CIC Magazine 2019/2 – English version by International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC)

CIC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Conservation through the sustainable use of wildlife

CIC MAGAZINE 2019/2

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

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

67th CIC General Assembly in Riga!

Celebrating the CIC Payment System! The CIC is pleased to announce the CIC Payment System! Now card payments are available. First donations on the CIC Payment System are welcome! We thank you for your support!

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Focus

CITES CoP18

Divisions

Women and Sustainable Hunting Conference in Poland

Global Youth for Sustainable Use 2019

“2020 CIC Hunting in Art” Prize

Wildlife Watch www.ted. cic-wildlife.org

Trophy Evaluation System Update #13

New TED!

In Memoriam: Kaarel Roht

In the Spotlight: Andres Lillemäe

Regional and Country News

Hungary’s Annual Hunting Day: 1 EUR per Hunter and Gold Hubertus Cross Award

European points of view – A study on people and large carnivores

Let Africa Speak – Open Letter to DEFRA

International Relations

ELO – Owners and livestock breeders: Guardians of biodiversity

CIC Signs Joint Statement with IHSC and CIPS

Media and Publications

Communication Alliance

International Journalism Symposium

The Dangers of Extrapolation – Hunting Revenues and Local Communities

Science over emotions

Announcements

Hunting Auction 2020

35th IUGB Congress to be Hosted in Hungary in 2021

New CIC State Member

Paul Carsten Pedersen

Philippe Claeys

We are the generations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; IUCN Congress 2020

New Head of the Belgian Delegation

New Head of the Danish Delegation

JosĂŠ Madrazo Recipient of the Weatherby Award

In Memoriam: Professor Jan Szyszko

Markhor Award 2020

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. Video or audio link

EDITORIAL Dear members of the CIC, Since July, since the last editorial, six months have passed and we had a very interesting year. We promised that we are building alliances, and we have managed to really make a major step forward in that respect. We were able to unite with CIPS. This is the international fishermanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s association, with 50 million members. We were able to unite, bring at one table, IHSC, which is the international horse confederation, also representing about 50 million horse related members. And of course, us. So we are starting to join forces to fight, or I should say to build up a voice, against a lot of attacks which we, those that are in favour of the sustainable use of nature, are confronted with. Another very big milestone was the CITES CoP, 2019 in Geneva. A very interesting experience for me personally as it is quite unbelievable what is happening in the conference with 2000 people, and you will certainly hear much more about this when you come to Riga. So again, I would encourage you to come to the General Assembly from the 13â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17 May, 2020.

George Aman President of the CIC

I wish you a very Merry Christmas, happy New Year. Thank you.

CIC GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN RIGA 2020

Dear members of the CIC, We are in full preparations for Riga. Riga is going to be the General Assembly in 2020, from the 13â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17 May. I can only encourage you to please attend. Attend a General Assembly which follows up on the last General Assembly. Interesting, challenging and really also from a social point of view great fun. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theme will be Communication. You all know how important communication is and there are going to be interesting panels, interesting discussions and you, as a member, you will be also challenged to actively participate. So please, show up. 8

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION from 14 December 2019 REGISTER HERE 67th CIC General Assembly 13â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17 May 2020 Riga, Latvia 9

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The ever-accelerating demands to renew and unify our communication schemes encouraged the CIC leadership to organize the programs of the CIC General Assembly 2020 around the widespread topics of communication. We are currently planning presentations on: African swine fever, large carnivores, social media challenges. In addition, the International Journalism Symposium on Wildlife Conservation and on Sustainable Use of Wildlife will also be held under the auspices of the Assembly. The nature of these events and conferences has evolved tremendously over the past years. Attendees, including CIC members, guests, speakers, and journalists, require new tools to keep up with all the activities, from the registration phase to the distribution of proceedings. Everyone now expects a modern and engaging experience,

RIG

where they have access to all the information, and the ability to make most of the networking opportunities that the event provides. The CIC Headquarters has the pleasure to announce that the entire information flow of the 2020 General Assembly will be organized with the help of a state-of-theart mobile application. This will be available on iOS and Android platforms free of charge for all General Assembly’ attendees. The app will be available in the three official languages of the CIC. All information on scheduling, accommodation and speakers, as well as 10

attendees and exhibitors, will be provided on the application, which will be updated live during the General Assembly. Useful information will be shared, such as event logistic details, local maps, services, wi-fi login and transportation. The app will allow attendees to create a personalized schedule from the master event schedule, add their own photos, and send messages to any of the attendees personally, or publicly to all users. Attendees can search or scroll through the attendee list to see their

details and contact them via in-app messaging. Attendees can manage their own photo and contact information directly within the app. The app ensures that usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; content remains private by requiring attendees to login, and by setting expiration timeouts. The app will be released beginning of next year. Early bird registration starts on 14 December 2019.

The app enables us to offer a unique presence to companies, organizations who offer valuable products or services to our members. Please read about all of the opportunities here and contact Judit Veres, CIC Event Coordinator at j.veres@ cic-wildlife.org, +36 23 45 38 30 to discuss the opportunities further.

FOCUS

The 18th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP) took place in Geneva, Switzerland from 17-28 August 2019. Much like previous meetings of the CITES CoP, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) had a strong presence at CoP 18. CIC President, George Aman, Deputy President of CIC Policy & Law Division, Shane Mahoney, and CIC Experts, Willem Wijnstekers (former SecretaryGeneral of CITES) and Prof. Dr. Dietrich Jelden (former Head of the German CITES Management Authority) attended the conference. The CIC Headquarters was represented by Deputy Director General, Mark Ryan.

ÂŠ Kiara Worth IISD/ENB

The conference brought together a variety of stakeholders, namely CITES parties (Member States), United Nations and specialised agencies, intergovernmental organisations (including the CIC), and actors from the private sector. With a number of different views influencing the various stakeholders, the CIC actively worked to provide CITES parties with the necessary advice and technical expertise to guide their decisions on topic areas that were of importance to the CIC and, more importantly, to sustainable wildlife management and conservation, and to the global community of sustainable users of wildlife.

Many of the major decision that were made at the CoP were led by a group known as the African Elephant Coalition; a group of 32 countries from West, Central and East Africa. With Kenya and Mali leading the coalition as prominent figures, they, along with the support of the EU, US and a number of SouthAmerican Parties in many instances, dominated much of the discussion and decisions.

communities. Their arguments almost always invoked the precautionary principle, the mantra that trade in ivory or rhino horn leads to increased poaching and illegal trade. For the giraffe and saiga antelope, their objections to the introduction of split listings were not underpinned with sufficient evidence. An important aspect of the CoP was the extended discussion on the role of rural communities, which highlighted the stark differences in opinion on the definition of sustainable use. Despite the many words of sympathy for indigenous,

The decisions in question include those that were made on elephants, rhinos, giraffe, saiga antelope and even rural

Willem Wijnstekers, George Aman and Prof. Dr. Dietrich Jelden 13

Position Paper C I C – I n t e r n at i on a l Council for Game and W i l d l i f e C o n s e r vat i o n for CoP 18 of the Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Geneva, 17 –28 August 2019 1

CIC Position Paper

for CITES CoP18, Geneva, 17–28 August 2019

CIC Voting Guide on Selected Issues Submitted to t h e 1 8 th M e e t i n g o f t h e C I T E S C o n f e r e n c e o f t h e Pa rt i e s

Prepared by the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) version of 16 July 2019 The following items on the provisional agenda for CITES CoP 18 as published on the CITES Secretariats’ website were considered of particular importance and priority interest for the international sustainable use community, including the CIC:

Agenda item 10: ‘Revision and replacement of the CITES Strategic Vision: 2008-2020: (Working Group report)’ Issue

CIC position

Decision 17.18

The CIC is in principle supportive of the revised Strategic Vision as proposed in the Annex of document CoP 18 Doc 10, which is definitely more concise than the previous one. However, the CIC is still concerned to note that in the proposed Resolution, many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) most relevant for CITES are not included i.e. ‘Goal 14’ and even more worrying ‘Goal 15’ are not specifically mentioned. Some targets under SDG Goal 15 (Targets 15.5. and 15.7) relate specifically to issues such as stopping the degradation of natural habitats and the loss of biodiversity or the fight against poaching or wildlife trafficking. Under Objective 4.2 in the Annex of document CoP 18 Doc 10 the reference to the SDGs is still far too general, where most of the SDGs are not even of relevance to CITES at all.

The Standing Committee established a Strategic Plan Working Group, with representation from all regions and from the Animals and Plants Committees, to develop, with the assistance and cooperation of the Secretariat, a proposal for a Strategic Vision for the period after 2020 including an associated action plan and indicators to measure progress. A proposal for a CITES Strategic Vision for the period after 2020 and any associated action plan and indicators has been drafted. The CITES SC 70 has discussed a draft and concluded that there is still ample scope to enhance the document before it is submitted for further deliberations and discussions at the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties in 2019.

