The Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats was initiated in 1979 and came into force in 1982. The Convention is administered by the Council of Europe and is concerned primarily with protecting wild fauna and flora and their habitats. The EU has reflected the Bern Convention primarily through the Wild Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) and the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). Actions, taken at annual meetings of the parties in Strasbourg, include listing species on appendices, opening case files against states in breach of the Convention and forming expert groups to report on issues that may then become subject to resolutions. Recent initiatives have included creation of the Emerald Network of reserves that is effectively an extension of the Habitats Directive Natura 2000 network of sites to non-EU countries and the development of a European Strategy on Invasive Alien Species.

The Bern Convention currently has 42 signatory states, including the Holy See and several in Africa, but activities tend to be dominated by coordination of the 25 EU members. International NGOs such as Birdlife, FACE, International Association for Falconry & Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF) and WWF are regular participants as observers. During development of the invasive species strategy, IUCN was represented by SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.

A new initiative of the Bern Convention is a Charter for Hunting and Biodiversity, for which a Working Group first met at Strasbourg on 10 March 2006. The group included the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Romania, the European Commission, Birdlife, FACE, IAF and the 'Il Nibbio' Foundation (for research on migratory birds). Apologies were received from other invitees that included Belgium, Switzerland, the UK, CIC, the European Landowners Association and WWF’s Large Carnivore Initiative. IUCN had not sought representation, but a European SUSG member was representing IAF.

Øystein Størkersen of Norway, elected to chair the group, emphasised the benefits of hunting tourism for local benefit in Eastern Europe. His introduction was followed by scene-setting presentations.

Multiple values of wildlife

Carolina Lasén Díaz, from the secretariat, pointed out that Bern Convention in some ways anticipated the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) by recognising multiple values of wildlife and that its 2004 Strasbourg Declaration gave a 'right to benefit from the sustainable use of biodiversity'. She noted the Convention’s appendix of huntable species and scope for derogations from full protection of other species if there was 'no other satisfactory solution', to permit 'judicious exploitation of certain species in small numbers'. The Dr Massimo Marracci, the secretariat’s consultant (from Milan Council), noted especially the CBD and its Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines for Sustainable Use, also the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the Durban commitment to halt biodiversity loss by 2010.

Cooperation and best practice

Manuel Esparrago, deputy Secretary General of FACE used the IUCN 2000 statement on sustainable use as his introduction. He pointed out that there were 7 million hunters in Europe, 75% hunting locally and creating 120,000 jobs worth €3billion, but a need for common principles and best practices. Konstantin Kreiser of Birdlife then described how a 'Charter on Sustainable Hunting' became the Agreement on Hunting between FACE and Birdlife, co-signed by the European Commission. Birdlife and FACE are working together to take their cooperation to national level and beyond, for instance explaining that Natura 2000 is not incompatible with hunting. Cooperation for monitoring is important, e.g. through collection of bag statistics. The importance of monitoring and improved communications was also stressed by Anne Teller from the Commission’s DG Environment Biodiversity Division, who also mentioned an initiative for approved hunting labelling through the IUCN/ESUSG WISPER group.

Making things easier

Finally, Gianluca Silvestrini indicated from the secretariat that the intention is not to produce a new binding instrument but a non-binding tool to help stakeholders apply what is in existing texts. Detailed codes of conduct are not intended, and the minutes indicate a steer towards a focus on hunting tourism and on training of hunters. The next meeting will be in September, by which time Dr Marracci and the secretariat will have produced a first draft of the charter.

May 2006. Robert Kenward , DPhil, DSc is a member of the European Sustainable Use Specialist Group Committee. rekeceh.ac.uk

Sustainable, June 2006, contents page