Depredators in Belovezhskaya Pushcha: ignominious end?

Heorhi KAZULKA, "Narodnaya Volya" (The People's Will) Newspaper, No 3-4, 11.01.2008

A momentous event occurred recently and it can dramatically impact Belovezhskaya Pushcha's history. The Council of Europe (CE) has not renewed the European Diploma of Protected Areas for the National park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" and CE has not canceled it either. The validity is suspended for a year. In spring of 2008 Belovezhskaya Pushcha is to be visited by independent experts to check the alternations in the National park, compliance with CE recommendations and availability of the new 10-year management plan. During next session in November of 2008, the Standing Committee on the Berne Convention will make the final decision on validity to prolong or not the CE European Diploma of Protected Areas. It should be mentioned that the European Diploma is a prestigious reward for national parks and reserves which is rewarded for achievements in the field of nature protection. The National park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" was awarded the Diploma in 1997 for the previous achievements to conserve wild nature of the Bialowieza relic forest.

The Diploma is important validation of the Park's operation with compliance to special requirements, regulations and recommendations with objection to preserve Belovezhskaya Pushcha and its rich biodiversity as well as sustainable management of its territory. Most likely the Diploma was awarded to the National park in advance, as there were 10 recommendations to revise the Park's management style and on better nature conservation. In 5 years after the inspection in 2001 the number of recommendations was even increased up to 18.

However, instead of rushes to improve the situation the National park encountered large scale economic activities contrary to regulations and recommendations of the Diploma. Last 5 years there were numerous activities in Belovezhskaya Pushcha which contributed to serious damage of its wild reserved nature and declined of conditions of its relic protected forest, placed in doubt its safety and discredited nature conservation image of Belarus and the European Diploma award. These are the following activities:

Currently without public announcement some plans are under development on alternation of the floodplain landscapes of the local river, arrangement of new water bodies, aqua park and some other places of attraction as well as some other activities to get ready for celebration of the 600-annuversary of Belovezhskaya Pushcha (in 2009) since first protected status; there is no official data but about $30 mil were financed out the state budget.

Tourist and ecological&education spheres suffer from serious shortcomings – there is almost complete monopoly on these activities, low eco-professional level of employees and guides of the National park, partial substitution of ecological education by show "Belarusian Santa Claus", and etc.

There is a dramatic decline of social sphere and respect for human rights on the National park's territory, in relationship between the park's administration and local residential population. Large-scale staff dismissal covered the National park, it grew poorer with the loss of hundreds local people including the most highly professional, educated, smart and decent persons who devoted decades of their lives to the Belovezhskaya Pushcha. In first turn those people suffered who showed disagreement or doubt in the politics held in the National park.

The current administration officers are strangers for the National park, they put a stake on the similar temporary people employed instead of dismissed natives. As the result of this staff strategy, the National park turned into the place where no one cares. There is also a serious decline in the criminal situation in the region. Local population and employees’ legal rights are oppressed and derogated. Terrific atmosphere of total fear and indifference were resulted from the large-scale staff dismissal and short-term employment terms of contracts. Cultural life in the administration centre of the National park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" declined as well: the local hall of culture was abandoned for 5 years and then demolished.

The opinions, critical reviews and suggestions coming from the public society are ignored. Politics and management in the National park are carried out internal departmental without publicity. Dramatic and topical issues concerning the Belovezhskaya Pushcha remain to be burning. Actually there is no exit on the Belovezhskaya Pushcha's territory to public activists, independent ecologists and experts, and even for some natives. There are cases of illegal forcible detainer, exclusion from the park's territory and fining of those who attempted to carry out independent control and supervision. The members of the public society requested the park's authorities within the Aarhus convention but they either fail to get any feedback or get response with general statements.

I think the above presented information is evidence that current administration of the National park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" does not comply with the national legislation and is irresponsible in respect to Belovezhskaya Pushcha, people and Belarusian society in general. The National park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" actually has been turned into an institution that is close to the secret level up to the military object. All attempts to change nature management and social politics in Belovezhskaya Pushcha as well as to establish a civilized communication between the public society and the park's administration meet strong resistance and unpleasantness from the administration’s side.

Certainly, during last years the Belarusian government and the park's administration invested a lot and attempted exact activities to solve ecological, economical, and social problems in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Some of these activities, as for example, extension of the strictly protected zone and the World Heritage Site in 2004, made under public pressure, can be treated as rather radical. Nevertheless, all this decreases at the background of the negative facts that continue to accumulate in the National park.

CE encountered hard dilemma taking recent decision on the Diploma. On the one hand, the Diploma validity can not be extended due to constant ignoring of the recommendations to preserve the relic forest of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Otherwise, it will be again used by Belarusian side for speculative and immoral purposes to cover activities that are directly opposite to the Diploma subjective and preservation of the forest of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. On the other hand, Diploma cancellation will mean loss of the last possibility to inspect woodlands at least once in several years and to attract international attention to the problems of the Pushcha.