Agenda item 17: ‘Rural communities’

Engaging rural communities in the process and value chain of well managed and sustainable trade in wild animals and plants, not only including ranching, captive breeding, artificial propagation etc. but also sustainable hunting and ecotourism can be an extremely powerful management strategy. The Conference of the Parties, at its 17th meeting (CoP17, Johannesburg, 2016), adopted Decisions 17.36 to 17.40 on Livelihoods as follows:

Therefore, the CIC fully supports the proposed amendments of Resolutions Conf. 4.6 and 9.24 as proposed by Namibia and Zimbabwe in CoP 18 Doc 17.2 as these are fully in line with CITES Res. Conf. 16.6 on ‘CITES & Livelihoods’. Furthermore, the CIC urges that the item is not removed completely at the forthcoming CITES CoP but instead remains firmly on the agenda of the CITES community until the CoP 19, provided that the CITES Secretariats proposal in CoP 18 Doc 17.1 to amend CITES Res. Conf 16.6 is not adopted.

Directed to the Parties and others

Directed to the Secretariat:

17.36 Parties are invited to:

17.39 The Secretariat shall seek external funding from interested Parties, and intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations to support the work described in Decision 17.36.

The CIC fully supports the proposal submitted by Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and Zimbabwe on ’Participatory Mechanism for Rural Communities’ (CoP 18 Doc 17.3). As there are clear overlaps of intentions with what China had proposed in document CoP 18 Doc 18.3 a working group should be established at the CoP to resolve this issue and to come to an agreement on common language to amend the CITES listing criteria resolution.

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17.30 The Standing Committee shall make recommendations on the engagement of rural communities in the CITES process to the 18th Conference of the Parties.

a) promote the use of the CITES and livelihoods toolkit, guidelines and handbook to carry out rapid assessments of the impact of the implementation of CITES-listing decisions on the livelihoods of rural communities, the implementation of activities which mitigate any negative impacts;

17.40 Subject to the availability of external financial resources, the Secretariat shall: a) facilitate the organization of workshops and side-events to showcase successful livelihood experiences and exchange lessons learnt, in collaboration with interested Parties and relevant international and regional organizations;

b) encourage the conduct of new case studies on how legal and sustainable trade can generate economic incentives for the conservation of wildlife and improvement of livelihoods of indigenous and local communities; and

b) continue to update the relevant section on the CITES website to publish experiences and case studies related to CITES and livelihoods submitted by Parties, stakeholders and interested organizations;

c) incorporate issues related to CITES and livelihoods into their national socio-economic and development plans, as well as in relevant projects being developed for external funding, including funding by Global Environment Facility (GEF).

c) cooperate with relevant UN agencies and programmes, international and regional organizations to establish ad hoc livelihoods funding and promote capacity-building activities that support Parties to implement the Convention as an important part of enabling livelihoods; and

17.37 Developing country Parties are encouraged to communicate with their national Ministries of finance, development, or other relevant Ministries, to seek the provision of financial support to the work in Decision 17.36.

At SC 69, a Working Group was established to consider how to effectively engage rural communities in the CITES process and present its findings and recommendations to SC 70.

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Issue

The CIC strongly supports the current process established under CITES. Compared to other MEAs such as the CBD or IPBES, rural communities’ influence on policy shaping or decision making in the CITES arena, both on the national or international level has been extremely poor or even not existent. Hence, there is ample scope to enhance this situation.

17.29 In establishing the intersessional working group, which shall be comprised of the Parties and representatives of rural communities, the Chair of the Standing Committee shall strive to achieve regional balance of Parties, with the number of members of rural communities not exceeding the number of the Parties.

Furthermore, the CIC fully concurs that it is crucial that after the adoption of the new Strategic Vision a follow up process is being established as outlined in the four proposed decisions in document CoP 18 Doc 10.

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CIC position

At CoP17 Decisions 17.28 to 17.30 were adopted as follows: 17.28 The Standing Committee shall establish an intersessional working group to consider how to effectively engage rural communities in the CITES processes and to present its findings and recommendations to the Standing Committee, for consideration at its 70th meeting.

The CIC therefore proposes that the Conference of the Parties support the inclusion and specific mentioning of SDG 14 ad SDG 15 in the new ‘Strategic Vision’ and if possible, together with the respective targets.

Agenda item 18: ‘CITES and livelihoods’

Issue

d) report at the 69th meeting of the Standing Committee and at the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties on the work above and other progress made with regard to the implementation of Resolution Conf. 16.6 (Rev. CoP17) on CITES and livelihoods.

17.38 Developed country Parties, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and public and private donors/investors are encouraged to provide financial and in-kind resources in support of the work in Decision 17.36. 8

CIC Position Paper

for CITES CoP18, Geneva, 17–28 August 2019

Agenda item 18.1: ‘Report of the Secretariat’

Agenda item 18.3: ‘Proposed amendments to Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17)

Agenda item 19: ‘Food security and livelihoods’ Issue

CIC Position CIC Position

The CIC welcomes the outcome of the livelihood workshop hosted by China from 6–8 November 2018 in Guangzhou and the presentation of over 30 new case studies that have overwhelmingly demonstrated that engagement of rural communities in the various parts of the value chain of legal trade may offer an economically viable employment opportunity for rural communities and a direct incentive for wildlife conservation. The CIC welcomes the excellent progress made, thanks also to IUCN, and therefore fully supports the adoption of the two draft decisions on livelihoods in Annex 1 to the present document to allow this important process to continue.

The CIC concurs with the intention behind the amendment of CITES Res. Conf. 9.24 as proposed by China. However, there are clear overlaps of intentions with what Namibia and Zimbabwe had proposed in document CoP 18 Doc 17.2 that would merit that a working group should be established at the CoP to resolve this issue and to come to an agreement on common language to amend the CITES listing criteria resolution.

#18.3

#18.1

The working group conducted its work electronically. The Chair of the working group reported to the Standing Committee at its 70th meeting (SC70, Sochi, October 2018) that it was unable to reach a consensus between two distinct divergent views, and that more work is necessary. Consequently, at SC70, the Standing Committee agreed to propose to the Conference of the Parties the renewal of Decisions 17.41 to 17.43.2.

• 17.43 The Standing Committee shall consider the work undertaken in Decisions 17.41 and 17.42, and make recommendations, as necessary, to the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties. At SC 69 the Standing Committee established an intersessional working group on Livelihoods and Food Security (Chair Namibia) to consider the contents of the draft resolution contained in CoP17 Doc. 17 with a mandate to take into account two options presented in paragraphs 3 b) (Incorporation into existing resolution(s)) and 3 c) (Implementation through other means), above, without

CIC Position The CIC fully supports the proposal submitted by Peru on ’the proposed adoption of draft decisions and resolution on CITES and Livelihoods’ (CoP 18 Doc 18.2).

the option in paragraph 3 a) of a stand-alone resolution.

• 17.41 The Standing Committee shall consider the proposed resolution contained in document CoP17 Doc.17 on food security and livelihoods. • 17.42 The Standing Committee shall invite the proponents of the resolution, in an effort to develop a revised version for consideration by the Standing Committee.

Agenda item 18.2 ’Proposed adoption of draft decisions and resolution on CITES and Livelihoods’

#18.2

CIC Position

Three Decisions directed to the Standing Committee as follows:

Note: The CITES Secretariat expressed in CoP 18 Doc 19 some concern that, if the opposing views of Parties and stakeholders remain as divergent and fundamental as they were at CoP17, simply renewing the Decisions for another three years may not lead to a better outcome. The Conference of the Parties may wish to take this into account when considering whether or not to adopt the proposed renewal of Decisions 17.41 to 17.43.

The CIC fully supports the continuation of the working group beyond CoP 18. The issue to be resolved is important and should be brought inter alia into closer focus with regards to the implementation of SDG 15. The option to continue the work on this matter until CITES CoP 19 by renewal of the respective CoP 17 Decisions would be entirely supported by the CIC.

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CIC Position Paper

for CITES CoP18, Geneva, 17–28 August 2019

Agenda item 46: ‘Quotas for leopard hunting trophies’

Agenda item 47: Enhancement of Quotas for Markhor Hunting Trophies CIC Position

Issue

CIC Position

The CIC is pleased to note that Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda and Zimbabwe had reported extensively and on time about the status of their leopard populations and the national management they had in place. The CIC is therefore pleased that the past intersessional CITES period has unanimously found that their quotas were not detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild.

Decisions 17.114 - 17.115 The leopard is included in Appendix I. Range states with approved hunting trophy quotas were asked by CoP17 to report on the effect thereof on populations.

