs Blaser Jagdwaffen GmbH / Michael Lüke Sako Ltd. Francois Lorenceau Bernardo Feune de Colombi & Pablo Ferrecio

President of IUCN visited members’ General Assembly The CIC was honored to have received President Zhang Xinsheng in Madrid at its annual General Assembly. The CIC is a long-standing active member of IUCN, which is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental

organization, and working actively and closely with IUCN Specialist Group on Sustainable Use and Livelihoods. CIC’s Ambassador for Africa, Dr. Ali Kaka, was also appointed as a VicePresident of IUCN.

DIVISIONS Young Opinion Recruitment It was my great honour to be elected to the board of the Young Opinion Working Group in 2017, and to be asked to undertake the task of improving, streamlining and expanding recruitment. The future of the CIC lies in youth and recruitment. We are hoping to expand recruitment under the current criteria and guidelines to foster loyal life-long members and supporters of the goals of the CIC, as well to more engage current members by organising more cross-border events aimed at the under-35 contingent of members. In order to facilitate transnational communications and streamline recruitment policy we are asking every delegation to appoint a recruitment coordinator in their Young Opinion Delegation to who can help potential members navigate the route to full member, a full list will be made available soon. For nominations of potential new members or further information please e-mail me at membership.yo@cic-wildlife.org Tristan Breijer Young Opinion Member of the UK Delegation 23

Specialist Groups Established within the CIC Applied Science Division In order to fulfil its obligations within the CIC Statutes (Art. 15), the Applied Science Division (ASD) called for nominations to establish thematic specialist groups, a network of experts from national CIC delegations around the world. The results were announced during the ASD session at the General Assembly in Madrid. The membership of the ASD is a network of volunteer CIC experts who actively provide advice on the environmental, economic, social and cultural factors that affect

natural resource and biodiversity conservation, especially in connection with sustainable use and regulated hunting. The network and the sound scientific advice

of its members provide guidance and support towards the global advocacy activities of the Division, and the CIC in general.

The list of specialist groups and their leaders:

Large carnivore management Head: Jacqueline FRAIR, USA

Migratory bird management Head: Iben Hove SĂ&#x2DC;RENSEN Denmark

Small game management: to be announced

The announced specialist groups will gather further individual or expert members of the CIC who want to actively contribute to the work of

ASD, communicate their professional opinions on global and regional issues of concern, and share learning experiences. Moreover, these CIC

members can take part in the development of Resolutions and Recommendations to be tabled at the General Assembly.

Sustainable use:

Trophy Evaluation:

Klaus HACKLÄNDER, Austria

Dr. Imrich ŠUBA, Slovakia

Tony DALBY-WELSH, UK

Wildlife health and game meat: Torsten MÖRNER, Sweden

Wildlife resource economics: Mikko RAUTIAINEN, Finland

Wildlife crime: Dietrich JELDEN, Germany

WILDLIFE WATCH 3rd Annual International Trophy Evaluation The CIC Headquarters hosted its 3rd Annual International Trophy Evaluation in Budakeszi, Hungary on 14 February 2018. Three Senior International Trophy Judges (STJs) were invited to evaluate trophies which have the potential to gain international recognition with the CIC International Gold Medal and Certificate. Dr. Tibor Lebocky (SK), Nicolo Amosso (IT), and Cosmin Maris (RO) evaluated fallow deer, roe deer, and red deer trophies from Hungary, Slovakia, Italy, Poland, Romania, and Denmark.

The annual event was followed by a live demonstration of the CICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trophy evaluation methods at the FeHoVa in Budapest to educate the public on the characteristics of the trophies which contribute to the overall scoringâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;not just size! The live demonstration can be watched online on the Facebook page of the CIC.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Likeâ&#x20AC;? us on Facebook for regular updates outside of the CIC Magazine!

Trophy Evaluation System Update #10 Why is trophy evaluation important? Wildlife is an important renewable resource. Wildlife species are being threatened because of habitat destruction and the increasing demand for agricultural land due to human population growth. Sustainable Wildlife Management is the socially, ecologically, and economically responsible management of wildlife species to sustain their populations and habitats over time and hunters are an essential part of this activity.

Just one of the ways hunters contribute to nature conservation is through the evaluation of trophies. Often, people ask: why is trophy evaluation important? The measurement of trophies serves as a means of assessing the local and national quality of a population. For the CIC, having 27 countries apply the CIC measurement method, trophy evaluation enables us to compare evaluation results with other countries around the

Trophy evaluation provides an opportunity to view wildlife management from a different perspective, not just population numbers, but rather genetic quality and diversity. It also allows for tracking of disease, hormonal imbalances, and much more!

world and, perhaps most importantly, provides evidence of responsible wildlife management.

can be assessed. This is also important on an international level, because wildlife do not respect political borders. Conservation is a global effort and by working together, collectives of people can be inspired to achieve more than they could individually.

By scoring and evaluating trophies of all hunted species today, with unified formulas and measurement techniques, national population and quality trends

The TES in numbers: CCMs/STJs: 630 Countries in the TES: 27 Measurements in the TED: 9294

Our Network The first half of this year has been a busy one for the CIC Trophy Evaluation System. Starting in February, with the 3rd Annual CIC International Evaluation on the 14th, the CIC TES kicked off the year with the evaluation of many strong gold medal

trophies from across Europe. At the end of the month, Belgium held their first official CIC TES Training event near Brussels which resulted in the certification of 16 Belgian Certified CIC Measurers (CCMs) and 3 French CCMs. Belgian training CCMs

In March and April, the Hungarian Government requested two training events for a total of 52 participants who are the Heads of the regional hunting authorities across

Hungary. These events not only strengthen the relationship of the CIC and Hungary, but also provide easier access to official CIC evaluations for hunters in the country.

Hungarian CCMs from the first event in HuszĂĄrokelĹ&#x2018;puszta

Hungarian CCMs from the second event in Pusztavacs

In May, the Accademia Biometrica Faunistica Italiana (ABIF) hosted a training for 15 dedicated individuals, all of whom received their certification.

Finally, in June, the United Kingdom Trophy Evaluation Board hosted their second training event in Wells. This event served 3 purposes: to re-certify their CCMs from 2014, to certify 9 new CCMs (5 of which were international guests), and to extend the measurement profiles of their current CCMs. It was an organizational feat, and all 3 courses were expertly coordinated and delivered.

Pusztavacs training leaders From left to right: Larry Taaffe (IE), Dr. Tibor Lebocky (SK), Tony Dalby-Welsh (GB), and Dr. Kristรณf Hecker (CIC))

The CIC TES would like to congratulate all those who successfully completed their certification!

