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Action Plan for Eygptian
Vulture Protection:
On May 15th,
2008 the National Council for Biodiversity at the
Ministry of Environment and Waters of Bulgaria accepted with a complete
majority the action plan for the protection of the egyptian
vulture(2009-2018), which was
developed by BSPB. The plan is a result of over 20 years of activities
by Birdlife-Bulgaria on the protection of this globally endagered
species, whose numbers are rapidly decreasing in recent years.
Most members of the Council – Bulgarian scientists, experts from
environmental agencies and NGOs- were more than pleased with the action
plan, which was mostly due to the high quality work of people who
played an essential role in its preparation -Marin Kurtev and Ivailo
Angelov and the team of experts and volunteers that worked with them in
recent years. more...
BSPB and E.ON in
cooperative effort in building Stork Nests:
BSPB, in its
continual efforts to work in a cooperative method with E.ON, Eastern
Bulgaria's electricity provider, has begun installation of Stork nests
on E.ON Electric Pylons.
"The project
is part of the electrical company's policy for environmental protection
and preserving the natural balance in the respective regions"
The white stork is one of the two species of storks that is included in
Bulgaria's Red Book of Endangered Species, and is protect by Bulgarian
and by EU law. The bird is strongly attached to one nest throughout its
life.
In the last 30 years, the white stork in Bulgaria increasingly prefer to
nest on electrical posts. Some 90% of all nests in Bulgaria are located
on the pylons.
By providing the nesting platform, E.ON, with help and consultation from
the Bulgaria Society for Protection of Birds will protect both the birds
and the electricity transfer system from accidents. |
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WHO ARE THE FRIENDS OF BSPB |
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The Friends of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of
Birds (FBSPB) is a volunteer-based organization promoting
the efforts of the Society in North America. This is done
by giving lectures at local birding societies as well as
educational programs and Birding trips to Bulgaria.
The FBSPB is the only organization that is fully sanctioned
by the Society in the United States as all funds from
birding trips and lectures are specifically used towards
BSPB projects! |
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UPCOMING FUNDRAISER TRIP 2009 |
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From 11 to 20 May 2009, we will be visiting Bulgaria
during the peak breeding season. This trip
will provide any avid, or novice, birder with the
opportunity to view a great spectrum of both Continental and
Mediterranean species,
from Rose-colored Starling, Pied Wheatear on the Kaliakra
Steppes to Black (Cinerous), Griffon and Egyptian Vulture in
the Eastern Rhodope Mountains to Dalmatian Pelican in
Bulgaria. As with all our trips, 100% of all overages will fund needed
conservation projects in Bulgaria and INCLUDES membership in
the BSPB!
Price is $1885.00/pp inclusive (except round trip airfare,
items of personal nature, alcoholic beverages, tips).
TRIP BROCHURE
ONLY 9 SPOTS LEFT!!!
For additional information about these trips, you can send
an
email to Yoav or,
alternatively, call him at 866.204.6183 (+1.215.517.7639).
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YOUR HELP IS NEEDED |
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With the elimination of 37 registered IBA's along the Black
Sea coast and vital Imperial Habitat in Sakar, we need you
help in raising funds to FIGHT to get these places listed
and protected in Bulgaria. By becoming a member of the BSPB,
you will help in that effort. Membership is 25.00USD/year.
But, we hope that you can give more! You can
join securely on-line with your
credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover),
you will be be billed by VP Technologies, LLC (Sponsor of
this site).
You can also help by making sure when you are birding with
an organized group, that your group has been sanctioned by
the Bulgarian Society for Protection of Birds. You can contact us to confirm.
Alternatively, we can arrange your up-coming birding trip to
Bulgaria. As we are an all-volunteer organization, 100% of
all funds from these trips go towards conservation efforts
in Bulgaria.
For additional information on how you can help, please email
us at
email or,
alternatively, call us toll-free at 866.204.6183.
Bulgaria is swapping Natura 2000 Land for Ski Resorts!