That no documentation was received from Botswana, Ethiopia and the Central African Republic does not necessarily mean that there aren’t stable and well managed leopard populations in these three countries. Hence, the CIC is not anxious if CoP 18 adopts the renewal of Decisions 17.114 to 17.117 for Botswana, the Central African Republic and Ethiopia, allowing the Animals Committee to evaluate the information and make appropriate recommendations during the next intersessional CITES period. As already previously expressed, the CIC remains critical of the Secretariats’ proposal for amendments to Resolution Conf. 9.21 (Rev. CoP13) concerning approaches to review quotas for Appendix-I species that had been established by the Conference of the Parties. The implementation of Resolution Conf. 9.21 (Rev. CoP13) has over the years worked extremely well and it is up to the CoP to decide, as with any other listing proposals in accordance with Res. Conf. 9.24, whether a quota is warranted to be increased, decreased or not given at all.

CIC Position The CIC endorses and welcomes the outcomes of ACI 1. Furthermore, the CIC stands ready to support constructively any ACI programme of work that is proposed to be established between CITES and CMS, for instance by becoming a potential partner for the implementation of the activities. Furthermore, the CIC is pleased to note that the all Range States of the four African carnivore target species attending ACI1 agreed that policies addressing community conservation and livelihoods issues with respect to the four target species be added under the framework of the ACI, including direct benefit to communities, and recognizing already existing case studies and examples. Concerning the need to draft a new CITES/CMS Resolution, setting out the fundamental principles and objectives of the ACI, the CIC is not convinced of the necessity to do so. There is already a CITES resolution Res Conf. 13.3 ‘Cooperation and synergy with the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals’ that should be readily amended with the respective objectives agreed at ACI1.

Agenda item 96: African Carnivore Initiative Issue The 1st Meeting of Range States for the Joint CMS – CITES African Carnivore Initiative (ACI1) took place in Bonn, Germany, from 5–8 November 2018. The meeting was originally planned to be open only to Range States, IUCN Cat Specialist group and Canid specialist group, and CITES and CMS Secretariats. This was done to ensure that the Range States were free to discuss their policies with each other and among themselves, with the help of just the few IUCN experts.

#46 14

#47

The CIC strongly supports the proposed enhancement of quotas for Markhor hunting trophies as submitted by Pakistan in document CoP18 Prop. 47, particularly in view of the stable and increasing population of Markhor (Capra falconeri) across all the range provinces/territories of Markhor in Pakistan, especially where a community-based trophy hunting programme is being implemented; and with the Office of Conservator Wildlife, Ministry of Climate Change as CITES Scientific Authority of Pakistan having endorsed the recent status of Markhor in Pakistan as stable to increasing.

by range States at the closing of the meeting intended to feed into both CMS CoP 15 and CITES CoP 18, with the drafting of a Resolution to be adopted at both CoPs. Furthermore, another objective of the meeting was to consolidate all the Decisions and Resolutions that currently make up the ACI. A summary of the draft decisions of relevance for CITES CoP 18 can be found in the ANNEX of this document.

There was broad representation geographically, with 31 West, East, North, and South African countries attending to discuss the issues related to the four iconic carnivore species covered by the initiative, namely the African lion (Panthera leo), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), leopard (Panthera pardus) and African wild dog (Lycaon pictus).

of the collaboration between themselves, CITES, CMS and IUCN to undertake urgent and effective conservation action in favour of the four species. Participants discussed possible governance structures that the ACI could assume and provided guidance as to how the Initiative could be taken forward under the scope of two Conventions (CITES and CMS).

Range States welcomed the establishment of the Initiative and recognized the importance

One of the outcomes of the meeting was among others, an official communiqué adopted

#96

Shane Mahoney

ÂŠ Kiara Worth IISD/ENB

rural and local communities, it was clear that no discernible action will be happening soon to address any issues relating to them. Decisions on rural communities were limited to further studies and the collection of case studies, or the formulation of definitions. It was also decided that a rural communities committee would not be formed. Further actions are due to take place only in 2022. Fortunately, the Deputy President of CIC Policy & Law Division, Shane Mahoney, will be a member of the Intersessional Working Group. George Aman

ÂŠ Kiara Worth IISD/ENB

The greatest deception is undoubtedly the painful defeat of the sustainable use principle and the clear overall victory of those opposed to it, but it is as yet unclear how this can be reversed. Some believe that the greater involvement of rural communities will create a greater understanding of the issues they face and support for their cause, which in turn would create support for sustainable use. However, in order to achieve this, we must look to wait until 2022. Prof. Dr. Dietrich Jelden and Willem Wijnstekers

Giraffe Listed in CITES Appendix II One of the most significant resolutions of the CITES CoP 18 was the decision to place giraffe into CITES Appendix II. The move was initially put forward by the Central African Republic, Chad, Kenya, Mali, Niger and Senegal.

The new Appendix II listing prohibits the uncontrolled trade of all giraffe sub-species. It is important to remember that all subsequent trade of giraffe would have been originally sourced through legal and ethical means â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether that is through trophy hunting,

Based on existing management practices in certain African states, as well as scientific data which does not empirically justify this move, the CIC was not in support of this decision. CIC President, George Aman explained the reasoning of the CIC during his intervention at the CITES CoP. He mentioned that the current management of giraffe and all subspecies in the Southern African hemisphere, which includes the offtake by conservancy hunting, has been proven to be sustainable. This offtake has also had a positive effect on both habitat conservation and local giraffe populations, such as in Namibia and South Africa. 16

natural deaths or animals culled for meat. Therefore, the CIC considers this type of trade to be sustainable, in addition to providing benefits to conservation efforts. Moreover, in instances where giraffe populations are on the decline, this

cannot be associated with international trade. In response to this resolution, Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries announced their official reservations against this decision, one which they believed

to be scientifically unsustainable. This means that the Appendix II listing would not result in any new legal obligations for SADC countries.

detrimental to the future conservation efforts of giraffe and their habitats, and supported SADC countries in their official reservations.

The CIC was in full agreement with the unsustainable nature of this ruling, which may be

Read a full report here.

DIVISIONS The power of huntresses and social media

Women and Sustainable Hunting Conference in Poland The 5th Women and Sustainable Hunting Conference (WaSH) was organized in Poland from the 7th to the 10th of November, 2019. The aim of the conference was to bring together huntresses and hunting cultures from different countries to exchange views, experiences, and to form an even stronger cooperation amongst the ladies’ hunting clubs. The 5th international conference was hosted by the Polish Hunting Association, The Artemis Working Group of the CIC - International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation, and the Polish Huntresses’ Club of the Polish Hunting Association.

alone there are over 22,000 women who hunt, and in Poland the numbers are growing day by day; today, they count over 4,000 huntresses. “Ladies are our hope for the survival of hunting, because, among many other things, you are educating the future generations to respect nature. And you, dear Ladies, are the best to take care for the education of the young generation, who are the future of our passion.” - George Aman, President of the CIC, in his welcome message, who also introduced this year’s theme: Communication. The highlight of the WaSH V was “Hunting and Society,” which centered around the theme of communication; tackling the issues that hunters are now facing both online and offline. The digitization of most human

The idea to organize a conference for huntresses from all over the world was born after recognizing the increasing participation of women in hunting organizations in many countries. In Finland 18

activities has also transferred to the life of the hunting community. “Today, unwillingly, hunters cannot avoid this influence. Social networks, as a powerful opinion-forming medium, have also penetrated the lives of hunters, and it must be learnt not only to handle them, but to use them to the advantage of the hunting community.” – Soňa Chovanová Supeková, President of the Artemis Working Group of the CIC. The event was opened by the Vice President of the Polish Hunting Association, Maria Grzywińska. Among the keynote speakers, the event welcomed Willem Wijnstekers, Former Secretary General of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), who gave a brief overview of CITES and its current policies, and shared his thoughts on how the 19

Maria Grzywińska and Soňa Chovanová Supeková international community behaves when it comes to the sustainable use of wildlife, with a particular focus on sustainable hunting at the Conference of the Parties of CITES (CITES CoP). “The lack of cooperation between hunting organizations and the lack of joint action is therefore unfortunate and difficult to understand to say the least. Maybe it is time for women to take the lead on this. Another negative factor for the acceptance of in particular trophy hunting is by the way the behavior of hunters themselves, who publish selfies in Instagram, Facebook and the like, behind an elephant, lion, or giraffe for example, with one foot on the animal showing off their triumph. The CIC’s policy is, by the way, against this kind of publicity which does hunting no good.” – Willem Wijnstekers.

Beatrix Bán, CIC Member, Vice President of the Hungarian Association of Hunting Culture gave a presentation about their efforts to get the UNESCO recognition for hunting in Hungary.