Group of renewing CCMs of the UK

Did you know? The United Kingdom (with a total of 18 CCMs/STJs last year) entered the most individual evaluations into the TED with 721 evaluations across 11 species! 31

Amosso (IT), Enzo Berzieri (IT), Alain Ranson (BE), Michel Nolens (BE-HSTJ), Dr. Alain Francois (FR), Larry Taaffe (IE), Tony Dalby-Welsh (GB), Iain Watson (GB), Fritz Heje Hansen (DK), and Dr. Gianfranco Malisan (IT).

Furthermore, the success of all of these events depends on the commitment our STJs have for the CIC TES by volunteering to serve as mentors at these important sessions; thank you to Dr. Tibor Lebocky (SK), Dr. Cosmin Maris (RO), Dr. Nicolo

CCMs who completed the extension training in the UK

New CCMs of the UK Training with guests from Germany, Sweden, and Denmark

Publication corner One of the most notable features of the book, is the individual pictures of the red deer trophies which were evaluated under the current CIC system by STJ Roman Dziedzic, alongside some reproductions of the historic evaluations done on the red deer trophies.

Roman Dziedzic and Michał Słoniewski published, in 2017, a Polish and English language book titled “The Tsar’s hunting household in Spała 1885-1914” which details the history of the hunting household built by the last Tsars of the Romanov family, particularly Alexander III.

If you would like more information on how to get a copy of this book yourself, contact the CIC HQ!

The book describes that Alexander III and his son, Nicholas II, enjoyed the solitude and peacefulness of this area in Spała while participating in exciting hunts in the company of a plethora of high-level guests.

National Exhibitions Latvia

This year, Latvia held a national trophy exhibition in Jaunmokas over the course of 2 months, ending on 19 May which was also the Latvian “Night of the Museums” allowing for free entry to all museums in Latvia. Over 1000 free range trophies, taken between 2015 and 2018, were evaluated on 6 and 7 April, with the results of some of the species being:

• Red deer: gold 79; silver 152; bronze 155 • Roe deer: gold 27; silver 63; bronze 76 • Wild boar tusks: gold medal 20; silver 29; bronze 36 • Moose: silver 4; bronze 19 Skulls of beaver, badger, and foxes were also evaluated and displayed. The exhibition this year was unique because it was the first time that there

were 79 red deer trophies at the gold medal level in one exhibition. This excellent outcome was solely due to the Latvian red deer management plan which was put in place 10 years ago to promote the strategic selection of red deer to take each year. Courses were given to hunters on aging animals in the field and to encourage them to recognize the

difference between a red stag which should be left to mature and reproduce, and those which should be removed from the genetic pool. From 26 gold medal red deer 10 years ago, to 79 presented at this exhibition, one can really see the success in the Latvian red deer management!

Lithuania Antanas Smetona, also in celebration of the 100 Year Anniversary of Lithuanian independence.

This year, from 16 June â&#x20AC;&#x201C;16 September, the Lithuanian National Trophy Exhibition, which is held every three years, is on display in Alanta, a town just an hour outside of Vilnius. On 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;3 June, Lithuanian CCMs and STJs, along with guest STJs Andres Lillemae (EE), Kaarel Roht (EE), Roman Dziedzic (PL), and Janis Baumanis (LV), to evaluate over 1,400 free range trophies prior to the opening of the exhibition including moose, red deer, roe deer, fallow deer, carnivore skulls (fox, wolf, badger, and bear), beaver, wild boar, and more. The CCMs worked in teams and input the data directly into the Trophy Evaluation Database, which was a great success!

More pictures can be found here. Both of these national exhibitions were open and accessible to those who may not be involved in or familiar with hunting and had events to entertain everyone while providing information on the success of sustainable use in conservation. Congratulations to those that made both exhibitions a resounding success! Lithuanian CCMs at the national evaluation using the TED to input each entry

On 16 June, the exhibition in Alanta was formally opened with an action-packed opening day featuring three stories of trophies in the unique setting of the Alanta Manor, falconry demonstrations, a hunting dog show, hunting music performances, archery, and most notably: the third Lithuanian National Deer Calling Championship! The event was well-attended, drawing a crowd of hunters and non-hunters alike. On 17 June, the local exhibition of Ukmerge was opened at the residence of the first President of Lithuanian,

Lithuanian Deer Calling Championships â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Group photo

The TEB strongly encourages all hunters to have their trophies evaluated by a Certified CIC Measurer in order to enhance research possibilities and encourage a more wholesome approach to the evaluation, regardless of the trophyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential to reach37a medal limit.

Happenings of the CIC TES training events so far this year!

In the Spotlight Why did you become involved with trophy evaluation?

What role does trophy evaluation play in the management of wildlife in Lithuania?

The first time I heard about trophies was when I was getting my PhD from Rimantas Baleisis, the father of trophy evaluation in Lithuania. Later on, he became my mentor. His class for me, as an apprentice, was the first time I could handle trophies and it made a huge impact on me. I believe all hunters and trophy experts should get involved in these activities with children from a very young age.

Trophy evaluation in Lithuania is inseparable from selective hunting. We have three categories of hunters: 1) ordinary hunters with the basic knowledge, 2) selective hunters who have the right to hunt males of cervids, and 3) hunting trophy experts who not only evaluate trophies, but also have the right to decide if the animal was hunted correctly, according to the Rules of Selective Hunting in Lithuania, appointed by the Minister of Environment. We have had this system of selective hunting for a few decades and during this time the populations of roe deer, red deer, moose, and fallow deer have increased. Along with the populations, the trophy quality has significantly increased.

After I finished my Master studies at Vilnius University, I started to work at the Lithuanian Hunters and Anglers Association and right after that, back in 1984, I joined the small team of the very first trophy experts to organize a grand hunting trophy exhibition.

Eugenijus TijuĹĄas Lithuania 2013-STJ-008

For example, in 1984 we had 44 roe deer antlers with medals but only 7 of them were a gold medal; this year we had 616 roe deer antlers in our exhibition and 86 of them received a gold medal. You recently opened the national exhibition of Lithuania in Alanta, how many visitors do you expect to have over these months and what do you hope they will take away from their experience? We always try to hold these exhibitions in an attractive place for tourists: castles, palaces, manors, etc. Three years ago, we

had an exhibition in North Lithuania and in three months there were 25,000 visitors. This year it is at the same time as an extraordinary occasion – we are celebrating 100 years of Lithuanian independence— and our exhibition is located in the busiest summer tourist route, so we are expecting twice as much visitors. All hunting trophy exhibitions in Lithuania always have an educational purpose – to spread the important knowledge about the sustainable use of our natural resources to society.

