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Croatian Minister for Environmental Protection and Physical
Planning, Mr Bozo Kovaevi, signed the MoU for the Great Bustard
(Otis tarda) - Central European Populations on 9 October 2001
in Geneva on the occasion of the Conference of the Parties
to the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
The Minister expressed great interest in the protection
of the remaining bird populations and their habitats. He
said that because of the change in the utilisation of the
habitats and the increasing occurrence of predators - as
a direct consequence of the military conflicts some years
ago - the birds presently seem to be facing increased problems.
Research and monitoring of the situation should precede
appropriate protection measures.
With Croatia seven Range States have now signed the Memorandum.
The Albanian National Environmental Agency has recently
been upgraded to a Ministry of Environment. After the Albanian
Parliament approved Albania's participation in the Great
Bustard MoU, the Environment Ministry and the CMS Secretariat
are currently seeking an appropriate time and venue to obtain
the signature of the Albanian Minister or one of his high-level
representatives.
Tentatively on 28 November a signing ceremony will be held
with the Environment Ministers of the Federal Republic of
Austria and the Slovak Republic.
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