ForestConnect on the 6th Dinaric-Balkan-Pindos Large Carnivore Platform meeting

The sixth international meeting of the Dinaric-Balkan-Pindos Large Carnivore Platform #DiBaPi was held in Ioannina, Greece, from 19 to 21 May 2025, organized by the General Secretariat of Forestry of Greece under the Ministry of Environment and Energy. The platform is a tool for long-term exchange on transboundary management and monitoring of large carnivores with representatives of national and regional authorities, as well as all stakeholders in this part of Europe. The main topic of the forum was to discuss and exchange good practices for the conservation of large carnivores and the possibilities for limiting conflicts in the coexistence of humans with large carnivores (brown bear, wolf and lynx). The meeting brought together representatives of governments and stakeholders from the 10 DiBaPi countries to address the shared challenges in the management of the three main species for the region - bear, wolf and lynx. Discussions focused on practical cooperation and exploring long-term strategies to ensure the coexistence of humans and large carnivores. Participants agreed on a series of joint actions aimed at improving the optimal environment for human-carnivore coexistence.

Key topics during the meeting were:

• Strengthening the protection of farm animals;

• Improving the quality and connectivity of transboundary habitats;

• Addressing the consequences of climate change and its direct impact on the diet and habitats of the three carnivore species;

• Supporting wildlife rapid response teams (intervention teams);

• Improving data sharing and the use of standardized monitoring;

• Promoting stakeholder participation.

The meeting also included a practical field visit organized by the Agency for the Environment and Climate Change, in cooperation with the NGO Callisto, where participants observed in real time the actions of intervention teams with conflict individuals of the Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) species and examined the measures to protect farmers and their property implemented within the framework of the LIFE ARCPROM project.

The meeting is part of a wider effort to create a sustainable framework for the management of large carnivore populations in the region. By connecting stakeholders and governments, the #DiBaPi platform aims to build trust and foster open exchange on critical issues, discussing potential solutions and ensuring a balanced approach to wildlife conservation and people's needs.

Due to the relevance of the project DRP0200359 Towards a Climate-smart Forest Connectivity for Large Carnivores in the Balkan-Carpathian-Dinaric Region, ForestConnect, funded under the Interreg Danube Region 2021-2027 programme, experts from EFA and WWF Adria, as part of the partners in this project, gave a presentation on the activities, expected results, progress and achievements to date in implementing its strategic objectives. The possibilities for cooperation between the ForestConnect project and the Predator Management Platform were discussed - including the Platform as a stakeholder in the project and providing support with data, materials and contacts with other participating countries to assist in the implementation of the activities and to promote the results.