Upcoming Events August 27–28 TEB Meeting Bassano del Grappa, Italy *Events are subject to change without notice

Do you know a member of the STJ/CCM network who should be in the spotlight? Would you like your event highlighted in our events section? Please send STJ/CCM nominations/event details to c.sorensen@cic-wildlife.org If you have any questions about the above information, or the CIC TES in general, please contact Caroline Sorensen, CIC Conservation Officer, at c.sorensen@cic-wildlife.org 41

REGIONAL AND COUNTRY NEWS CIC German Delegation at the Jagd&Hund in Dortmund For the second time, the German Delegation of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation organized a conference at the “Jagd&Hund” trade fair in Dortmund under the theme “International Species Protection and Hunting.”

conservation. The main task of the CIC, representing the interests of more than 30 million hunters worldwide, is to maintain the sustainable use of nature and, thus, hunting as a means of nature and species conservation. With the One Euro Initiative, where one euro is collected from each hunter every year, European hunters could raise €7 million annually for the global work

Dr. Dietrich Jelden, CIC expert and longtime, now retired, Head of the German CITES enforcement authority drew an unequivocal conclusion: “It remains a problem in the German-speaking world: we do a lot of good, but, unlike other nations, we have some inhibitions in talking about it!” His advice was that in order to improve the public’s acceptance of hunters, “flagship projects” should be made more visible, not only in Africa but worldwide. The Federal Ministry for the Environment, which has political leadership in international species protection in Germany, has been influenced by “specific non-governmental organizations” for many decades, criticized Jelden. In this case, hunting tourists would hardly be noticed if they were in violation of species protection. CIC President George Aman focused on the role of hunters in biodiversity 42

of the CIC and FACE. The President of FACE, the “boss” of European hunters, had previously mentioned the close cooperation between the CIC and FACE in achieving common goals in Brussels.

The Jagd & Hund is Europe’s most important hunting fair. In 2017, 70,000 visitors and 800 companies from 38 nations came to Dortmund.

SCI Adopts Policy on Captive Bred Lions Considering that the practice of the captive breeding of lions for the purpose of hunting has doubtful value to the conservation of lions in the wild, and considering that such hunting is not consistent with SCI’s criteria for estate hunting, the SCI Board has adopted the following policy: • SCI opposes the hunting of African lions bred in captivity. • This policy takes effect on February 4, 2018 and applies to hunts taking place after adoption of this policy and to any Record Book entry related to such hunts. • SCI will not accept advertising from any operator for any such hunts, nor will SCI allow operators to sell hunts for lions bred in captivity at the SCI Annual Hunters’ Convention.

First For Hunters is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI’s approximately 200 Chapters represent all 50 of the United States as well as 106 other countries. SCI’s proactive leadership in a host of cooperative wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian programs, with the SCI Foundation and other conservation groups, research institutions and government agencies, empowers sportsmen to be contributing community members and participants in sound wildlife management and conservation.

German Africa Award 2018 goes to a Nature Conservationist from Tanzania

Gerald Bigurube accepts congratulations from the German ambassador to Tanzania, Detlef Wächter

An independent jury consisting of 26 experts declared Gerald Nigurube from Tanzania to be one of two winners of this year’s German Africa Award. “They found that it was high time to give a voice to activists who care for the conservation of nature”, said Ingo Badoreck, Secretary General of the German Africa Foundation granting the award. “We wish to show that

economic development and environmental protection can go hand in hand”. The prize will be handed over in Berlin in November. Bigurube, 66 years old, a wildlife biologist with qualifications acquired in Tanzania and Canada, was the Chief Warden of the Selous Game Reserve from 1986 to 1994, where he, in the early 1990’s, together with German colleagues stopped the 45

poaching of elephants in the framework of a development aid project. Afterwards, until 2009, he was the head of the national parks authority TANAPA. Since that time, he has been the Tanzanian country director of Frankfurt Zoological Society with seat in Seronera in the Serengeti National Park. Bigurube stood always up for conservation that combined protection

of with sustainable utilization. In the Selous it was the sustainable hunting tourism, which accounted for 90% of the revenues of the game reserve. Half of it could be retained for the management of the reserve. Thus the revenues from hunting tourism were

instrumental to reduce the massive poaching to almost zero. Bigurube is a jury member in the jury of the CIC Markhor Award. After the large poaching wave in Tanzania Bigurube implemented from 2014 to 2017 the “Selous Elephant Emergency Programme”

in cooperation with the reserve and the CIC. The Selous – a United Nations “World Heritage Site in Danger” – is threatened today by a mega dam, which the Tanzanian Government plans to build in the heart of the reserve at Stiegler’s Gorge. Bigurube shares the Prize with 46-year old Clovis Razafimalala from Madagascar who has been fighting for a decade against deforestation in his home country. Rolf D. Baldus

Gerald Bigurube (left) and Game Warden at site of freshly poached elephant in 2014.

The Romanian Bear Problem Seems to be Resolved At the end of April 2018, the Romanian Ministry of the Environment adopted a draft action plan for the brown bear population. This action plan is part of a European LIFE project (BEAR LIFE), developed by the Romanian Forestry and Research Institute.

the European Federation of Associations for Hunting & Conservation (FACE), were actively involved in the working group, which developed the final form of the action plan. The action plan identified 4 regions based on the density of the bear population, taking into account the damage caused, and states that hunting is a way of restoring optimum headcount in areas where the stock is overburdened. This means that the stock is regulated by hunting, based on the hunting methods described in hunting laws.

Members of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), most importantly the representatives of General Association of Romanian Hunters and Anglers (AGVPS), CIC Vice President Dr. Árpád Sárkány, Benke József member of the CIC, Ovidiu Ionescu CIC Expert and Valeriu Bolgiu, the Head of the CIC Romanian Delegation as well as the representation of CIC’s sister organization,

The principle that CIC endorses (sustainable use) now strongly predominates thanks to the work of the listed people.

Furthermore, the CIC, FACE and the European Landowners’ Organization (ELO) contributed through the Large Carnivores Platform, and CIC gave this topic high priority on the agenda of our General Assembly in Madrid this year, not to mention the bilateral lunch, which was organized between the European Commission, the President of Nordic Hunters and the President of the Finnish Hunters’ Association. Mr. Sárkány Árpád participated with the other members of the Romanian CIC delegation at the public hearing in the Romanian Parliament and at the public debate organized for the press. On 23 May, the Romanian Parliament accepted the modification of Law no. 49/2011, par. 38 which states that the Romanian Ministry of Environment – in compliance with the requirements of the EU Environmental Protection Directiveshould mandatory approve each year an intervention quota for wildlife stock. We believe that this law will assure the solution in the short- and medium term for solving the problems stemming from the overgrowth of wildlife stock. The hunters as stakeholders in the process had a major role in the creation of the large carnivore management plan in Romania and they are looking forward that all participating stakeholders politically support the approval of the plan by the Ministry of Environment and then collaborate in its implementation.

