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TECHNICAL SESSION I: WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT IN THE BALTIC REGION

With the 68th General Assembly hosted in Latvia, we wanted to take this opportunity to shine a light on the wildlife management practices that are taking place in the Baltic region.

In this session, representatives from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were invited to give participants a presentation on the wildlife management practices in their respective countries, as well as their approach to communications in their work. The session was moderated by CIC Deputy Director General, Sebastian Winkler.

Linda Dombrovska (Latvia Hunters Society) from Latvia opened by providing a brief overview of the Baltic region as a whole. It was stated that there are over 65,000 hunters across the entire region, which covers an area of 175,228 km2. Common iconic hunted species include bear, lynx and wolves. Forests also cover a large percentage of the Baltics, with a cover of 50% in both Latvia and Estonia. The role of hunting as a uniting force was also stressed, one that expands beyond borders and languages.

Feliksas Miliutis (Lithuanian Hunters’ and Anglers’ Association) then took the stage to discuss the wildlife management policies in Lithuania, however, it was stated there are many similarities in approach across all three countries.

Population management was a topic that reoccurred several times during the presentation. In this regard, European beaver was mentioned as a hunted species of note, due to the fact that beaver is protected under the Bern convention in many other countries. Some 100,000 beaver currently reside in Lithuania, requiring significant hunting activities to actively manage their numbers.

Another ongoing issue they are facing is related to the European bison. After being reintroduced, their numbers grew rapidly across the country, ultimately resulting in significant damages to crops. Despite this, there is no prerequisite for damage compensation, due to the fact that bison is not a hunted species. As a solution, translocation of bison to enclosures and other areas is being used to reduce their impact.

Hundreds of hectares of crops are also devastated by migratory wild birds every year; as it stands, the hunting of cranes and swans is prohibited, and wild geese can only be hunted in the autumn.

Representing Estonia was Andres Lillemäe (Estonian Hunters Society), who outlined some interesting projects carried out within the country, as well as the public’s shift in attitude towards the hunting community in recent years.

One example of a project designed to tackle human-wildlife conflict was the introduction of reflectors on roads, which create a wall of light once hit by a car’s headlights. This makes the presence of cars more visible to animals (such as deer), thereby reducing the likelihood of a vehicle collision.

Another project that was successful in Estonia was related to the regulation of small predators on the coastline. Bird populations were being devastated in these areas prior to the intervention; six hunting territories are now looking to manage small predator numbers for the benefit of these birds to great effect.

From a communications perspective, an interesting piece of insight shared with participants was the reputation of hunters before and after the emergence of African Swine Fever. After the government and the public realised that hunters can play a key role in tackling the disease, their stance on hunters and hunting itself shifted dramatically, causing them to be now viewed in a positive light.

If you are interested in more details, this session can be viewed in full on the CIC YouTube Channel.

TECHNICAL SESSION II: UTILISING COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

In today’s world, effectively communicating one’s messages is synonymous with organisational success. This, however, brings into question how best to use modern communications tools, and their effectiveness in certain use cases.

This session was organised to explore this exact theme, with speakers invited to discuss their experiences with certain tools, and their use in communications campaigns.

Moderating the session was Rob Yorke, Environmental dialogue broker and Rural commentator, who made reference to people attributing the decline of biodiversity to hunting despite this being far from the truth. With this in mind, a question was posed to panellists: How can hunting reach people with a new context that puts a focus on conservation?

One theme that arose during the discussions was the type of storytelling that should be highlighted when communicating hunting activities.

Augustin Leclerc (Director General of Corporate & Partner at JIN) suggested that shifting the focus away from the killing of animals, and instead to conservation and wildlife management, is the key to portraying hunting in a positive light. Specifically, hunters were encouraged to tell the wider audience some hunting success stories – the collective action of French hunters who prevented African Swine Fever from reaching Belgium was given as one possible example. Expanding on this point by providing the perspective needed when also sharing the collective thoughts of local communities in tandem with sustainable use was Bupe Banda (Community Leaders Network, Zambia). It was stated that telling the true story of local communities is far more crucial than telling an attractive one. When looking to make effective policies, going to meet people in person was emphasised as essential for people that are interested in voicing the needs of local communities.

Engagement with the media was another common thread that appeared during the session. Tristan Breijer (Senior Vice President of Hunter & Co. App.) spoke about the need to be proactive and clearly define what it is that they are defending. It was argued that the main problem when trying to reach people is the lack of communication from hunters due to the fear of backlash. This was ultimately attributed to the media and the complex nature of conservation through sustainable use.

Providing a contrasting perspective was Marc de Beaufort (CEO of Idafield), who challenged the idea that the media is to blame for the negative portrayal of hunters. He emphasised that while it is true that the media is looking for controversial stories, it is up to the hunting community to push the true message of hunting by actively engaging with media outlets.

If you are interested in more details, this session can be viewed in full on the CIC YouTube Channel.

TECHNICAL SESSION III: WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM ACROSS THE TABLE?

Organisations working in different fields will often use a wide range of communications strategies to best suit their vision and mission.

This session looked to compare and contrast the strategies employed by a variety of organisations and sectors, while exploring how these strategies can be used to support wildlife conservation.

Setting the scene on the topic was Dr. Zoltán Kovács (Hungarian State Secretary for International Communication & Relations) who moderated the session.

He opened by noting that communications is simply a tool; a means to an end in order to achieve something. In order to effectively communicate, one needs both an identity and a narrative first. With this in mind, speakers were asked to draw on their experiences on these two elements.

Stephen Fern (Chairman of Ark2030 Foundation) argued that hunters need a brand change. The case study of Jersey was given as a successful instance where a brand change was implemented, in which the reputation was changed from a “tax haven” to an “international financial service centre.” It was put forward that working with an organisation such as Ark2030 - which collects funding from foundations, corporations and other grant making bodies and deploys them into their “Eco System Restoration Partners” - would assist with such a brand change.

During her intervention, Deborah Vorhies (CEO of Fair Wild) emphasised the importance of integrity. Speaking on her experience working with Fair Wild, a voluntary opt-in certification scheme for private sustainable wild plant collection operations, she stated that certification schemes allow for the validation of integrity across entire supply chains, thereby further promoting concepts of sustainability across a broader range of people and stakeholders.

Tamás Marghescu (CIC Director General) then spoke about the image of hunters, which has changed dramatically over the past years. While it was stated that change needs to happen, it was suggested that this change needs to come from within hunters themselves. The CIC’s recent efforts to support humanitarian efforts in aid of Ukraine was put forward as an example of this, with the news coverage reaching numerous countries and hundreds of outlets.

Discussing the importance of bringing the voices of communities to policymakers in Europe was Stephan Wunderlich (German CIC Delegation), who made reference to his experience working with the African community leaders. Prior to the 68th General Assembly, he and Bupe Banda (Community Leaders Network) had travelled throughout Europe in an effort to bring the local voices to policymakers and decision makers. In this context, he mentioned that his role is to work as a vessel to bring important stories and narratives to the table.

If you are interested in more details, this session can be viewed in full on the CIC YouTube Channel.

Lessons we have learnt from Riga - Dr. Zoltán Kovács