PROTECTION OF EAGLES IN THE CARPATHIAN MTS

In 1996 Polish, Slovakian and Ukrainian ornithologists initiated cooperation with a view to study and conserve endangered birds of prey in the Carpathian Mts. This international cooperation, which was developed until 2000 inclusive, provided an opportunity to carry out transboundary monitoring of rare species of raptors in the region.

In the spring 1996, owing to the financial support received from the Partnership to the Environment Foundation, a Polish-Ukrainian camp was organized in the Bieszczady Mts, the main purpose of which was to establish cooperation aimed at protection of the Carpathian Golden Eagle population and at providing training for a group of people engaged in field activities in the region concerned. As a result of controls to 13 potential breeding territories of the Golden Eagle, 7 new nests of this species were localized in the Polish section of the Carpathians in 1996.

A continuation of the international cooperation undertaken were training workshops arranged thanks to the financial support from the Global Environmental Facility/ Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP UNDP). They were held from 17th to 23rd July 1998 in the Bieszczady Mts; the number of participants - 12. The participation in the workshops of T. Łysaczuk from the West-Ukrainian Ornithological Station and of J. Kornan from the Slovakian Group for the Study and Protection of Raptors and Owls resulted in working out an international project entitled "Protection of eagles in the Carpathians - creation and training of an international group", which obtained acceptance by the Partnership to the Environment Foundation.

Within the scope of this task, 2 training camps were organized: one in the village of Czarna Dolna near Ustrzyki Dolne in the Góry Sanocko-Turczańskie mountain range, the other in Holovecko in Ukraine. The camps were attended by 8 members of the Eagle Conservation Committee (KOO), 9 representatives of the West-Ukrainian Ornithological Station (ZUSO) and 3 persons from the Slovakian Group for the Study and Protection of Raptors and Owls (SVODAS). The participants got acquainted with the methodology of research on populations of birds of prey, conducting many hours' observations from vantage points and localizing home ranges of different species of raptors.

In 1999 preliminary assumptions of the "Protection of Eagles in the Carpathians" international project were submitted for a European contest, "Joint Undertakings in the Realm of Environmental Conservation", which was staged by the Regional Environmental Center (REC). In October 1999 the project qualified for the 2nd stage of this competition. In order to elaborate its details, the KOO organized a Ukrainian-Slovak-Polish meeting, held in Stefanowa, Slovakia, from 4th to 8th November 1999.

At the beginning of 2000, the full version of the "Protection of Eagles in the Carpathians" project was accepted by the REC, and received financial support amounting to 25 000 ECU. Owing to this donation, it was possible to commence far-reaching action with a view to preserve the Golden and Lesser Spotted Eagles in Slovakia and Poland.
Implementation of the project yielded the following results:

• survey of 13 Golden Eagle breeding sites within the Pogórze Przemyskie foothills and the mountain ranges of Góry Sanocko-Turczańskie, Bieszczady, Beskid Sądecki, Pieniny, Tatras and Beskid Żywiecki (Babia Góra). Jointly, occurrence of birds was confirmed at 6 sites; in 3 territories 3 nests were found;
• a series of 9 training workshops concerned with protection of raptors, which were conducted in the headquarters of the Carpathian National Parks (Bieszczady Mts NP, Magura NP, Babia Góra Mt NP, Tatra Mts NP, Pieniny Mts NP and Gorce Mts NP), of the Przemyśl Landscape Parks Assemblage, Poprad River Landscape Park and Krosno Landscape Parks Assemblage. The project's party entered into close cooperation with the boards of directors and the personnel of particular parks, which has already born fruit, e.g. transmission of numerous valuable pieces of information about the localization of new territories or nests of eagles, and better protection of nest-sites of birds of prey through corrections made to the courses of tourist tracks for instance.