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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS A Milestone in Cooperation On December 18-19, 2017 in Pravets, Bulgaria, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), in collaboration with the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU (FACE), and supported by the European Commission, the Bulgarian State, and locally by Mr. Valentin Zlatev, organized the very first “Training Course on the Surveillance of Wildlife Diseases” with the main goal of clarifying the “Role of Hunters” in wildlife disease detection and management. This is the very first official

event of the CIC Wildlife Health Center, chaired by Prof. Torsten Mörner, representing both OIE and the CIC. The 45 participants from 18 countries appreciated that this meeting gathered stakeholders involved in the surveillance and control of wildlife diseases both at the national and international levels. Representatives of the organizing entities and national

hunting associations, veterinary services, and food agencies discussed the current and future role of hunters in the surveillance of wildlife diseases. The main topic was the unwavering spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF) in Europe.

The CIC and FACE play a very important role in informing and alerting their members, from National Hunting Associations down to each individual hunter, about the possible implications of an ASF outbreak. Fortunately, some countries have already started to implement prevention measures, and cooperation between veterinary services and hunters is ongoing. Participants jointly prepared recommendations for communication, cooperation, and preparatory measures to take before an outbreak occurs in a given area. There was mutual agreement that the national authorities and hunters should work together to develop a contingency plan for the eventual outbreak not only by planning, but by arranging for the necessary equipment and infrastructure. Hunters need to be trained to take biosecurity measures and samples. In some instances, hunters even have to

After general presentations on the perception and the reality of the hunters’ role in wildlife disease detection and control, the OIE National Wildlife Focal Points of the affected countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Russia) shared their experiences about measures they had taken since the outbreak. The general conclusion was that these countries had no previous knowledge of what they should prepare for and that their experience should be used by countries which are not yet affected. The threat is there. The question is not – as maybe many still think in the disease free countries – IF ASF would get to them, but WHEN! Francesco Berlingieri from the European Commission, DG SANTE, warned all participants to prepare “in peace time, for the war coming”. For this, raising awareness is crucial! 51

change their ways of hunting to gain a stronger control over wild boar populations, such us the selective hunting of female individuals. The ASF is detrimental for wild boar and for domestic pig populations. The CIC and FACE realize the significance of wildlife disease in wildlife

Vytenis Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety

management and the essential role of hunters in combatting it at all levels. Hunters can show the public their dedication for wildlife conservation through disease control to help gain credibility in society. At the end, we are confident that this very first training on wildlife diseases at the CIC Wildlife Health Center was a milestone in the cooperation between veterinarians and hunters both! The recommendations can be downloaded here. Another meeting was held on animal health issues in March, 2018. The Technical

Assistance and Information Exchange instrument of the European Commission (TAIEX) organised a workshop on â&#x20AC;&#x153;The role of wildlife in animal health managementâ&#x20AC;? with the aim to give an overview of the role of the wildlife in the context of the animal health management in the EU and in the neighbouring non-EU counties. The meeting focused on the strengthening and future perspectives of harmonising and adapting the measures related to wildlife management with a view to the existing threats of introduction and spread of animal diseases affecting both 53

wildlife and domestic animals (including Classical and African Swine Fever, Avian Influenza, Rabies, Footand-Mouth Disease and others). The event was a platform for improving the cooperation on regional level between EU and neighbouring countries. The European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis in his speech recognised the role of hunters in detecting and fighting diseases. The full speech is available in English here.

Africa Leading at the European Parliament! There are “winners” and “losers” in the conservation of wildlife in Africa! H.E. the Ambassador of Zimbabwe, proclaimed in a conference “Keep Calm and Let Africa Take the Lead! The EU-Africa Dialogue: Supporting communities in wildlife conservation” on 6 March 2018 at the European Parliament. He stated that Southern African nations were amongst the “winners” with increasing national wildlife populations. The conference was hosted by MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz, President of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on “Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside”, and organised in coordination with the Federation of Association for Hunting and Conservation of the EU (FACE), the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), the European Landowners’ Organization (ELO) and Safari Club International (SCI).

was to bring together European and African decision-makers, together with stakeholders from across the spectrum, to understand the leadership of African range countries in the management and conservation of their wildlife and the role that local communities play in these management and conservation activities. The panelists included, Joanna Drake (Deputy Director DG Environment),

Maxi Louis (NACSO, representing communities from Namibia), H.E. Prof. Kaire Mbuende (Ambassador Namibia), H.E. Tadeous Chifamba (Ambassador Zimbabwe), Joanna Yawitch (Chairperson of the South African National Parks), Arnaud Goessens (Wildlife Conservation Society) and Wilfried Pabst (Zimbabwean landowner). Ali Kaka, Vice President of the International

The event discussed key African nature conservation issues, where local communities are at the forefront of: • • • • •

Fighting and preventing poaching; Undermining wildlife trafficking schemes; Protecting and improving habitat; Preventing agricultural encroachment; and Enhancing community and incentive-based conservation.

The purpose of the conference was to help attendees and their agencies and organizations understand: • • • •

The ways in which African communities lead and must be allowed to lead; How the EU and the rest of the world can assist African governments and local communities in that leadership; Strategies to avoid that could interfere and harm African countries’ efforts; The lessons that we can learn from Africa.

The goal of the meeting 54

Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the largest umbrella organization for nature conservation organizations in the world, a national of Kenya, moderated the discussion and encouraged interventions and questions from the audience. The Minister of Environmental Affairs of South Africa, Dr Edna Molewa addressed conference through a recorded video message. Minister Molewa reiterated South Africa’s approach to wildlife management should benefit both wildlife and people. “South Africa is committed to promoting responsible hunting that is conducted in line with the applicable legislation,” she said. Minister Molewa reported that trophy and meat hunters respectively contributed R1.9 and R8.6 billion (approx. between 129 and 584million euro) to the economy of South Africa in the 2015-2016 hunting season. Hunting further contributes to food security in the form of healthy, free-range, lean protein of between 31 000 and 87 000 tonnes per annum.

Joanna Drake underlined that it is a cornerstone to involve local communities, which is a key element of the EU Action Plan Against Wildlife Trafficking, and encouraged the organizations involved in sustainable use to continue their valued conservation work and to promote sustainable hunting. Kaire Mbuende expressed his concerns over some attempts to ban the import of trophies to the EU, which would have disastrous consequences, as 80% of Namibia’s wildlife revenue is coming from the hunting industry! Maxi Louis added that despite of the challenges Namibia is facing in terms of their wildlife management, such as drought, human-wildlife conflict, poaching and the issues of land use, Namibia has success stories, creating large connected landscapes, with proper governance and real benefit sharing. Tadeous Chifamba highlighted that one of the biggest threats to wildlife in Zimbabwe is poaching. He stressed the 56

importance of sustainable hunting, as a counter measure, and as its revenue going back to the local communities, motivates communities to live with their wildlife in harmony. Willy Pabst describing his success story in having created a wildlife paradise, clearly pointed out that trophy hunting was the foundation of his success as it was providing the necessary income for securing the thriving of the wildlife in his sanctuary. MEP Stefan Eck, VicePresident of the Animal Welfare Intergroup in the European Parliament, expressed his disapproval of trophy hunting, but at the same time he acknowledged that in order to safeguard a healthy population of wildlife the off-take of 1% of the population though trophy hunting could be an acceptable management tool. This could be the beginning of a constructive dialogue between trophy hunting opponents and trophy hunting supporters in the interest of conservation of wildlife. 57

