The final draft of the Flyway Action Plan for the Conservation of the Balkan and Central Asian Populations of the Egyptian Vulture is now available

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The Flyway Action Plan for the Conservation of the Balkan and Central Asian Populations of the Egyptian Vulture (EVFAP) was initiated by the LIFE+ project “The Return of the Neophron” (LIFE10 NAT/BG/000152) in close collaboration with the CMS-Raptors MoU.

The EVFAP development was launched by a Kick-off workshop held in 2015 in Sofia, where over 70 researchers, conservationists and representatives of the authorities from 33 countries took part. Based on this meeting the first draft of the EVFAP was developed. In January 2017, a month-long public consultation exercise was launched, aiming at the main target groups from the EVFAP range including national governmental authorities (i.e. Environment Ministries, Wildlife and Forest Services, etc.), private sector companies (e.g. power and utility companies, infrastructure developers, etc.), conservation organisations, universities, research institutions, consultants, ornithologists and any other individuals with an interest in the conservation of the Egyptian Vulture. As well as being published on the internet in three languages (English, French and Russian), the Coordinating Unit Raptors MoU has circulated an email inviting comments from almost 1,000 relevant contacts on its mailing list. All comments were reviewed and, where appropriate, integrated into the Final version of EVFAP which, together with the Cinereous vulture FAP and the Blueprint for the Recovery of South-Asia’s Critically Endangered Gyps Vultures, was included as a key component of the Multi-species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures (Vulture MsAP). The latter is being developed for presentation at the 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP12) to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), scheduled to be held in Manilla, Philippines in October 2017.

The overall long-term goal of the Action Plan is to improve the conservation status of the Egyptian vulture, leading initially to its downlisting to Vulnerable and eventually achieving a favorable conservation status of the species across FAP range. In shorter term, by 2026 the EVFAP seeks to halt the downward trends in the declining meta-populations while maintaining stable or increasing trends for the healthy ones. More specifically, through 67 actions the EVFAP aims to significantly reduce Egyptian vulture mortality in the FAP range due to poisoning, illegal killing, electrocution and collision with energy infrastructures; enhance the size and productivity of breeding populations; and ensure endorsement and effective implementation of the EVFAP by all Range States. It is envisaged that the EVFAP will be implemented over a 10-year period, reviewed every five years and updated every 10 years.

Find the final version of the EVFAP here.

BSPB, the partners (HOS, WWF Greece and RSPB) of the LIFE+ project “The Return of the Neophron” and CU Raptors MoU would like to sincerely thank everybody who in one or another way participated in the development of the EVFAP, including the sponsors and donors (European Commission, A. G. Leventis Foundation, MAVA and CMS).