We conducted three publications within the project. If you want to learn more about the scientific background in relation to our project read the stakeholder analysis, the socio-economic impact analysis, and the Life project review.
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This article explores the state of knowledge on the broader socio-economic impacts of four European large carnivore species (wolf, bear, lynx and wolverine). The analysis reveals a bias towards investigations of negative economic impacts, in most cases of wolves. To contrast the information provided by science with perspectives from conservation practice, the scientists conducted a survey among expert practitioners to elicit relevance ratings for the impact categories. Several categories considered relevant by the survey respondents are underrepresented in the academic literature. These include, in particular, positive impacts. This incongruity between supply and demand for scientific information likely reinforces biased public debates and the negative public perception of large carnivores.
This study is part of the EU LIFE project EuroLargeCarnivores, providing a scientific analysis of current stakeholder networks of the project partners (mainly WWF offices), a necessary foundation for “Improving human co-existence with large carnivores in Europe through communication and transboundary cooperation.” They conducted systematic participatory and transdisciplinary primary research in 14 European countries. The composition, density and quality of stakeholder networks as well as the interconnectivity of the project partners differ substantially. This study reveals common denominators across Europe, varying relationships between stakeholder categories, and the potential positive role of foresters and veterinarians. The results indicate the need for a more comparable implementation of EU regulations at national level, and for regional adaptations of support strategies for distinct stakeholders and networks.
For this review, information about all LIFE projects dealing with large Carnivores were collected and the mitigation practices targeting human-carnivore conflicts were analyzed. A database with the information on all screened projects and the following report were prepared. Here, the research team first provide an overview of LIFE projects on large carnivores and identified trends in respect to time period, geographical distribution, target species and conflict mitigation practices conducted. Next, the focus will be on conflict mitigation practices and to provide information about their frequency of use within LIFE project, as well as their functional and perceived effectiveness. Finally, this review details the limitations they faced while applying this categorization and shortcomings of project reports with recommendations for future work.
To capture the perspectives of different stakeholders, the relationships among them and the types of challenges and solutions they identified, an extensive stakeholder engagement process was designed that used surveys and facilitated workshops across 14 countries and within 4 major focus areas. Surveys were also used to trace stake-holder relationships and identify their large carni-vore management challenges and solutions. This report provides the initial findings from this engage-ment and summarizes regional European perspectives about large carnivore management. It describes challenges and solu-tions at the regional level that people have identified to improve conservation management practices and to reduce the potential for economic losses. It also makes a series of recommendations that could improve human-large carnivore coexistence.
Damage to livestock is the main source of conflicts between wolf and people in its entire range. As a result of human persecution throughout history, its populations have been reduced to even extinction in large areas, which in turn has caused the disappearance of traditional methods of damage prevention to livestock.
The current report assesses the use of prevention methods donated ten years ago in Spain within the LIFE COEX project.
The results of this study match theoretical expectations: numbers for raised awareness of relevant issues score highest, increase of theoretical knowledge scores higher than of practical skills, and change of behavior, i.e. implementation of new skills, score lowest but in this case on target levels. Impact on the stakeholder level is achieved if changed ‘own’ behavior reaches its aim to induce changes elsewhere.