Protecting Bulgarian forests
and the proposed Natura 2000 sites against the development
of ski resorts and mafia investment is becoming increasingly
difficult. This was one of the major issues outlined at this
year’s Forest Movement Europe Meeting, 18-20 April 2008,
hosted by Birdlife Bulgaria
(BSPB) in the foothills of the Rila mountains.
Over 40 participants attended,
discussing issues such as paper consumption, carbon trading,
bio energy, forest certification and illegal logging as well
as that the very surroundings they were having the meeting
in were under
threat.
The Bulgarian government took its final decision about the
Natura 2000 sites on 4 December 2007, but Bulgarian NGOs
contested it because buffer zones which are important to
defend national parks were omitted. Since then, attempts to
protect these important areas before resorts are built have
been in vain. BSPB’s Veronika Ferdinandova stated, “Those
responsible for environmental protection in Bulgaria are not
able or willing to stop destructive investments in the
country. Corruption has spread to all management levels and
we have no other hope but to appeal to the European
Institutions for help.” A 145,000 signature strong petition
was handed
to the European Commission on the 8 May 2008 calling for the
Bulgarian state to immediately order the halt of all illegal
building works in Rila National Park and Rila Buffer.
To the big surprise of the
action organizers, the petition was received by the
Environmental Commissioner Dimas himself,. Mr. Dimas and the
member of his cabinet Mr.Quinn, received the petition and
stressed that the Bulgarian government has to comply with
its legal obligations. If the Bulgarian state drags on
building in its Natura 2000 territories, it is very
likely that the Polish Rospuda story will repeat in
Bulgaria, Mr Quinn explained.
In the former case, the state
of Poland initiated the building of a high-way through an
important Natura 2000 territory. The Commission repeatedly
warned the country about the legal consequences of damaging
European protected areas, which was apparently ignored by
the Polish government. Eventually, the European Commission
asked the European Court of Justice to take measures
ensuring that Poland does
not start with the construction of a high-way that creates
irreversible damage to the Rospuda Valley. What is more, the
measure could prevent the start of the building works until
the Court has had time to rule on the case brought in March. |
Bucks County Birders Presents Program on Birding in Bulgaria: 27
May 2008.
“Bulgarian Birding Adventure” by JoAnn Raine and Yoav
Chudnoff.
JoAnn Raine, along with Yoav Chudnoff, will present this
program. JoAnn has traveled widely here in the States pursuing her hobby
and is the Secretary for Bucks County Birders. Yoav represents The
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds in the United States. The
primary guide on the trip was Gerard Gorman, a well-respected European
birder; the local guide was Mladen Vasilev of the BSPB. A complete
article on this trip can be found in the autumn 2007 issue (Vol 4, No.3)
of The Kingfisher.
For
additional information:
BCB
Photo by Earl Harrison.
Bucks County Birders donated $150.00 towards IMPERIAL EAGLE Conservation
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BIRD OF THE MONTH |
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Eurasian Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)
Photo
by Earl Harrison |
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Important
Bird Areas in Bulgaria
Each Month we will list
eight Bulgarian Important Bird Areas:
Facts about the Bulgarian 114 IBAs:
• All the
European White Pelicans, almost all (over 70 %) of the world’s White
Storks and over the half of the nesting in Europe Lesser Spotted Eagles
are using the Via Pontica flyway following the Bulgarian Black Sea
Coast. On their journey they pass over 18 internationally important IBAs.
• 75% of
the population of Red-breasted Goose spend the winter at two of the
North Black Sea Coast IBAs – Shabla Lake Complex and Durankulak. Both of
these zones were not included into the approved by the Council of
Ministers NATURA 200 list.
• Nine of
the Bulgarian IBAs hold 17% of the EU population of the Imperial Eagle.
At present it looks like five of these zones will not receive the NATURA
2000 protection. Among them are Sakar and West Strandzha where almost
all of the known nests in Bulgaria are situated.
• The
situation with Semi-collared Flycatcher in the Balkan Mountain is
similar - 61% of the EU population of the species is concentrated in ten
of the IBAs there and six of these were not approved by the Council of
Ministers. Kamchia Complex where the densest population of Semi-collared
Flycatcher is based was left outside the official NATURA 2000 list.
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