Mrs. Aleksandra Matulewska, AMU Professor Dr. Hab. PhD, gave an interesting presentation based on a research paper entitled “Cyberbullying of hunters in social media in Poland”, which focused on cyberbullying and its 20

effect on the community of hunters in Poland. The researchers investigated material gathered from websites such as “Ludzie przeciw myśliwym” [Humans against hunters], hunting-related blogs and Facebook sites devoted to hunting, as well as persons known to be hunters (e.g. spokesmen of the Polish Hunting Association). The problems associated with the stereotypical perception of hunting were also discussed. Species preservation (biodiversity preservation) via sustainable hunting and hunting management is not popular in Poland, despite EU legal regulations that support it e.g. the Birds’ Directive, The European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity, Natura 2000 Networking Program, Recommendation No. 128 (2007) of the Standing Committee on the European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity, etc. “The problem of prejudice, stereotyping and lack of knowledge result in the possibility of

inciting people to cyberbully others. People brought up in cities, far away from nature, are easily convinced to attack other groups which they perceive as deviant. The verbal aggression deeply rooted in stereotypes and prejudice based on ignorance, overly idealistic and naïve worldviews becomes more and more widespread.” - Aleksandra Matulewska. The authors intended to provide some insight on the cyberbullying of hunters in Poland, which was achieved by finding patterns of that activity. A socio-semiotic perspective was used, where verbal signs and symbols used to justify this sort of behavior were analyzed. A socio-linguistic perspective, concerning the usage of emotion-loaded language, was also implemented. (The paper will be available online soon!)

as a source of information, but also as a means for interpersonal communication. Supeková gave a detailed analysis of the research that was conducted, through an electronic questionnaire, on the behavior of Slovak hunters and non-hunters. The research sought to explore the significance of selected social networks, social networks groups dedicated to the topic of hunting, the relationship that users have with their followers on Facebook and Instagram, and whether or not they introduce themselves as hunters. The questionnaire aimed to find out why they are interested, if they are

Mrs. Soňa Chovanová Supeková, Assoc. Prof., PhD., emphasized the importance of social media channels in her presentation, as they do not only serve

profile information that made it clear that the user was a lady from Slovakia. Users also used their Facebook profiles in a similar fashion to their Instagram profiles, therefore the analyses was oriented mostly to Instagram. When analyzing the Instagram profiles of hunting followers in the Slovak online space, common forms of presentation were found. The number of people that follow these profiles differed; the most prominent profile had more than 22 thousand followers, which contrasted heavily with the 350 followers of the smallest profile. They presented themselves with more or less similar statuses and photographs. Among these profiles, a relationship with a commercial entity was evident in four profiles. This meant that statuses, photos and videos were published more frequently. Despite the fact that these users were trying to present hunting in a positive light and mood, photos depicting a knife and bloodied hands, or a fresh, bloody heart from freshly caught game, cannot be easily forgiven. There is a noticeable difference between the number of likes in such posts and the number of likes in photos with a delicate touch.

interested at all, the reasons why they use social networks, and how much time they spend actively using these channels. The Slovak social media space, which was mostly Facebook and Instagram, was the source of much of the research. The findings were: there were 13 Instagram profiles where the hashtag #huntress had been used, in combination with

The presentation by Mrs. SupekovĂĄ was followed by a panel discussion entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Social networks - opportunities, risks and challenges for the hunting communityâ&#x20AC;?, where panelists discussed the different social media usage habits in different countries. In Russia, Ms. Doroshina underlined that people are more likely to see hunting from a positive angle when a famous person or politician supports the hunting activities, or if the person is a hunter themselves. 23

HELP THE WORK OF THE ARTEMIS GROUP, SEND US YOUR ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS BELOW! 1. What is the overall state of social media in your country in regards to hunting? Do hunters publish their pictures on social media, such as pictures with trophies or other hunting activities? 2. We are finding that female hunters are becoming more active and involved on social media, with an increase in the number of female followers on our Facebook and Instagram pages. How would you describe the presence of huntresses on social media in your country, and what is your opinion about it? 3. How could the huntress community spread a more positive image of a) hunting as a hobby, and b) the priorities of hunters? Should something be done to increase our reach and influence with the non-hunting community?

Please send your responses to office@cic-wildlife.org. Thank you! 24

Global Youth for Sustainable Use 2019 (GYSU)

1–3 November – Gyulakeszi, Hungary

Young Opinion’s main annual event, the Global Youth for Sustainable Use (GYSU), took place in Gyulakeszi, Hungary thanks to the kind invitation of Markus Hasler, member of the Liechtenstein Delegation and Treasurer of the CIC. 18 members from 8 different delegations participated to discuss “Digital Hunting – What impact does digitalization have on the way we hunt?”

The youth discussing ways to use technology in the Hunting world

(Jagdgefährte in German). The app helps the user prior to a hunt with the planning (for example weather forecasts), during the hunt (Geo-localisation, hunting area etc.) the killing (hunting diary, mark areas where an animal has been spotted) and after the hunt. Hunts can be organized for groups and individual users, and allows for exchanges between friends in a closed community by adding functionality such as news, pictures and chat! The idea behind the app is to offer an easy day-to-day tool for hunting, while

During this GYSU we had the pleasure of welcoming a future member of the Swiss Delegation of the CIC Young Opinion, Lorenz Frey, who presented us his Hunting App called “Hunter & Co”

maintaining a strong respect for traditional hunting values. Furthermore, 4 groups of Young Opinion members presented several topics concerning technology and digitalisation: Group 1: Communication while hunting (e.g. use of messaging apps and their influence on hunting,

safety, GPS Localisation): Can these apps improve security during a hunt? Collect useful data? Should we support apps that collect data to implement adaptive harvest management? Group 2: Gamification (e.g. games linked to hunting): Are these apps good or bad for hunting and its perception? 27

Group 3: Information enhancement (e.g. increase knowledge of hunters through digital solutions, learning apps): Can they facilitate nonhunters in accessing and discovering the hunting world? Group 4: Digitalisation of hunting equipment and connected products (e.g. apps for ballistics,

smart rifle scopes): Can they improve safety and shooting skills? These presentations led to discussions on whether or not apps and technology could help promote hunting in a positive way. This included: Can it assist in the way we hunt and how we share information? Recruit new hunters? Reach younger generations? Help to improve our image? Can too much technology be a threat for hunting? One such example that was mentioned was safety during a hunt. Also, what happens if we do not have any mobile reception where we hunt? We need to think about how to build conservation

into hunting apps and how to communicate it to the outside world. Hunters are often targeted for their hunting pictures, especially on social media. This is definitely a threat, but it can also be used to promote aspects of hunting which cannot attacked as easily, such as game meat and the sustainable use wildlife. Can we drown out previous bad and harmful pictures on the internet with these kinds of images? There are no immediate and concrete answers for all these questions, but the technology should be seen as an asset and there is definitely room for improvement in our communication.

The gala dinner As with every GYSU, the event ended with the gala dinner, which is always a great opportunity to socialize and reflect on the many happenings during the GYSU. Markus very generously extended an invitation to us and we also had the honour of welcoming Tamรกs Marghescu and Mark Ryan from our Head Office for some fruitful discussions. As always, there was a strong and positive spirit from the young hunters from all over Europe coming together to hunt, discuss and of course celebrate! A big thank you goes to the organizers and coordinators of the GYSU, Markus Hasler, who did an amazing job in organizing this memorable event! We are also very thankful to those who generously donated to the CIC and Young Opinion: Ada von Tscharner, Miklos von Bartha and Michel La Roche. The YO Board

The Hunt

After very interesting and inspiring discussions on Friday, the participants travelled to Sármellék near the Balaton Lake for a driven Pheasant Shoot. After the administrative work and safety instructions, the participants headed to the hunting grounds. After the shoot, they all gathered for a typical “gulyás” at a restaurant close by.

HUNTERS AND BIODIVERSITY – sketching biodiversity through cartoon

The “CIC Hunting in Art prize” was established with the aim to reward an arti museum or cultural organisation, which promotes the values of hunting.

The “2020 CIC Hunting in Art prize” will aim to showcase the contribution of hu to biodiversity through the lens of comics.

We want to show the world how much hunters do for nature and biodiversit Help us to promote our values and to support wildlife conservation through your art! This implies drawings / illustrations only. Please do not use text in any comic strip / cartoon. 1st prize: 700 EUR 2nd prize: 500 EUR 3rd prize: 300 EUR International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation 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

Please send your a (A4 size, m

Deadline for sub

For more details CIC website: htt

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art piece to office@cic-wildlife.org min. 150dpi resolution).

bmissions: 29th February 2020

on participation please visit the tp://bit.ly/hunting_in_art2020

19/10/14/2020-cic-hunting-in-art-prize)

The pre-selected cartoons will be exhibited at the 67th CIC General Assembly (13â&#x20AC;&#x201C;17 May 2020) and the winners will be announced at the closing ceremony of our assembly. 31

WILDLIFE WATCH Trophy Evaluation System Update #13 Our Network Since the last magazine which was released in July, six CIC TES trainings have been organised; Austria, Lithuania, two in Serbia, and for the first time ever, in Belarus and France. This resulted in the addition of 118 Certified Measurers (CCMs) to the TES network! On top of this, 11 CCMs have been appointed as Senior Trophy Judges over the last year. TES would like to congratulate them on their new role, and wish them much success with their work! We would also like to give a huge thank you to all the STJs that participated at the numerous events this year, with particular thanks for the time they gave to mentor new measurers, evaluate trophies and their efforts in the organisation of the event! Participants of the second training this year in Innsbruck.