MEP Bendt Bendtsen, Vice-President of the Intergroup “Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside” and Member Franz Obermayr expressed their appreciation for the important information received from the African delegates, and stressed the necessity to repeat similar events periodically to hear the voice of Africa. MEP Annie SchreijerPierik, Vice-President of the Intergroup “Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside”, gave important conclusions and closed the session. The message that the panelists and participants in the event delivered to the EU was clear. Africa’s wildlife management authorities and the leaders of sustainable use conservation related organizations in Southern Africa are successfully managing and conserving their wildlife through sustainable use methods, including hunting. Decision-makers in the EU should work with Africa’s leaders in order to continue, support, enhance, and replicate their success.

CIC was Part of the World Migratory Bird Day 2018 Unifying our Voices for Bird Conservation With “Unifying our Voices for Bird Conservation” as its theme for 2018, in the “Year of the Bird”, WMBD was focusing clearly and strongly on the development of its new identity and the need for people celebrating WMBD around the world to communicate and learn from each other, across borders, within and between the world’s flyways. Through the activities being undertaken on these three flyways and the resulting exchange of information, WMBD wishes to increase the level of awareness about the threats – both general and specific – that birds are facing. By comparing their experiences and concerns, sharing their stories and activities, people around the world will make their voices and actions reach out even further, throughout the flyways, underlying the fact that bird conservation is, indeed, a global issue.

You can watch the video here. The year 2018 marks a new start for World Migratory Bird Day as it now unifies the planet’s major migratory bird corridors, or flyways, namely the AfricanEurasian, the East Asian-Australasian, and the Americas flyways. Furthermore, to make celebrations even more successful and relevant to bird supporters all over the world, WMBD now has two peak celebration days in the year – the second Saturdays of May and October – and can in addition still also be celebrated all around the year, whenever migratory birds are present in a given locality.

Celebrating the World Migratory Bird Day in May, 2018, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation dedicated a session to migratory birds at its General Assembly in Madrid.

Therefore 2018 is an important transition year in the history of World Migratory Bird Day. Bringing together even more people around the world, WMBD aims to reach out to a broader audience and amplify its message for bird conservation. As a new global platform that unifies efforts worldwide, WMBD will be reinforcing education and awarenessraising about the need to protect migratory birds and their habitats - at all different levels, in all parts of the world.

CIC dedicated a session to migratory birds at its General Assembly in Madrid.From left to right: Paolo Pennacchini (FANBPO), Massimo Marracci (CIC Vice-President), Alexandre Czajkowski (OMPO), Giovanni Bana (Head of CICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Italian Delegation) and Jacques Trouvilliez (AEWA)

Statement by George Aman for the World Migratory Bird Day 2018 “The CIC supports this year’s theme “Unifying our Voices for Bird Conservation” in principle and recognizes that the main threat facing migratory birds at present is the loss, degradation and fragmentation of their breeding, staging and wintering habitats, in addition to harmful substances in the environment. The CIC has continuously informed its members about the science and developments of the subject lead in ammunition and many CIC members have voluntarily changed to non-lead ammunition and are collecting experiences to provide feedback to the ammunition producing industry for further improvements of the alternative ammunition.”

Patron of the CIC receives highest recognition by CMS

CMS is the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals In March, 2018, Dr. Zsolt Semjén, Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary and Patron of the CIC, received an award for his extraordinary contribution of the conservation of the Great Bustard in Hungary. Dr. Jacques Trouvilliez, Executive Secretary of UNEP/AEWA represented CMS at the ceremony which was held in the Parliament of Budapest. 60

Hungary took a great step forward in the implementation of the Action Plan and the Medium-Term International Work Programme under the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of the MiddleEuropean Population of the Great Bustard: a significant section of dangerous power lines have been moved underground in the Kiskunság, one of the strongholds of Great Bustards in Hungary, and further sections are planned to be moved underground by the same company, Nemzeti Közművek

Zrt. (a total of 31.6 km of power lines in this project), from their own budget. This undertaking adjoins the power line burial to be implemented by another electricity company and co-financed by the European Commission in the frame of the LIFE+ project. In addition, a third electricity company is also planning to bury the most critical power lines in Great Bustard habitats. Dr. Zsolt Semjén played a decisive role in persuading the electricity companies to implement this important project.

Wildlife Estates Celebrates the Role of Wildlife Management in Private Conservation On 13 June, Wildlife Estates Finland, together with the European Landowners’ Organization, hosted a Gala dinner on Valkosaari Island, Helsinki, to raise awareness for the exceptional work undertaken by private landowners and wildlife managers. The Wildlife Estates Label has been developed to acknowledge the exemplary management of private landowners across Europe and to make them more visible to society as strong guardians of nature. Koskis Gård, Finland

Two new labels were awarded to estates that have been undertaking exemplary work for biodiversity for many years in Finland. Hahkiala estate is a nationally recognized cultural and historical heritage landscape with well-managed populations of lynx, moose, white-tailed deer, otter, capercaillie and hazel grouse. Koskis Gård is an organic farm which was selected as the most environmental friendly farm in Finland by the WWF in 2014. According to Wildlife Estates’ representative, Ahti Putaala of Metsähallitus, “These estates are terrific examples of how private landowners can combine economically viable game management with wildlife conservation and conservation of biodiversity.” 62

The WE Label recognises landowners as the front-runners for responsible land management, and as the key actors in reversing biodiversity loss and landscape degradation.

innovative management techniques. Today, the Wildlife Estates network consists of 19 national delegations, representing over 300 estates located across Europe. Covering 1,500,000 hectares of privately owned land, it is now the largest private conservation project in Europe.

In addition to the label’s function as a visible symbol to politicians and the general public, the regular events and designated communication platform offers members a valuable network through which to organise local campaigns and to share new and

For more information about how to apply for a Wildlife Estates Label please visit: www.wildlife-estates.eu

Wildlife Estates is looking forward to its Annual Conference on the 4–5 September 2018 in the exquisite setting of Bückeburg Palace, Lower Saxony, Germany. All interested individuals, whether involved in Wildlife Estates or not, are warmly invited! The conference provides a forum for land-owners and land managers to share their experiences of wildlife management and biodiversity conservation. The panels will focus, in particular, on the issue of wolf populations in Europe and compensation for private conservation, including Natura 2000. For the full programme and to register contact: coordination@elo.org

Valkosaari Island, Helsinki

Koskis Gård, Finland

EU Large Carnivore Platform Plenary Meeting: Comparing Good Practice Across the EU The fifth annual meeting of the EU Platform on Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores took place in Brussels at the end of May. The Platform brings together representatives from landowning, herding, hunting, research and conservation organisations to “promote ways and means to minimize and find solutions to conflicts between people and large carnivores”. The Plenary meeting is the annual opportunity for the Platform members to review their work plan and agree the next years’ work.

