Opportunities to deliver sustainable management of protected areas and special landscapes Paul Goriup Director, Fieldfare International Ecological Development plc

Fieldfare International A public, PBB company established in 1996; 25 shareholders including WWF and Doen Foundation Invests in small PBB enterprises in Ukraine, Bulgaria and Romania Operates via a subsidiary in Odessa, JV in Bulgaria and partner in Romania

PAs and Revenue Sources Certified sustainable forestry and agriculture Natural resource harvesting Gene banks Ecosystem service maintenance Carbon sequestration & offset Renewable energy Low impact tourism

Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy Examples Forestry – bulk wood and chip Micro-hydropower Briquette & pellet production

Renewable Energy: Potential Threats Wind farms Barrages Biofuels

Wetland Management and Renewable Energy, Ukraine

Wetland Management and Renewable Energy, Ukraine

Wetland Management and Renewable Energy, Ukraine

Wetland Management and Renewable Energy, Ukraine

Wetland Management and Renewable Energy, Ukraine

Wetland Management and Renewable Energy, Ukraine

Wetland Management and Renewable Energy, Ukraine

Wetland Management and Renewable Energy, Ukraine

Ecotourism

What is Ecological Tourism? Environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and accompanying cultural features, both past and present) that promote conservation, have a low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local peoples.

What is Ecological Tourism? Conscientious, low-impact visitor behaviour Support for local conservation efforts Sustainable benefits to local communities Local participation in decision-making Sensitivity towards, and appreciation of, local cultures and biodiversity Educational components for both the traveller and local communities

Good Practice Examples Low numbers, quiet (electric powered) boat in wetlands Photo-hunting; watching Involving local people

Not Good Practice Uncontrolled access = erosion Poor waste management, unsightly hotels Definitely not good ecotourist behaviour

Certification (Quality Control) Accommodation Protected Areas Guides Tour companies

Visitor Centre Functions Provide a sense of place of an area or region Help protect an area and enhance its identity Provide a tourism resource and promote sustainability

Visitor Centre Design Location is crucial – access and link to local community Construction must be local, sustainable and low maintenance Interpretation must be appropriate, tell a story and use different media

This is a completely new sector in the country with very unclear legal situation. Most companies just take people to the countryside for picnics, with no interpretation of their surroundings Companies do not share benefits with nature and local people Ecotourism in Ukraine

Protected Areas are not prepared for ecotours – guides are used to school parties and have a poor level of special knowledge Public have low demand for specialised tours No certification schemes General lack of infrastructure, information and viewing facilities Ecotourism Challenges

FIED works to attract visitors as a market for local business partners in sectors such as crafts, angling, private accommodation, traditional cuisine, biofuel and organic farming In return, our business partners help to raise environmental awareness, protect valuable habitats and maintain local culture FIED Ecotourism Approach

Sanitation, security, safety Contact with nature and local people; daily variety of experiences Personal attention (small groups) Appropriate accommodation and food Honesty, reliability, integrity Ecotourism ~ Basic Services

A private hotel owner has leased a nearby Nature Reserve to manage it for biodiversity conservation & ecotourism Donations made to improve management / communications at three Biosphere Reserves Assistance for formulating local Green Tourism policies Counterweight to mass tourism development Ecotourism PBB Benefits

Ecotourism Business - Unpredictable

Monitoring Outcomes

A pro-biodiversity business investment should be able to demonstrate (with independent expert verification) at a minimum no Net Ecological Loss, and preferably a Net Ecological Benefit, and that this is a direct product of the investment itself over time. Gross Natural Product The ecological product should be audited in parallel with the financial audit of net profit, at the cost of the business.

Appropriate indicators must take account of: locality of the business and adjacent environmental conditions; whether benefits will be arise from use, restoration or set aside; presence of habitats or species of conservation concern; Indicator-based Ecological Audit the business activities of the company; Feasibility of monitoring and potential for autonomous data collection by the company itself.

Some Potential Indicators (from EEA SEBI)

FIED Reedbed Monitoring

Many Thanks!