Kragujevac (RS) training leaders (Left to right: Larry Taaffe (UK), Dušan Kraniak (SK) and Aleksandar Ćeranić (RS)

Rambouillet (FR) training participants measuring a red deer trophy Belarus training CCMs with STJs’ Janis Baumanis (LV) and Miloslav Vach (CZ)

CCMs from the second training in Serbia this year, held in National Park Djerdap

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 reach a medal limit. The TES in numbers: Active CCMs/STJs: 702 Countries in the TES: 31 Measurements in the TED: 14964

Belarus training participants measuring trophies Lecture during the Lithuanian training

Trophy Evaluation Board Meeting

The constructive discussions resulted in 22 decisions of the TEB. The decisions of particular importance have been noted below (paraphrased for brevity):

The Trophy Evaluation Board of the TES held their annual meeting from 6-7 August, 2019 at the CIC Headquarters in Budakeszi, Hungary. The meeting was attended by 25 participants from 16 countries, including the CIC President George Aman, who represented the CIC Executive Committee for the second time at the meeting.

• Trophy Evaluation Board CoChairs can be elected for more than two terms. • Senior Trophy Judge nominations have to also be supported by the TEB Co-Chairs, not just the Head of Delegation. • The CIC Handbook shall be updated every 2 years, when required.

On this occasion, TEB bade farewell to one of the Co-Chairmen, Imrich Šuba after six years of support and work for the Board. In his place, TEB elected and welcomed Andres Lillemäe from Estonia, an experienced hunter and trophy measurer of long-standing, whom the Board members look forward to working with over the coming years!

• CIC TES Code of Conduct will be sent for signature to all CCMs/STJs who wish to renew their status, to ensure that only the highest standard of professionalism is practiced when representing the CIC and the CIC TES. A huge thanks to everyone who attended the meeting and actively contributed to the discussions.

Upcoming Events January February February February April May

TBC 1-2 13–16 15–16 TBC 13–17 (67

GA)

CIC Training CIC Training FeHoVa CIC Training CIC Training TES Workshop

Skopje, Macedonia Padenghe, Italy Budapest, Hungary Padenghe, Italy Russia Riga, Latvia

Did you know? New TED website allows people outside of the TES network to retrieve a measurement, when given a public ID of an evaluation!

HTTPS://TED.CIC-WILDLIFE.ORG

New TED! It is our upmost pleasure to announce that the new Trophy Evaluation Database (TED ) website was launched in September 2019! After months of development, the new website offers many new features, including the ability to print the second measurement sheet, CIC Handbook updates, more species, news, calendar of events, and many more! Given the complexity of the website and the amount of data stored on TED, users may experience technical issues during this transition period between the new and old website. Please continue to send us any information on any issues you might come across. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Kaarel Roht 24 February 1949 – 18 November 2019

The Estonian hunting community has lost its grand old man. Kaarel Roht, the man known by every hunter, passed away on the 18th of November. During his life, Kaarel made significant contributions to Estonian hunting; he led and coordinated national hunting for many years and, under his authority, many hunting laws and regulations were formulated. As a biologist and hunter, he had wealth of extraordinary knowledge and experience which he openly shared with his many colleagues, friends, hunters and students. He was valued and recognised as a trainer for young hunters, an ornithologist, an international trophy expert, and a butterfly collector for many years. He is also known for his work writing great manuals, including „Evaluating hunting trophies“ and „Water fowl determinant for hunters“ and was a co-author of many hunting collection books. In Estonian Hunters Society he was the Editor-in-chief from 2012-2015 and, after that, an advisor to the CEO. The TES are deeply saddened to hear the news of his passing, and will remember him as a good, active and joyful person. 37

In the Spotlight

Andres LillemĂ¤e Estonia 2013-STJ-013 What is your experience in trophy evaluation?

over time. This type of information gives us insight into how these species should be managed. The measured trophies are then typically displayed at a big trophy exhibition, which is open to the public for viewing.

I first started evaluating trophies at an exhibition in 1993. Since then, I have been an active member of the trophy evaluation scene in the Baltic region, regularly attending all of the exhibitions that take place in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. I also have some experience with exhibitions that have been hosted in Poland, as well as Lysa, Labem and Tshehhia.

You were elected as the new Trophy Evaluation Board Co-Chairman in August this year. Which direction do you think CIC TES should be developing in and what can be improved in the future?

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

It is important that we find ways of adopting this system without disrupting the traditional way of doing things. Estonia has its own hunting traditions, and we have been measuring trophies for 50 years. We must ensure different countries are able to preserve their unique hunting cultures when implementing the CIC trophy evaluation system.

Trophy evaluation is vital component of Estoniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wildlife management, as it is used to scientifically evaluate and monitor the health of hunted species. Every second year, we evaluate between 1500-2000 trophies. This gives us a lot of data to work with, and allows us to review the changing trends 38

“Like” us on Facebook for regular updates outside of the CIC Magazine!

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 l.milatovic@cic-wildlife.org If you have any questions about the above information, or the CIC TES in general, please contact Luna Milatović, CIC Conservation Officer, at l.milatovic@cic-wildlife.org. 39

REGIONAL AND COUNTRY NEWS Hungary’s Annual Hunting Day 1 Euro per Hunter and Gold Hubertus Cross Award To mark the occasion of Hungary’s annual Hunting Day, 7 September, 2019, an event was organised by the Hungarian Hunting Chamber and Hungarian Hunting Association in Sukoró, on the banks of Lake Velence. The day’s activities were focused on the country’s hunting affairs at all levels, dealing with issues concerning

national policy, regional management, wild game consumption, African swine fever and more. Among those in attendance were Dr. Zsolt Semjén (Deputy Prime Minister & President of the Hungarian Hunting Association), Dr. László Jámbor (President of the Hungarian

Hunting Chamber) and Director General of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), Tamás Marghescu. A letter written by the CIC Director General was read out during the event, in which Tamás Marghescu thanked the Hunting Chamber for 40

spearheading the 1 Euro per Hunter initiative in Hungary. In practice, this means that 1 euro from each hunting license holder in Hungary will be used to facilitate the activities of the CIC, so that it can become a stronger voice in the battle to maintain hunting for future generations. With Hungary and Liechtenstein already having joined this initiative, the CIC hopes that other nations will show similar action to advocate and protect sustainable use. The event’s award ceremony saw the former Head of the Austrian CIC Delegation and former CIC Vice President, Dr. Rudolf Gürtler, receiving the Gold Hubertus Cross from Dr. Zsolt Semjén, in recognition of his efforts within the CIC and for hunting.

Dr. Gürtler, who is a legal expert of the courts in matters related to hunting, worked with the CIC for many years providing his technical expertise and legal advice. 41

European points of view â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

A study on people and large carnivores The organisations involved in the EuroLargeCarnivores LIFE project have published a report analysing the different points of view of people coexisting with large carnivores all over Europe. The report processes the results of workshops and interviews in the scope of which livestock farmers, foresters, hunters, environmentalists, researchers, authority representatives, politicians and numerous other specialists jointly searched for solutions in order to make conservation efforts more

effective and help avoid economic damages. In the course of these conversations various interest groups gathered together from 14 countries to discuss the challenges of sharing a habitat with large carnivores. Using these results, the report lists numerous proposals for making coexistence with laarge carnivores more harmonious. A total of 43 Hungarian specialists stated their opinions on the current problems when coexisting with large carnivores and made proposals on how to solve them.

What opinions exist in Europe? In all the fields of focus, the stakeholders were mainly concerned about the lack of timely and reliable information in connection with large carnivores (particularly wolves), the lack of direction from the authorities, the economic impacts of the livestock losses that are occurring, as well as the acquisition and operation costs of the equipment required to prevent these losses. In addition, they expressed

their concerns about the media coverage of large carnivores, adding that reporting is frequently sensationalist, often including factual errors, which is partial to presenting extreme points of view which polarises the on-going dialogues in the subject. Feedback clearly indicates that there is a burning need all over Europe for a better flow of information on large carnivores. In summary, the main proposals are based on three pillars, which includes: sharing of the most up-todate scientific results, the standardisation of data and the

publishing of action plans, the presentation of instruments aimed at preventing and reducing conflicts, and the development of damage prevention and compensation systems. This, however, must be coupled with increasingly strong leadership and governance, which can be achieved through the creation of platforms that improve cooperation and build trust. At the European level the stakeholders also found it important to support quality communication, an integral part of which is providing information for journalists from authentic sources.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wolves, bears, lynxes and wolverines are making a tremendous comeback and are part of the European identity. Where people and large carnivores share the same landscapes, things might change. However, together with our project partners we are convinced that coexistence is possible if we are open to learning from each other and try to adapt to the new situation.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Moritz Klose, leader of the EuroLargeCarnivores project, wildlife officer at WWF Germany, when referring to the report and to the frequently heated disputes on the subject.