The work of national and regional large carnivore platforms and how the EU Platform can support, exchange with, and learn from them were also discussed. A final item on the agenda was a review of information on fear and risk associated with large carnivores. The Platform discussed good practices for addressing fear of large carnivores. Humberto Delgado-Rosa, Director for Natural Capital, DG Environment, who co-chairs the meeting for the European Commission, said: “The focus of this group on coexistence is very important. The Platform supports constructive dialogue without neglecting socio-economic impacts. We understand well that there is real hardship associated with the presence of large carnivores, particularly for livestock managers in some locations, and targeted support is needed. With the establishment of regional platforms in different member states, the role of the EU Platform to link these initiatives in conflict areas becomes increasingly important.”

The agenda started with a situation review, examining large carnivore status across the EU. The IUCN Species Specialist Group – the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe (LCIE) has carried out a major information gathering exercise to bring together and analyse the information on large carnivore numbers, ranges, damages and threats to conservation. An early version of the results was presented to the Platform members, full results will be ready published later this year. Linked to this item, the Platform reviewed how protection measures are being implemented in the EU and how member states fund such measures through national or European funding.

Read the full article on the CIC website

The EU Platform on Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores is a grouping of organisations representing different interest groups which have agreed a joint mission: â&#x20AC;&#x153;to promote ways and means to minimize, and wherever possible find solutions to, conflicts between human interests and the presence of large carnivore species, by exchanging knowledge and by working together in an open-ended, constructive and mutually respectful way.â&#x20AC;? For more information on the work of the Platform, please find under this link. 65

Bowhunting – with CIC Support Representatives of the German-speaking bowhunting federations visited the CIC Headquarters on 10 June 2018 at the invitation of the CIC Director General, Mr. Tamás Marghescu. Present were Mr. Tamás Marghescu, Dr. Kristóf Hecker (CIC Head of Division Coordination Unit), Mr. Árpád Ambrózy (President of the Hungarian Bowhunting Federation and representative of the European Bowhunting Federation), Jan Riedel (President of the German Bowhunting Association – DBJV and representative of the European Bowhunting Federation), Oliver Opitz (Secretary of the German BowHunting Association), Christian Heinz (representative of the Austrian Bowhunting Association – BFA and editor-in-chief of the German hunting magazine “Der Bogenjäger”),

and Francesco Rizzi (representative of the Swiss Bowhunting Association – VSBJ). After a very friendly reception, a personal introductory round and the presentation of country-specific situations, the common burning issues were discussed. The five-and-a-half hour talk and the concluding lunch took place in an active, constructive and forward-looking atmosphere. The CIC as well as the national bowhunting associations and the EBF would consider it useful to become a member of the CIC in the future and to continue the good cooperation. Mutual support was at the forefront of the discussions. Mr. Marghescu considers the modern hunting with bow and arrow as an important element 66

in the future of the CIC and hunting. He sees the opportunity to create a specialist group on bowhunting within the CIC and assures his active support in national and international matters.

MEDIA AND PUBLICATIONS Awards German Translation of „The Last of Old Africa“ Receives the CIC Literature Prize At its General Assembly in Madrid, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) has awarded its “Communication Prize for Literature” to the book “Großwildjagd im Alten Afrika” by Brian Nicholson. The English original titled “The Last of Old Africa“ was translated from English and edited by Dr. Rolf D. Baldus. „Neumann-Neudamm Verlag“ published the book late last year.

before entering the Game Department in Tanganyika at the age of twenty as an “elephant control officer”. His stories of hunting marauding elephant and man-eating lions are exciting adventure literature, even for non-hunters. Nicholson vividly describes what practical conservation in Africa looked like when the countries of the continent became independent. He expanded the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania into Africa’s largest nature reserve. The book is of very

Brian Nicholson (1930-2010) worked as an animal capturer and professional hunter

recent importance, as the Selous, founded in 1896 and today a â&#x20AC;&#x153;UNESCO World Heritage Site in Dangerâ&#x20AC;?, is under threat from a mega dam project and commercial elephant poaching. With its Communication Prize for Literature, the CIC honors books that bring the sustainable use and conservation of wildlife and their natural habitats to the attentiona of the general public in a particularly successful way.

Awards – Who Owns Nature? A feature documentary film written and directed by Alice Agneskirchner, produced by Broadview Pictures. Winner of the CIC Communication Award 2018. Who owns nature? Are we as humans nature’s protectors or its destroyers? In the heart of our western civilization, we enter a world that doesn’t seem to fit in our contemporary age. Mountain goats, a pack of wolves, forest rangers, farmers, and hunters: they are all protagonists in a dramatic alpine play.

Director Alice Agneskirchner with cameraman Johannes Imdahl. (Source: BROADVIEW Pictures)

How should humans deal with nature and wild animals today? In optically lavish images we enter the wild animals’ cosmos – not in Africa, but here at home. In one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe: the German, Austrian,

French and Swiss alps. The wild animals share their habitats with us. Who determines how we live with them? What do we do when they disturb the production of food and forests? Who regulates how many can and must be killed? What would the effects be if they weren’t

hunted? How would it affect the landscape – or the animals? And how will we deal with the wolves that wander back into the Western woods? There is no simple answer to all these questions. The film initiates a social discourse and thought process about us and our role in nature.

Visit the Facebook page of the film

Visit the official website of the film

Awards Halali Magazine

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Halaliâ&#x20AC;? magazine expresses a deep passion towards hunting, nature, and an authentic way of living. In 2011, the year of its foundation, the owners of Halali magazine, Ilka and Oliver Dorn, considered the question: why is another magazine needed, in addition to all of the well-established ones? So, why create Halali? The answer is, because, like many other people, they were missing something special in the other publications! A hunting magazine was needed, which operated on equal footing with other magazines, but which went deeper, and was not

filled with superficialities or simply sailed against the wind for the sake of it. Thus, the owners and publishers satisfied their needs with Halali. Halali is published four times a year with a lot of commitment and passion. It is unconventional because it addresses a target group even beyond the hunting community. The magazine contains a mix from current reports about hunting related topics, wildlife biology, exciting hunting experiences, and a number of columns regarding a hunting and nature-related way of living. Through its contemporary design, 72

stylish visual appearance, superior linguistic style, and exciting mix of tradition and modernity, Halali is the medium of sophisticated hunting. Halali shows hunting from its true side: the passion of hunting, as well as the management and conservation of wildlife, vivid hunting culture, hunting with hounds, social events, and the

simple experience of being outdoors. Handmade products are shown instead of those which are mass produced; art is portrayed instead of trumpery. Culinary arts, highlighting venison, are created and shared with the readers in a sophisticated manner. However, critical topics are also addressed. Keeping in mind the target audience, Halali is objective and

challenging instead of populist and sensationseeking. Halali is understood to be a melting-pot of global hunting cultures from which modern hunters and nature lovers can abundantly serve themselves. Articles and reports about foreign hunting traditions and wildlife species have their place in the magazine as well.