In these circumstances a group of public activists applied to the CE with a letter offering compromise option. The letter covered the following:

We understand the diplomacy and difficulty of the dilemma related to the CE Diploma. No one doubts in ecological and cultural value of the unique relic forest of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. There are no doubts in necessity and importance of the CE Diploma for Belovezhskaya Pushcha that is not only a prestigious award but also a mechanism of control and stimulation for nature protection and other activities on the territory awarded with the Diploma. And we would like Belovezhskaya Pushcha to possess such award.

However, we have concern that this prestigious Diploma will be used for other quite opposite purposes - coverage of activities that are opposite to international and domestic nature protection legislative as well as opposite to concerns on conservation of the unique natural complex of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, balanced nature usage and harmonious co-existence of humans and nature, sustainable development of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha's region, and finally, democracy and humanity principles …

…We follow the principle NO HARM and would like to warn possibility of CE error resulting in damages to preservation of Belovezhskaya Pushcha and civilized public relationship in the National park.

We offer to suspend the validity of the CE Diploma for the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" for the possible period appropriate from the constitutors’ point of view and necessary to observe all recommendations, including the acceptance of the management schedule for Belovezhskaya Pushcha preservation for 10-20 years period and engagement of independent\international experts. We would like to point out that the management plan for the National park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" shall comply with international and domestic legislation, state-of-the-art ecological practices and provide publicity, compliance with democracy procedures, and engagement of the parties concerned including active members of the society".

The Council of Europe agreed with the Belarusian society’s offer and postponed the validity of the European Diploma for one year.

And what’s the feedback from the Belarusian side? Its feedback is rather contradictory and unexpected! On the one hand, as it was earlier, it is an attempt to put up a good front. It was an official diplomacy mixed with lies: everything is ok, it's just a technical confusion, we just missed the deadline to prepare the management plan, there are no breaches and violations, and everything is ok. And of course, there is almost complete withholding of the real situation from the Belarusian society. On the other hand, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Protection currently announced about plans to increase the Wilderness Protection Zone's area for double size — up to 60 000 hectares! It means that almost all historical part of Belovezhskaya Pushcha can become under strong protection!

If it really happens, it will be fantastic. Since 1957, when the State Reserve "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" was closed it was difficult to imagine about this. However, recently in 2004, the similar case happened when UNESCO experts visited the area to inspect the condition of the World Heritage Site (5,500 hectares). They also agreed with the opinion of the society that this small territory does not present the whole Belovezhskaya Pushcha, and its conservation is not possible in terms of business activities on the rest territory. That time the administration of the National park seemed to get frightened of the possible punishment from the superior authorities and also unexpectedly increased the Wilderness Protection Zone and the World Heritage Site up to 30,000 hectares. Although before that the administration at the meeting with the experts argued that it is not possible as there are about 1m3 timber that can be harvested.

Thus, nowadays the society has new perspectives not just to improve nature protection and social politics in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha district but to change it drastically. We hope that rotten practice on breach of legislation and regulations for wilderness management and ecological science will be terminated. Forcible management in the National park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" which already caused large-scale damage to the unique forest shall be stopped. Belovezhskaya Pushcha has to become a park for the Belarusian nation but not for the administration. Exactly this approach meets interests and politics of preservation of Belovezhskaya Pushcha as a World Heritage Site for the next generations.

And finally. In respect to the said above I would like to apply to the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko. In compliance with your recent instruction, celebration of the 600-annuversary of Belovezhskaya Pushcha since its first decrees on protection is scheduled for 2009, for this purpose a republic steering committee was appointed. As it was informed by the mass media, according to the regulations defined by UNESCO, our state which is hosting the territory of the natural object should organize the celebration of the anniversary on a high level. So, it should be a holiday of European level.

However, I have a question. Who are those you are going with them celebrate such important holiday? Those who arranged vandalism in the protected relic forest, large-scale staff dismissal in the National park, and oppressed the natives? Those who discredited nature protection image of Belarus before the international community and who are guilty in numerous scandals and unmasking? Those who by deeds showed malpractice and nihilism in respect to the Law. If the answer is positive than it will not be a holiday as there is nothing to celebrate.

Before the CE decision on the Diploma some officials bravely announced that they almost got the validity's prolongation. It turned vice versa. We are shown whitewashes and shows again.

Let’s hope that the administration of Belovezhskaya Pushcha will meet min requirements mandatory for prolongation of validity of the Diploma. What’s next? Outer appeal will change but style and traditions of management in the National park will remain the same, the problems will remain unsolved. The management plan for Belovezhskaya Pushcha is under development but opinions of the public members and independent experts are ignored again. The plan of the activities to get ready for celebration of the 600-annuversary of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is ready. The society is aside again. There are more examples.

A butcher can not become a saint. Born to crawl - cannot fly. It means that history repeats itself. Instead of the honorable fest in Belovezhskaya Pushcha we will get another big stink discrediting the government. Alexander Grigorjevich, please, think over this if Belarus and Belovezhskaya Pushcha prestige is more important for you than departmental interest of some confidants!

Dr. Heorhi Kazulka, Ph.D. on biology
Belovezhskaya Pushcha

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