What were the Hungarian results? “The local problems are frequently the same: wherever they occur we can learn from them, and we do need to learn from our neighbours. We set up a European network, and we are working with various partners to improve coexistence of people and large carnivores.” – László Patkó PhD, WWF Hungary, Large Carnivore programme Manager. A total of 43 specialists involved in the subject stated their opinions on coexistence at the Hungarian large carnivore meeting held last year. The participants highlighted the lack of trust and cooperation as the main obstacles to effective conflict management. There were some who found the secrecy in connection with the data to be a problem. Yet others, primarily livestock farmers, mentioned the need for more transparent damage prevention and if possible,

László Patkó PhD, WWF Hungary, Large Carnivore programme Manager and Kristóf Hecker, PhD, Head of Division Coordination of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) during a TV interview in the studio of Ozone TC (Hungary). The interview is available online (in Hungarian).

compensation system. Then, representatives of the hunting sector expressed their views on working together and sharing data (e.g. related to monitoring). Of particular importance, the participants called for regular meetings be organised to combat the lack of cooperation, and asked to take part in the monitoring of large carnivores and related research. In addition, they wanted to see the introduction

of international good practices. (Read about the Hungarian opinions on pages 66-68 of the Report.) “We are very happy about this initiative as the representatives of various stakeholder groups, those working in game management and nature conservation, have the opportunity to meet each other and discuss openly their ideas and concerns on the protection and management of large carnivores. This is 45

something that we find to be important, and we should support efforts that promote joint thinking at both regional and international levels. While large carnivores are key elements of a healthy ecosystem, conflicts are unavoidable as a result of the confined habitats in the natural environment which has been intensely transformed by mankind, particularly in Europe, and so it is very important to mitigate and prevent such conflicts.” – Kristóf Hecker, PhD, Head of Division Coordination of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC).

The Report The report entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;European Perspectives on Coexistence with Large Carnivoresâ&#x20AC;&#x153; presents the perspectives of the various stakeholders, the relationships between them, as well as the challenges and possible solutions identified by them. The inclusion of the stakeholders was implemented using an extensive process and the use of surveys. The project promoted the organisation of workshops in the five main targeted subject areas, in a total of 14 countries: in the Alps region (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Slovenia and Croatia), in the central European region

(Germany, Poland), in the Carpathian region (Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine and Hungary), in the Iberian region (Portugal and Spain), and in the northern countries (Finland and Norway). The report publishes the initial results of the initiative and summarises the European perspectives relating to the management of the large carnivores. It details the challenges and solutions characteristic at the regional level, which was collected in 2018 in order to improve nature 46

conservation measures and lessen the risk of economic damage. In addition to this, the report lists numerous proposals for making the coexistence with large carnivores more harmonious.

Let Africa Speak â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Open Letter to DEFRA

Subject: Involving Range Country Governments as part of Consultations on Proposed Ban on the Import of Legally Hunted Wildlife On 11 October 2019, the CIC sent out an open letter calling for the UK Government to involve range country Governments as part of their consultations on a proposed ban on the import of legally hunted wildlife. The letter was addressed to the Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers MP1 (Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and the Rt. Hon. Zacharias Goldsmith MP (Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and at the Department for International Development Affairs).

conservation and livelihood ramifications of such a ban. Despite the best intentions of the proponents of this ban, it was argued that it had the potential to cause serious damage to wildlife populations, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The UK Government was urged to engage with the relevant Ministries and Departments responsible for wildlife management in the countries that manage the wildlife that would be heavily affected by any potential importation ban. Given the socio-economic and ecological importance of hunting for many South African Development States (SADC), it was suggested that such consultations should involve at least the Governments of Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The decision to issue this letter came after the CIC learned of the UK Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans to conduct an urgent consultation on a potential ban on the importation of legally hunted wildlife. There were concerns about the

Theresa Villiers is no longer a Member, but was most recently the Conservative MP for Chipping Barnet, and left the Commons on 6 November 2019.

ÂŠ Creatime Commons, https://www.gov.uk/government/people/theresa-villiers

Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers MP

It was recommended that Government Officials from these countries, as well as members of rural communities who live on the front line with wildlife, should be invited to visit the UK so that they can share information about their conservation and livelihood programs and the role that sustainable hunting plays in their success. Due to the amount of misinformation on this topic, evidenced by the CIC article explaining the misuse of the 3% hunting contributions figure, getting first hand opinions from these individuals was presented as the best way to get accurate information.

ÂŠ Creatime Commons, https://beta.parliament.uk/media/PxWXATZF

Rt. Hon. Zacharias Goldsmith MP

The CIC also urged the UK Government to visit these countries to witness for themselves the important role that hunting plays in wildlife and habitat conservation, anti-poaching efforts, empowering communities and engaging them in the conservation of wildlife. 49

While it was recognised that the importation ban was proposed with the intention of benefitting wildlife, without the proper consultation with those who manage the wildlife in question, these actions have the possibility to do more harm than good.

some admitted that they themselves were uncomfortable with hunting, they recognised the scientific evidence showing the benefits of hunting to wildlife and livelihoods. The authors advised Governments not to take actions that would undermine existing well-managed hunting programs. In the words of Zac Goldsmith MP: “By placing a higher value on animals alive rather than dead, we will begin to turn back the tide of extinction.” This is the principle on which modern day, well-regulated, sustainable hunting works. It underlies the principles of sustainable use and is the reason wildlife numbers increase where it is practiced.

The open letter also gave mention to the controversy that surrounds the use of hunting as a conservation tool, with Zac Goldsmith MP describing hunting of “endangered animals” as “morally indefensible”. On this note, the CIC brought up the 133 scientists that supported hunting in a letter published in Science magazine. While

In summary, the CIC recommended the UK Government decision makers to not take any action without first consulting the Governments and affected communities from the countries whose wildlife would be affected. It is vital that people from both sides have a say in such 51

discussions, particularly when the issue at hand can significantly impact a nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wildlife and its peoplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; livelihoods.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Owners and livestock breeders Guardians of biodiversity On 5 November, a round table organized by ELO and the UCTL took place in the European Parliament where farmers and private owners from Spain, Portugal and France discussed their role as protectors of biodiversity. The event was hosted by MEP Juan Ignacio Zoido, with an extraordinary welcome and dealing with the problems faced by the owners and ranchers every day. The event was attended by Daniel Calleja Crespo (Director-General DG Environment), Álvaro Amaro (member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament), Carlos Núñez (President of the Lidia Bull Breeders Union), Jeremy Decerle (Renew Europe MEP and President of the young farmers of France), and Karl-Heinz Florenz (former MEP) among others.

and livestock owners contribute to rural development, and one of the priorities of the agenda of the future President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the “Green Deal” that establishes Two defined lines: the challenges against climate change and the challenges for the loss of biodiversity, both challenges are perfectly aligned in the defense of livestock rearing by their socio-environmental contribution. On the other hand, it was concluded that the relevant thing is to make farms viable and a strong and supportive CAP with farmers and agricultural managers must be guaranteed.

This framework served to present different points of view on how private

Jose Gomez-Acebo, ELO

Joint Statement of the International Sport Fishing Confederation (CIPS) International Horse Sports Confederation (IHSC) International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) Our three organisations are committed to representing the interests of over 100 million sustainable nature users and demonstrating that, together: • • • •

we support all nature users where that use is sustainable; we respect nature, and care for both its fauna and flora; we care about the health and welfare of all animals we are committed to conserving and protecting nature and this is reflected in our respective activities; • the education of future generations on the sustainable use of nature is of crucial importance for us, our traditions, and the environment; and • the historical and cultural aspects of the communities that we represent are an intangible part of human heritage that must be protected. Based on these premises, the three organisations agree to work together to establish a constructive and ongoing dialogue with any relevant organisations, particularly animal welfare bodies. We are ready to work together with other organisations and individuals who share our common interests in the sustainable use of nature. Lausanne, 18 July 2019

Ferenc Szalay President CIPS

Louis Romanet President IHSC 54

George Aman President d CIC

MEDIA AND PUBLICATIONS Communication Alliance The idea to form 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 on the pros and cons of hunting for the conservation of nature

and wildlife creates a large degree of confusion and division 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, which aggravates the divide. The increasing

alienation of the public from nature, as result of urbanisation, veganism and exaggerated views on animal rights, creates misconceptions about the sustainable use of nature â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these trends need to be tackled! As an example, private landowners all over the world are increasingly concerned about the influence of nongovernmental entities endangering their property rights, including the freedom to manage wildlife sustainably on their properties. This management is part of the

wider public good offered by private landowners, yet it is rarely recognised as such. Instead, they are often labelled as exclusive and disconnected from the wider public. Without the necessary property rights, such private lands would be at the mercy of land use changes, which may threaten the sustainability of rural landscapes. 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. 56

There are 30 million hunters globally, so the numbers are there; now, it is essential that we work together and take action. It is for this reason that the CIC forged a permanent alliance of media sources and individual reporters. The alliance serves as an informal platform and network to streamline communications from and among hunting organisations, to unify the message of the hunting community, as well as to enable the hunting community to efficiently react to communication challenges.

