The campaign aims to draw public attention to the crimes against nature and to urge professionals as well as common people to pay more attention and be more active when they happen to witness violations against nature.
International wildlife trade is one of the main factors for the rapid decline of many species. The reason is that this kind of trade generally focuses on the most attractive and therefore most endangered species, who often exist in small numbers.
Every year victims to the trade are more than 10 million plants, animals, their parts and derivatives. The annual turnover of the illegal trade of plants and animals amounts to about 22.1 bl dollars (data from 2009). Over 13,000 different kinds of birds and mammals, 6,000 reptile and fish species, hundreds of thousands invertebrates and more than 25,000 plants are included in various conventions for the protection of plant and animal species.
“I protect the forests and eagles of Bulgaria” campaign is organized for a second consecutive year within “Forests of the eagle” project by EFA and BSPB. The organizers' ambition is to turn the campaign into an annual tradition. Next year we are planning to start accepting nominations all year-round.
This year we have received nine nominations from different institutions and different parts of the country. The jury, which has evaluated the nominations, comprises a journalist from Capital newspaper, as well as representatives of EFA and BSPB. The evaluation criteria include: initiative, knowledge and application of regulations, perseverance, working with state and municipal authorities, original approach.
The winners are:
Krasimir Kirov, head of local police department RPU-Carevo since 2013. Under his leadership have been launched 15 pre-trial proceedings for illegal logging and illegal game hunting. Most of these investigations have ended with sentences issued by Tsarevo District Court.
Lords of the Air TV show has been nominated for two reportages by TV reporter Ilian Velkov – Illegal bird market in Plovdiv and Illegal trade of wild birds.
Momchil Petrov works at Biodiversity Department of the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Waters Ruse. He has participated in two raids on illegal bird trapping in 2015 .
Renetta Peeva Peeva is a senior investigating police officer at the Investigation Department of the Regional Police Directorate Burgas. Inspector Peeva has been nominated for her contribution to the case of the British citizen Jan Ross. Burgas Regional Court has issued a 6-month suspended sentence and a fine of 5,000 lev
Desislava Slavova is chief expert at Nature Protection, Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Waters - Sofia. She has been nominated for her work on three cases related to prevention of trade in endangered species.
Vladimir Penchev is head of Nature Protection, Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Waters – Sofia. Over the past years he has taken part in numerous raids organized by the Inspectorate to curb illegal trade in songbirds at the Poduyane animal market in Sofia. He has been actively engaged in prevention of trafficking and illegal trade in species of the CITES convention.
Krasimir Ognianov and Ivan Ivanov are junior police inspectors at the Regional Police Department - Krumovgrad. They have been nominated for the arrest of two persons responsible for the destruction of 17 turtles.
Awards for achievements in combating crimes against nature 2015