The award was presented to Scott Leorna, Alaska, USA for his thesis “Strategies for enhanced communication among Central Arctic Caribou Herd (CACH) stakeholders to inform future caribou management”.

CIC Working Group Young Opinion Thesis Award 2018

Scott Leorna is a Graduate Wildlife Researcher with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Human Dimensions of Wildlife Lab. In 2017, they received support and participation from several large hunting guide services and the Alaska Department of Fish & Game to test and inform development of a smartphone app people will use to record information on caribou in northern Alaska. In 2018, they will be expanding the program to the public.

resource. The distribution of the CACH relative to the Dalton Highway greatly influences hunter’s ability to harvest these caribou. Caribou managers at the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) disclosed that public users of the resource reported the herd was on a downward trajectory before population monitoring methods used by managers were able to detect this change.

The rapid decline of the Central Arctic Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) Herd (CACH) has raised major concern for the sustainable consumptive use of this resource. The CACH peaked in 2010 at roughly 70,000 animals and has precipitously declined to a current population size of 22,000. The herd’s range is divided by the Dalton Highway which provides hunters access to the

Leorna’s proposed research explores 74

strategies for enhanced communication among CACH stakeholders to inform future caribou management. The overarching question guiding his research is: How can citizen science and stakeholder perceptions advance knowledge, two-way communication, and future management decisions pertaining to the CACH? You can read the full summary of the research here (in English). 75

International Journalism Symposium on Wildlife Conservation and on Sustainable Use of Wildlife Communication Alliance The idea of forming a Communication Alliance was born out of the recognition that hunting and hunters are increasingly facing attacks in all areas of the world. Strongly opposing views about the pros and cons of hunting for the conservation of nature and wildlife create a large

degree of confusion and divide among the public. The increasing presence of media in our lives, where information, either correct or not, can reach millions of people in a matter of minutes, can aggravate the divide. What is the difference between the anti-hunting

lobby and the hunting community? Unity. The anti-hunting lobby is organized and uses its numbers to gain power. There are 30 million hunters globally, so there are the numbers; now, it is essential we organize. It is for this reason that the CIC forged a permanent alliance of media

sources and individual reporters. This alliance serves to streamline communication to unify the message of the hunting community: hunting is conservation. In order to succeed in this fast-paced environment, it is essential that hunters organize. There are three pillars of the Alliance: the first pillar is the alliance of the policy makers, organizations, and associations (FACE, SCI, ELO); the second pillar is the alliance of media representatives and journalists in the field of hunting and wildlife conservation, and the third pillar or the industrial partners depending on hunting.

Journalism Symposium Prior to the last General Assembly of the CIC, which was held in April in Montreux, the first partners came together and engaged in organizing a journalism symposium during the General Assembly as a first step to forge this alliance. The event was highly successful, resulting in a number of tangible outcomes including making connections in nonhunting media. Encouraged by this initial success, we organized a second symposium with the objective to invite journalists who write about wildlife conservation and discuss the importance of writing about sustainable use and its importance as a tool of conservation. The meeting was supported by the Swarovski Optik and Blaser Group.

This Alliance is based on voluntary participation, where every interested parties could join. The common interest is: â&#x20AC;˘ effective external communication â&#x20AC;˘ network building â&#x20AC;˘ improvement of internal communication

Main goals: • To reinforce the cooperation in the field of hunting, nature, and conservation journalism worldwide. • To support journalists, video reporters, and photographers of all levels. • To bring together journalists from around the globe to share best practices for coverage. • To provide access to dialogues, courses, conferences, and events enabling journalists to discuss current issues in international hunting journalism. • Invite 25-30 journalists involved in writing about conservation in general. • Discuss how to communicate conservation, specifically how hunting and sustainable use are communicated. • Present and discuss case studies related to the topic. The meeting summary is available for CIC members only here.

For more information, please contact Gabriella Kanyok, Communications Officer at g.kanyok@ cic-wildlife.org 79

ANNOUNCEMENTS Release of the 11th Edition of the Evolution of CITES On 2 May2018, in the framework of the 65th CIC General Assembly in Madrid, Spain, the 4th Annual State Members and Potential State Members meeting was held. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food, and Environment (MAPAMA) generously supported the meeting by hosting it in the Ministry building. Willem Wijnstekers, former Secretary General of CITES, provided a concise write-up of the discussions held at the 2016 CITES Conference of Parties (CoP17) in Johannesburg, South Africa, which have an impact on hunters, such as: â&#x20AC;˘ The export of hunting trophies of all species listed in Appendix I or II requires an export permit except when they are considered as personal and household effects. â&#x20AC;˘ Parties exporting hunting trophies must ensure that: 80

• Trophy hunting is sustainably managed, does not undermine the conservation of target species and, as appropriate, provides benefits to local communities by having in place a robust regulatory framework relating to the harvesting of trophies; • An effective enforcement mechanism with adequate deterrents in the form of penalties for noncompliance; • A monitoring system is designed to effectively monitor population trends and status; and • An adaptive management system is in place through which harvest levels can be adjusted according to the needs of the specific population and based on results of the monitoring program. • and more…

Most notably, Mr. Wijnstekers announced the release and unrestricted availability of the 11th Edition of his reference book The Evolution of CITES which incorporates the changes which were adopted during the CoP17 in Johannesburg. This book provides all stakeholders in wildlife conservation with an extensive overview of the most current updates after each Conference of Parties of the Convention, with this edition packed with information in over 1,000 pages. Mr. Wijnstekers has put his work into PDF format with an interactive table of contents to make the information easily accessible. The CIC commends the author for the incredible amount of work that has gone into this constantly evolving work. You can download your copy here!

The CIC Recognized as Observer to UNESCO ICH Convention The 12th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) took place from 4–8 December 2017 in Jeju, Republic of Korea, where around 1000 people from 175 countries attended the six days of meetings to promote “the objectives of the Convention, provide guidance on best practices and make

recommendations on measures for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage,” according to the UNESCO website. 81

This Committee examines requests submitted by States Parties for the inscription of intangible heritage on the Lists as well as proposals for programs and projects, and is also in charge of granting international assistance. What is Intangible Cultural Heritage? In conformity with the Committee’s Rules of Procedure, the Committee may authorize intergovernmental organizations, as well as public or private bodies and private persons, with

recognized competence in the various fields of intangible cultural heritage, to attend its future sessions as observers, upon their written request. On 4 December 2017, according to DECISION 12.COM 3, the Committee authorized the observer status of only three NGO’s, including the CIC. “4. Furthermore, the Committee decided, by its Decision 11.COM3, to authorize the participation, as an observer, of the following organization:

– The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) in its twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth sessions.” The CIC is honored to have been accepted as an observer organization and looks forward to attending these sessions. Partner organizations of the CIC, such as FACE and IAF, have been already authorized to participate in the convention.