In order to succeed in a fast-paced communications environment, it is necessary for hunters to organize themselves. The Alliance is built on three pillars. The first pillar is the alliance of the policy makers, organizations, and associations (including landowners). The second pillar is the alliance of media representatives and journalists in the field of hunting and wildlife conservation. The third pillar is made up of the industrial partners that depend on hunting and its preservation. Those part of the first pillar have already started to work together to some extent.

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

30 MILLION HUNTERS WORLDWIDE 57

International Journalism Symposium

on Wildlife Conservation and on Sustainable Use of Wildlife

Prior to the 2017 General Assembly of the CIC, which was held in April in Montreux, Switzerland, the first partners came together and engaged in the organization of a journalists meeting during the General Assembly as the first step in forging this alliance. The event was highly successful, resulting in a number of tangible outcomes, including achieving articles in non-hunting media. Encouraged by this initial success, the CIC organised a second symposium in Madrid, Spain in 2018, and a third meeting of this kind in Windhoek, Namibia in 2019, with the objective to invite journalists who discuss and write about sustainable use and its importance as a tool for conservation. Several major articles appeared in international media as a result. 58

The next Journalism Symposium will tackle communication issues in the United States, and will be organised together with Dallas Safari Club in Dallas, January 2020. The call for submissions is open! More details can be found on the official flyer for the event.

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 wildlife conservation. • Discuss how wildlife conservation, specifically how hunting and sustainable use could be best communicated. • Present, discuss and eventually cover case examples related to the topic.

Main goals of the symposiums: To reinforce 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

For more information, please get in touch with Gabriella Kanyok at g.kanyok@cicwildlife.org

Science over emotions 133 scientists detailed the negative impact that a trophy hunting ban would have on wildlife, in an open letter than was released in the journal, Science. The letter suggests that, in the absence of viable alternatives, trophy hunting cannot be dismissed as a means of conservation. The authors state that trophy hunting often “distracts attention from the major threats to wildlife.” It is important to remember that habitat loss is the biggest threat to biodiversity, with the loss of land to agriculture being the major contributor. Trophy hunting helps to conserve the natural world by facilitating habitat management and the restoration of wildlife numbers. One of the lead authors, Dr. Amy Dickman (University of Oxford), suggests that a ban on trophy hunting would only result in “the unintended consequence of…far more animals killed through illegal killings and habitat loss.” If communities are no longer able to benefit from the wildlife on their lands, they would be forced to engage in activities that bring about more harm to the natural environment. The number of illegal killings would naturally increase when removing the incentive for people to care for wildlife. This may be through hunting, poaching, or local communities 60

taking matters into their own hands in order to deal with human wildlife conflict (through trapping or the use of poison). The letter points out that “more land has been conserved than under National Parks” in areas and states that employ the use of trophy hunting, highlighting the conservation benefits that are associated with conservancy hunting. Dr. Dickman also notes the role that social media plays in creating a distorted image of trophy hunting to the wider public, stating “It is very dangerous to view this through the lens of social media

because it is such a biased one, and this is why we need to listen to the conservation scientists and we need to listen to the community representatives rather than just advocacy groups.”

can ensure wildlife populations and humans will coexist in the longterm.” Those that do not agree with the principles of trophy hunting often suggest photo-tourism as a like for like replacement. However the authors argue that “many hunting areas are too remote or unappealing to attract sufficient visitors.”

Dr. Jeremy Cusack, from the University of Stirling’s Faculty of Natural Sciences, added that “it is only through well-informed and unbiased decision-making that we

In a world where many wildlife areas are under threat, it is essential that we employ management techniques that facilitate conservation in the most efficient and widely applicable ways.

sustainable use. We fully agree with the contents of this letter, and hope that governments that are looking to ban the imports of trophies will reconsider their position in light of the support for sustainable use from the scientific community.

The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation has always supported conservation through the principles of

The Dangers of Extrapolation – Hunting Revenues and Local Communities The term ‘fake news’ has become popularized over the last few years. The term refers to information, usually presented as ‘news’ that has no basis in fact but is presented as being factually accurate in a deliberate attempt to spread misinformation for propaganda purposes. Hunting is often on the receiving end of this approach to ‘news’. It is increasingly evident that this is misleading the public, media and policy makers and leading to uninformed policy decisions. A recent glaring example of this is the now widespread claim that “only 3% of trophy hunting revenues end up in local communities”. This figure has its roots in a report¹ commissioned by the African Lion Coalition and prepared by Economists at Large Pty Ltd , which states that “Research published by the pro-hunting International Council

??? 2019 ???

for Game and Wildlife Conservation and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation […] finds that hunting companies contribute only 3% of their revenue to communities living in hunting areas.” This ‘fact’ has now been taken up and is used widely in both traditional and social media to 64

3% 2008

discredit the validity of trophy hunting as a tool for wildlife conservation and rural development. As the purported originators of this ‘fact’ we provide clarification. As the quoted CIC and FAO report² makes clear, the figure of 3% is only relevant to one country –

Tanzania – at a particular time, i.e., in 2008. At this time hunting in Tanzania was primarily conducted in state protected areas and income from hunting went to the landholder – the Wildlife Department. Subsequently, Tanzania has introduced new policies to ensure that hunting also takes place on communal land, with the result that communities living in hunting areas are now beneficiaries of income from hunting. The figure of 3% is no longer relevant even to Tanzania. To have taken a country specific figure and generalized it to apply to all hunting in African countries is extremely misleading, bringing into question the competence, credibility and motivations of the reports authors. Quantifying the exact extent of benefits – including cash income, employment, protein, reduction of human wildlife conflict, improved social infrastructure (roads, schools, clinics), enhancement of local governance and community empowerment – for 65

communities throughout Africa is not feasible, not least because there are significant variations from country to country. Brief research reveals that in Namibia 100% of income from trophy hunting on communal land goes to the local community: whilst in Zimbabwe, 100% of income from hunting goes to the local Council â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 55% of which goes to local communities and the remainder is allocated to wildlife management and local administration. Whilst these figures do not represent an accurate picture of community benefits from hunting in even these countries, they demonstrate that extrapolating from one country to another is a meaningless exercise. Complicating this situation further is the fact that regulations and laws governing hunting revenues are not always optimum or adhered to. For example, rural communities in Zambia are currently taking their government to court over withheld trophy hunting funds. Despite legislation requiring the redistribution of funds to rural communities, the Treasury have failed to do so over the past several years. The decision to take legal action should not be taken as a criticism of trophy hunting as a management tool; instead, it comes out of an expectation of fair governance, meaning that local communities receive their fair share of profits. Conservation in Africa takes place in a complex and evolving context of competing environmental, social, political and economic concerns. Understanding the role and implications of hunting within this context requires rigorous research based on sound science. It 66

is incumbent on those reporting on hunting, conservation and community development to inform themselves appropriately and avoid regurgitating â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; news. To do less is to disregard those peoples whose livelihoods depend on wildlife, as well as best conservation practice. [1] Economists at Large, 2013. The $200 million question: How much does trophy hunting really contribute to African communities? A report for the African Lion Coalition, prepared by Economists at Large, Melbourne, Australia. [2] Vernon R. Booth (2010): The Contribution of Hunting Tourism: How Significant is This to National Economies? In Contribution of Wildlife to National Economies. Joint publication of FAO and CIC. Budapest. 72 pp.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

For the past 15 years, the Treasure Hunt has been the CIC’s main source of income, covering around 30% of its expenditures. It has undergone a great deal of development since its introduction, both in terms of supply and revenue, as well as obvious technical advancements.

The intake at last year’s Treasure Hunt was slightly less than average; this was due to the attendance of the General Assembly in Namibia, which had fewer participants when compared to previous years. Next year’s General Assembly, which will take place in a more accessible location (Riga) with a particularly attractive theme in Communications, is expected to have significantly higher attendance figures.

Our goal is to take 300,000 € at the next Hunting Auction.

Our goal is to take 300,000 € at the next Hunting Auction. In order to achieve this goal, we will need to receive enough interest and an increase in the number of attractive donations. It is also vital that we overcome our fear of innovation. The launch of our online auction platform will finally enable our members to participate in the Treasure Hunt remotely, which we hope will lead to increased revenues. Online participation will be available for the silent auction, however this functionality has yet to be confirmed for the live auction. By the beginning of 2020, tutorials for the following will be uploaded onto our website:

All we need now is to reach the donation targets.

• a step by step guide on the online bidding process • the innovations that have been made based on the two-year experience

All we need now is to reach the donation targets. The Hunting Auction donation forms can be found here if you wish to donate. The items on auction include a number of experiences, such as hunts and holidays abroad, as well as hunting equipment, artworks, jewelry, and more. By donating and bidding, whether that is at the General Assembly, online or in the future via smartphone application, you will be directly contributing to the efforts of the CIC. Finally, we would like to ask those who have bought a hunt at the Hunting Auction to send us a small report with some photos, so that we can publish them on our Hunting Auction Homepage.

