Framework for Biodiversity Reconcialition Action Plans

FRAP has one overall goal: the development of a generic Framework for Reconciliation Action Plans between the conservation of large vertebrates and the use of biological resources by humans. The generic framework will be illustrated using conflicts between the conservation of large fish-eating vertebrates and fisheries as models.

The specific objectives are:
- to assess the conflicts between the conservation of fish-eating vertebrates and fisheries from an ecological and socio-economic perspective;
- to evaluate and develop successful mitigation strategies and a mix of policy instruments;
- to design participatory decision strategies and to develop recommendations for effective stakeholder interactions;
- to disseminate the results to stakeholders and the public.

FRAP will develop a generic Framework for biodiversity Reconciliation Action Plans consistent across national boundaries and illustrate this framework for the conflicts between the conservation of seals, otter, respectively cormorants and fisheries. We will evaluate existing information and study the conflicts for regions that either differ in the ecological basis of the conflict or in the use of socio-economic mitigation strategies. The regional comparisons are Denmark versus Italy for cormorants, Central Europe versus Portugal for otters, and Finland versus Sweden for gray seals.

Major project outcomes:

The project's main objective was to develop a generic Framework for biodiversity Reconciliation Action Plans for conflicts between the conservation of large vertebrates and the use of biological resources by humans. The generic framework was illustrated using conflicts between the conservation of seals, otters and cormorants versus fisheries in different European countries as models.

Improved environmental conditions and strict nature protection laws have resulted in rare or locally extinct animal species returning and increasing in numbers that is reigniting old conflicts between humans and wildlife. The identification and quantification of the conflicts from the different disciplinary perspectives was highly relevant in socio-economic terms, but also had policy implications regarding biodiversity and conservation policies. This equally holds for the evaluation of existing conflict mitigation strategies, the analysis of different regulation scenarios through modelling techniques, the development of improved policy instruments as well as participatory decision strategies. Based on the results from the case studies existing reconciliation plans have been revised (e.g. in Denmark) or newly developed (e.g. in Portugal), policies for conflict management have been advanced (e.g. compensation payments for otter damage in Germany), and project findings have been considered in the course of the development of a national species management plan (e.g. in Finland). Regarding EU policies, most direct contributions have been made to the EU Biodiversity Action Plan for the Conservation of Natural Resources (2001), Objective 2.3 “To develop management plans for selected threatened species”, by providing a framework for action plans and by illustrating this framework for selected threatened species. FRAP results also contribute to the implementation of EU Communication (2006) “Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010” by addressing three relevant policy fields: Safeguarding most important habitats and species, agricultural and rural development policies as well as fisheries policies.

As a central product for dissemination, an edited book of the main FRAP-project results will soon be published by Springer Publishers including the different case studies and the generic framework. The book's main audience will be conflict managers who practically have to deal with biodiversity conflicts. Furthermore, due to the participatory project design various project results have already been disseminated to numerous stakeholders in the model regions or countries throughout the course of the project, influencing, changing or even setting up new conflict management strategies and policies.

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