Wild Ungulates and Society Working Group (WISO) : Interview with Rok Černe
In our Pasto Infomail, we ask questions to differents stakeholders connected in different ways to the topic of pastoralism. This time we had the chance to exchange with Rok Černe, Chair of the Alpine Convention’s Large Carnivores, Wilde Ungulates and Society Working Group (WISO), who leads a project team within the Slovenian Forest Service, specializing in wildlife translocation and human–wildlife coexistence. His expertise and focus on large carnivore conservation led him to play a key role in designing and implementing LIFE, Interreg, and national conservation initiatives, emphasizing large carnivore, ungulate and forest management. He has also contributed to national and international strategies aligning wildlife management with EU directives and best practices. As Chair of the Alpine Convention’s Large Carnivores, Wild Ungulates and Society Working Group (WISO), Rok Černe promotes cross-border collaboration and policy development. Find below his interview !
How does the Alpine Convention deal with the subject of large carnivores?
We decide our priority topics within each two-year mandate. Until now, we have developed guidelines for population level management of bear, wolf, and lynx. In addition, we produced a report in which we addressed spatial connectivity, where we proposed concrete measures for areas where connectivity is not well ensured. We also put a lot of work into damage prevention, since we know that the presence of large carnivores can be a challenge for livestock breeders. We investigated measures through which countries support damage prevention through national and EU sources. All related reports are on the Alpine Convention website.
What is the added value of WISO for cooperation among Alpine countries in large carnivore management?
One of the most important added values of WISO is the discussion among Member States on how each country is implementing the Habitats Directive and the Bern Convention. Despite the same legislation, Alpine Convention countries have different approaches to large carnivore management. The exchange of approaches is an important part of our work. We all benefit from this and can implement good solutions developed in one country in other Alpine countries.
What are the objectives of the WISO group for the upcoming years?
The working plan is developed on a two-year basis. The main output of this mandate will be a joint questionnaire, based on which we will be able to measure public opinions about large carnivores in all countries. Since the questionnaire will be the same, we will be able to compare the results among countries. Until now, comparisons of public attitudes among countries were difficult or even not possible. I hope countries will find the resources to implement the developed questionnaires. In the last meeting, we also discussed the possibility of intensifying our work on topics related to the lynx, but this discussion still needs to be further developed.
Do you have an inspiring project/initiative to share with us?
The Alps are becoming more and more an “island” that, from the perspective of large mammals, is less and less connected with neighbouring forest areas. Some countries are intensively working on a LIFE application to secure connectivity in the long term, with the lynx as a flagship species. I believe we will be able to develop a strong project to support international work on connectivity.
Thank you for your time Rok!