35th IUGB Congress to be Hosted in Hungary in 2021 At the closing ceremony of the 34th International Union of Game Biologists (IUGB) Congress in Kaunas, Lithuania in August, it was announced that Hungary will be the location of the next IUGB Congress.

The 35th Congress “Wildlife Management in the Anthropocene” will take place on 21 to 24 September 2021, within the framework of the One with Nature, World of Hunting and Nature Exhibition, which will be held in Budapest, 25 September – 14 October 2021. The announcement was made by Prof. Sándor Csányi, who assumes the Presidency of the IUGB as Hungary hosts the 2021 Congress. On behalf of the secretariat of “One with Nature”, Dr. Gábor Magyar, expert of the “One with Nature” organising company, presented the image video of the 2021 World Hunting and Nature exhibition.

Dr. Gábor Magyar

The IUGB is an international, non-profit organisation based in Switzerland, which seeks to improve knowledge on game biology and wildlife conservation. Among the core objectives of the organisation are: to promote the sustainable use of wildlife resources, stimulate research and technical cooperation in many areas in the world of conservation, promote awareness of wildlife values, and encourage the sharing of knowledge between allied scientific disciplines.

Prof. Sándor Csányi

An international congress is organised by the IUGB every two years in order to help reach these objectives. As an organisation that shares many of the core values that will be promoted during the One with Nature, World of Hunting and Nature Exhibition in Hungary, Budapest will be the ideal location for the next IUGB Congress. 73

New CIC State Member â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Republic of Malta The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) is delighted to announce that the Republic of Malta has joined the CIC, through the Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development & Climate Change. The Maltese Islands are an important stepping stone for birds migrating along the route of the European-African migratory flyway. As such, Malta is a nation that has had deep cultural ties with the hunting of migratory birds since the 19th century. The inhabitants of Malta, as elsewhere in the world, originally hunted birds for sustenance and these hunting practices have been passed down through generations ever

since, instilling a deeply rooted tradition amongst its inhabitants. Today, Malta is dedicated to preserving these traditions whilst ensuring that the best principles of sustainable use are implemented by all stakeholders in the region. Maltaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parliamentary Secretariat for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animals

Rights, who will represent Malta within the CIC, has emphasized the importance of supporting the judicious use towards conservation of migratory birds.

Directive, Bern Convention and Bonn Convention. In addition, the government provides grants to NGOs that seek to conduct projects that directly contribute to the conservation of birds through the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Conservation of Wild Birds Funding Schemeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; inaugurated in 2017. The scheme funds projects that; contribute to sustainable hunting governance, aid the conservation of avifauna species and habitats and educational projects related to the conservation of wild birds.

Malta has made great efforts to comply with the provisions of the European Union (EU) and international conventions, including the EU Birds

These aims fit well with the CICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core focus on advocating the role that the sustainable use of wildlife plays in conservation, underpinned by scientific, socio-political and cultural considerations. Malta embraces and works towards the same values to which the CIC ascribes. We are honored to count Malta among the growing list of State Members of the CIC. We are looking forward to working together with the Maltese Government and the wider CIC membership in Malta to further promote the principles of conservation through sustainable use of birds throughout the Mediterranean region. 75

We are the generations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; IUCN Congress 2020 The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have released a video promoting the upcoming IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020, which will take place in Marseille, France.

With over 1300 member organisations, representing governments, civil society and indigenous peoples from over 160 countries, the IUCN World Conservation Congress is the one of the largest events that places a focus on conservation issues, exploring the practical realities, policy, as well as the scientific data behind it all. Next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Congress will be putting a spotlight on the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conservation aims and objectives for

2030. The threat to wildlife areas and biodiverisity will require significantly more attention in order to have a noticeable impact. Major changes will be needed within the next decade if we wish to safeguard and restore the natural environment to healthy and sustainable levels. 76

Placing a greater focus on conservation is not only good for biodiversity; taking the correct approach will also benefit local communities, climate change, human rights issues, and provide better food and water security for people around the world.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT AND WE ALL STAND TO LOSE If you think our next BREATH our next MEAL our next OPPORTUNITY our RIGHTS our GLOBAL GOALS have nothing to do with NATURE THINK AGAIN to end POVERTY to end HUNGER to CREATE a JUST and SUSTAINABLE world we need NATURE WE ARE THE GENERATIONS THE ONLY GENERATIONS that can get this right WE MUST ACT NOW Conservation works Join us GOVERNMENT LEADERS CIVIL SOCIETY leaders INDIGENOUS leaders BUSINESS leaders SCIENTIFIC leaders TECHNICAL leaders in Marseille for the IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS 2020 For NATURE For ALL OF US

New Head of the Belgian Delegation

Philippe Claeys will take over the position of Head of the Belgian CIC Delegation from Tony Pouppez de Kettenis. Philippe’s three-year mandate as Head of the CIC Belgian Delegation will start on 1 January, 2020.

(Applied Economics) from Brussels and a Special Degree in Developing Countries Studies. He also holds a Bachelor in Philosophy. He was a recipient of the Belgian Foreign Trade Ministry Prize and was granted a 6 months internship at Dakar’s Belgian Embassy, writing a study about “Renewable Energies Potential in Western Africa”. He is an Officer in the ParaCommando Regiment and commanded a platoon of the 2nd Commando Battalion

The outgoing Head of Delegation has done an incredible job during his tenure, including the CIC General Assembly in Brussels in 2016, which remains a highlight in the memory of CIC members wordwide. Philippe was born in Gent in 1959, is a Brussels resident, and has 3 children. He holds a Commercial Engineering Degree

New Head of the Danish Delegation 78

for one year. His professional experience includes work for different international banks in Brussels, Paris and London over the course of 25 years. He is now working in a family business, as well as being a Private Equity and Real Estate Investor in Belgium and Luxembourg. Hunting has always been a part of his family’s traditions, including small game and wildfowl in the Flanders and big game in the Ardennes. He has travelled to four continents, hunting on marshes, mountains, savannas and in forests. He is a member of the Federation des Chasseurs au Grand Gibier de Belgique.

At the CIC Executive Committee meeting in Helsinki a “change of guard” in the Danish delegation was approved.

The sustainable operation bears witness to the family’s effort to promote natural forestry and biodiversity. Paul has been a hunter since he was 16 and has hunted extensively in the regions of Denmark and in a number of the countries where he has worked and travelled. Increasing knowledge and understanding about nature and ecosystems and associated conservation has been the aim of many leisure travels with his family.

Paul Carsten Pedersen has assumed the position as delegation leader for Denmark. He takes over after Ms. Linnea Treschow who has now served the permitted 6 years as head of the delegation. Mr. Pedersen holds a M.Sc. in engineering and has recently ended a long management career in in the international oil and gas industry. Together with his wife Mette Langebaek he owns the forest estate “Hem Skov” south of the town Mariager in Denmark.

The sharper conservation profile of CIC has together with the opportunity to promote international conservation to young people been the drivers for Paul to make an effort for CIC commencing with a push to increase the Danish contingent. 79

CIC Member José Madrazo Recipient of the Weatherby Award

José Madrazo, a CIC member from the Spanish Delegation, has been named the winner of the 2019 Weatherby Hunting and Conservation Award. The award, presented by Weatherby Foundation International, is regarded as one of the most prestigious in the hunting world. Nominees are evaluated using three categories: • Hunting accomplishments • Conservation and education • Character and sportsmanship

Mr. Madrazo, who first joined the CIC in 2007, has been hunting internationally since 1981.

SCI President Award, and the Spanish Royal Club of “Monteros” Hunting Personality Award.

The Weatherby Award will be added to a long list of hunting honours for Mr. Madrazo, having already been the recipient of The Conklin Award, the Culminum Magister Award, the OVIS Award, The Pantheon Award, the SCI World Hunting Award, the SCI Hunting & Conservation Award, the SCI World Hunting Award Ring, the

In addition, he has also published several books on hunting, and has written extensively in a number of hunting and outdoors magazines.

The CIC would like to congratulate Mr. Madrazo on this achievement and his services to the international hunting community.

The CIC are saddened to hear of the passing of Poland’s former Minister of Environment, Professor Jan Szyszko, who died on 9 October, 2019 at the age of 75. He leaves behind a legacy as a distinguished politician, having first entering politics in the late 1980s. He served as Minister of Environment for three terms, a record number, directly overseeing Poland’s environmental policy

over the course of two decades. In addition to his contributions as a public servant, he also established himself with his work in academia. A professor of forestry, specializing in the use of natural and ecological resources, he authored over 100 scientific publications over his academic career. The President of Poland, His Excellency Andrzej 81

Duda, described him as a “scientist and politician but primarily a good and warm-hearted person, an enthusiast of nature.” The CIC would like to extend its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Prof. Szyszko. He will be remembered for his services to Poland as a statesman, and his continuous diligence in the field of the natural sciences.

The CIC Headquarters wish you a very pleasant festive season and a prosperous New Year!