ZAGREB, 2 Oct (Hina) - The LIFE SUPport project, aimed at improving the status of the griffon vulture population in Croatia, has gained new partners: the Municipality of Baška and the municipal utility company Baška d.o.o.
They will be responsible for overseeing the construction of a feeding station on the island of Krk and transporting food for the vultures.
This was announced on Wednesday by the conservation organisation Biom, the leading partner in the project, highlighting that this represents a significant reinforcement for the initiative, which runs from 2023 to 2027.
They emphasised that Baška lies within the project area of LIFE SUPport and that activities carried out over the past two and a half years have made a major contribution to improving the nesting conditions and survival prospects of Croatia’s last remaining griffon vulture population.
Mayor of Baška Toni Juranić underlined the local community's commitment to preserving this bird species, which has survived in Croatia only in the Kvarner region. The entire breeding population on the island of Krk is located within the boundaries of the Municipality of Baška.
"In our municipality lies the world’s oldest ornithological reserve, Kuntrep, declared back in 1969 specifically to protect the griffon vulture," said Toni Juranić. "Within our municipal boundaries is also a special reserve that includes the islet of Prvić, another important nesting site for griffon vultures."
Juranić emphasised that Baška, in cooperation with local shepherds and hunters, can make a significant contribution to improving the status of griffon vultures in the Kvarner region and serve as a model for biodiversity conservation.
According to data from Biom, 156 breeding pairs of griffon vultures have been recorded this year in the Kvarner region. Nesting success has improved, and record amounts of food over the past three years have been provided to the vultures at existing feeding stations.
The LIFE SUPport project is dedicated to improving the nesting conditions and survival of the remaining griffon vulture population in Kvarner. The project is worth over €2.1 million, 60 percent of which is funded through the European Union’s LIFE Programme.
