On 24 September the 58th General Assembly on the occasion of the "One with Nature" Expo. Organized in the frame of a mixed event between presences and online connections, the Members and Delegates of FACE they met for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Several other Members were present remotely via the digital meeting platform. FACE delegates agreed on key priorities for the future. Discussions covered agricultural policy, bird conservation, large carnivores, protected areas and ammunition. The General Assembly agreed on a clear statement calling on European governments to step up efforts to ensure agriculture protects biodiversity.
La declaration urges national policy makers, who are currently developing CAP strategic plans, to take ambitious steps to address biodiversity loss on European farmland. FACE Members and Delegates elected Torbjorn Larsson president of FACE for another 3-year term and appointed the new board of directors consisting of:
President, TORBJÖRN LARSSON
General Treasurer, DAVID CLAVADETSCHER
Vice-President, Germany, Dr. VOLKER BÖHNING
Vice-President, Nordic Region, TUOMAS HALLENBERG
Vice-President, Italy, GIAN LUCA DALL'OLIO
Vice-President, France, ALAIN DURAND
Vice-President, Spain, MANUEL GALLARDO
Vice-President, Baltic Region, LINDA DOMBROVSKA
Vice-President, Mediterranean Region, LINO FARRUGIA
Vice-President, Atlantic Region, DIETER DE METS
Vice-President, Southeast Region, VASIL VASILEV
Vice-President, UK, IAN BELL
Vice-President, Central Region, SREČKO ŽERJAV
The General Assembly of FACE was fixed to coincide with the European Conference of Hunters, scheduled for September 25th. The conference focused on the impact of Brussels decision-making on hunting and conservation in Europe, in particular on large carnivores and actions to be taken to preserve the traditions of hunting migratory birds. A session on hunting and the media is also scheduled. Speaking of the wolf, Prof. Klaus Hackländer of the University of Vienna expressly stated that coexistence with Lupo it is possible under three conditions which must all be satisfied: the flocks are defended, the problem wolves are killed and the wolves themselves are wary of man through a regulated hunt.
The report on the sustainable use of migratory birds, presented by Dr. Michael Sorrenti, highlighted recent waterfowl census results, which contradict many Commission assessments of state of these species, and therefore coordinated action by all FACE members is necessary to influence their NADEG delegates not to accept untruthful approaches by the Commission on the state of the species and for this reason potentially negative for hunting. After his election, FACE President Torbjörn Larsson stressed that: “Solidarity between European hunting regions is essential to preserve and promote Europe's unique hunting cultures. The diversity of members should be seen as a strength.
The interests of the 7 million European hunters should be at the center of FACE's activities ”. Many FACE members will remain in Budapest for the exciting “One With Nature” fair which will be held until 14 October 2021 (link). During the evening of Saturday 25 September, the prizes for contributions to the FACE Biodiversity Manifesto and Italy received the one for the best scientific research project on fauna, awarded for all the telemetry work carried out in recent years on different species, delivered by President Larsson to Vice President FACE Gianluca Dall'Olio. Thanks to the combined knowledge base of the member organizations and thanks to the strength of the 7 million European hunters, FACE works to support hunting for present and future generations.