Incredible Bulgaria - Importnant Bird Areas as a base for eco-tourism



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Importnant Bird Areas as a base for eco-tourism

Dr Petar Iankov , PhD

Dr Petar Iankov

At the end of the 20th Century the Central and East European countries have been considered to have many social, economic and other disadvantages, compared with the countries of the North and Western Europe. In the same time, there is one indisputable advantage they have and this is the well preserved biodiversity in all its forms. At first eye it seems that this advantage is something emotional and unimportant. But the reality is that the preserved wilderness means better living environment and even a serious economic perspective for the countries which have it. There are two main requirements to properly explore this advantage. The first one is to preserve it and to hold out against the avalanche of the wild development, covering these countries now. The second is to develop well balanced and nature friendly eco-tourism practices, in order to explore the huge potential of the natural sites and to provide the society with the economy benefits from the wild nature. But to have them one condition is critical: as stopping development everywhere is impossible, so, at least the most valuable wilderness sites must be identified and provided with some formal protection. It is important to realise this in a modern way: not as sentimental act, but as protecting a modern a perspective economy branch from some other ones (some of which even do not have place in the realities of 21st Century!).

Development of the IBAs concept in Bulgaria

The concept of the Important Bird Areas (IBAs) appeared in Bulgaria about 1985 in parallel with its creation by the BirdLife International (than ICBP). Due to the very consistent work of BirdLife and to the existence of an adequate in-country Partner – the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) to apply it, this concept was successfully introduced in the country. It had all its normal stages from promoting the concept through making it really working conservation instrument up to incorporating it into the domestic legislation and putting into practice its potential.

The IBAs concept is quite complex to be described in a short presentation like this one, but it has three basic components. The first one is a clear objective, logical structure, operational guidelines and rational. They were developed by the BirdLife and improved on the basis of the national and international experience. The second is an international organisation to serve as a focal point for the initiative as a whole (BirdLife International). And the third is the existence of an appropriate national organisation to undertake the role of IBAs acting body for the relevant country. Such organisation for Bulgaria is BSPB. The main results of the IBAs Programme in Bulgaria are several. About 125 sites, which correspond to the criteria for IBA, were identified and fully described. Caretakers were appointed for them, monitoring of the biodiversity and overall state was started. Specific conservation measures for most of them were started (including providing them with formal protection, removing threats and even management of them for conservation purposes).