New Item in the CIC Shop The new silk ties were specially designed by Farabeo Milan for the CIC. They are available in yellow, blue, and green and come individually wrapped and packed in an elegant box. Price: â&#x201A;Ź 100 Order at the CIC Membership Platform!

We take pleasure to announce that the 66th CIC General Assembly will be hosted in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia and will take place from 2 to 4 May 2019.

For more information, please visit the website of the Namibian tourist board and the website of the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET).

The country offers extraordinary scenic sights and hunting opportunities and it is world renowned for its ethical and sustainable hunting practices. Hunting options range from trophy hunting on private guest farms to big game safaris in concession areas in the northwest, east and northeast of the country.

More details with all the information for registrations will be shortly available on a dedicated website (events.cic-wildlife. org), which will be also updated with hunting possibilities before or after the General Assembly.

Namibia has strict game laws, requiring all hunting farms to register with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET). All hunting guides, master hunting guides and professional hunters are required to meet the stringent requirements set by the Ministry. Trophy hunting is allowed between February and November. The Nature Conservation Ordinance provides for four classifications of game: huntable game, specially protected game, protected game and huntable game birds.

66th CIC GENERAL ASSEMBLY Windhoek Namibia 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4 May 2019

Flag ceremony during the 65th General Assembly in Madrid

Community Engagement and Hunting Interview with Maxi Pia Louis, the Director of NACSO, the Namibian Association of Community Based Natural Resource Management Support Organisations

The hunting community has long recognized that hunting brings value to wildlife and that value increases the likelihood that communities living with those species will want to participate in wildlife conservation.

Maxi Pia Louis from Namibia explained how NACSO uses hunting as a “rural development programme” in its work to support community-based conservation and gave some specific examples of communities that have benefitted from participating in hunting programs. The Director of NACSO also said in a conference

“Keep Calm and Let Africa Take the Lead! The EUAfrica Dialogue: supporting communities in wildlife conservation” that they need help to deal with international poaching cartels. From the video below, one can get an insight of how NACSO works with hunting concessions to help support community-based conservation of wildlife and to fight poaching.

New Head of the Namibian CIC Delegation

The position of Head of Delegation of the CIC Namibia has been handed over from Mr Michael von Treuenfels to Mr Christian Nyhuis for the coming two years. Mr Nyhuis serves as a diplomat with the European External Action Service (EEAS), which is the foreign service of the European Union (EU). He is currently posted to the EU Delegation in Namibia as Head of Administration, after being posted to Armenia (Caucasus) and after holding various positions at the European Commission in Belgium and Hungary, inter alia as Head of Resources at an EU Agency, within the German Ministry of Finance, the Federal Tax Authorities, the Western European Union (WEU) and the Armed Forces. He holds a Commissioned Officer Diploma, a University Degree in Finance and â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a Wildlife Management Technician Grade (PH). He is married with three children. All family members are active hunters. 87

Falconry Book from Germany with the Support of the CIC This August a major standard work on falconry and its history will be published in English in a set of four volumes. The editors, the experienced falconer, falconry official and falconry book collector Karl-Heinz Gersmann and the archaeologist Oliver Grimm from the Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology (ZBSA) in Schleswig, Germany, have gathered about 100 texts by falconers and scientists from all over the world as a team work for the preservation of falconry as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (UNESCO).

raptorhuman relationship? • Which influence has raptor propagation had on falconry and bird-of-prey conservation? The book has twelve chapters: • Falconry in action and raptor propagation • Raptors in zoology and biology • Human evolution, history of domestication and the special role of the raptor-and-human relationship • Raptors and religion, falconry and philosophy • History of falconry: pioneers of research • History of falconry: basic research and new angles • Eurasian steppe: area of origin of falconry? • Roman Empire: the west (Rome) and the east (Constantinople) with little evidence for falconry • Case study: raptor catch,

The book addresses open questions about falconry and its history: • How old is falconry, and where does it come from? • How is it practiced? • How could it spread so far and wide? • Which symbolic meaning has been ascribed to falconry and raptors? • What is so special about the 88

raptor trade and falconry in Northern Europe • Raptors and falconry in premodern Europe: overall studies • Raptors and falconry in premodern Europe: specific studies • Raptors and falconry in premodern times in areas outside Europe

The book includes a short summary in Arabian, English, German, and Russian. The English summary can be downloaded here. To find out more about the book, please follow this link. The link to order the book will follow soon.

Karl-Heinz Gersmann & Oliver Grimm (editors): ‘Raptor and human – falconry and bird symbolism throughout the millennia on a global scale’. -- Advanced studies on the archaeology and history of hunting, edited by the ZBSA [Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology, Schleswig, Germany], in volumes 1.1 to 1.4 Format: 21 cm x 29,7cm, total weight: 12 kg; roughly 2000 pages; many illustrations in full colour; ISBN 978-3-529-01490-1; Pre-order price: 148 Euro (later 198 Euro)

Women and Sustainable Hunting Conference 17–19 August 2018

The fourth Women and Sustainable Hunting conference (WaSH IV) will be organised on 17–19 August 2018 in Ilomantsi, Finland. The theme for the conference is “Woman and bear – from past to present”. This international conference is part of CICs Artemis club activities and organised by the Finnish Hunters’ Association. It will attract participants from all over the Europe and the World. For registration and more information, please visit the WaSh website: wash.metsastajaliitto.fi

In Memoriam, Dr. Peter Lebersorger In December 2017, Secretary General of the “Niederösterreichischer Landesjagdverband”, Dr. Peter Lebersorger passed away in his 55th year after a serious illness.

support was crucial for the CIC Austrian Delegation more than two decades. His numerous lectures, articles in professional journals, and technical contributions to books were almost natural over the years. In particular, his contacts and services at the international level were indispensable. One of the highlights was the book “WildbretHygiene” (Venison Hygiene), with which, in 2008, he was one of four authors to receive the prestigious international CIC Literature Prize setting standards at the European level in game extraction.

He started his career at the Lower Austrian State Hunting Association as management assistant; in 1992, he took over as CEO, and since 2002, he served as Secretary General. Dr. Lebersorger was involved in a wide range of tasks in the Hunting Association in countless functions and later as Secretary General of the Central Office of Austrian State Hunting Associations and also representing Austria at the EU level. His

Peter, we will miss you! – Weidmannsruh! 91

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