European hunters gathered in Celje at yearly Hunting Fair, where FACE, the lead European hunters’ organization, together with LIFE Lynx and Hunters Association of Slovenia organized an international conference Hunters and Lynx Conservation in Europe. Speakers from Austria, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland gave an in-depth view to different lynx populations across Europe and their current conservation status and the issues concerning lynx; from reintroduction efforts, to stakeholders involvement and fighting illegal killing of lynxes and other wildlife. In total, FACE members from nine different countries joined the conference and contributed with their experience.
Group photo of the state hunters’ representatives at the conference. Photo: Teja Kovačič
With new translocations of lynxes within the LIFE Lynx project, we can assume the lynx population will spread also to Austria. For the long-term conservation of this lynx population, it is important that hunters share the information on lynx presence, movement, abundance and other important information. LIFE Lynx project has gathered a lot of knowledge and experience on lynx monitoring and will share this with hunters from Austria, who are eager to learn about this topic. Therefore, the president of Styrian Hunters Association, President of Hunters Association of Slovenia and director of Slovenia Forest Service signed a networking agreement in the scope of which the knowledge and experience of the LIFE Lynx team will be shared outside of the project and helped others involved in lynx conservation.
Signing the agreement between Slovenia Forest Service, Hunters Association of Slovenia and Syrian Hunters Association. Photo: Garber, DER ANBLICK