Eco Hvar

AGM 2020

Published in Charity: Official

MINUTES from the 8th Annual General Meeting of 'ECO HVAR', held at 09:30 on June 28th 2021, at the Cafe Splendid, Jelsa

Present: Vivian Grisogono - Eco Hvar President, Nada Kozulić - Vice-President, Debora Bunčuga - Secretary, Jessica Romano, Sara Radonić, Bianka Jakas, Frank John Dubokovich, Ingrid Bujis, Dubravka Wurzberg Bodlović, Olivier Schweitzer, Đani Bodlović, Matej Bodlović

Apologies for absence: Dinka Barbić, Katija Barbić, Miranda Miličić Bradbury, Branko Bunčuga, Marija Bunčuga, Martin Gannon, Žarko Grisogono, Heather Lambourn, Kruno Peronja, Mirela Peronja, Vilma Plazonja, Jasenka Splivalo, Andrea Vugrinović,

The meeting was opened by Association President Vivian Grisogono at 10,15 am.

AGENDA

1. Welcome. Number of attendees noted, selection of the Meeting Secretary.

2. Adoption of the Minutes from the 7th AGM.

3. Review of Eco Hvar's activities during 2020.

4. Adoption of the Charity's financial report for 2020.

5. Election of Committee

6. Outline of the Charity's programme for 2021.

7. Any other business.

1. WELCOME. Vivian Grisogono, President of the Association, welcomed the attendees and confirmed that there was a quorum.

Sara Radonić was elected Meeting Secretary, nem. con. Vice-President Nada Kozulić was deputed to lead the meeting in Croatian, with Vivian Grisogono translating into English as necessary.

2. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES FROM THE 7TH AGM.

The Minutes, which were published previously on the Eco Hvar website in English and Croatian, were circulated to the attendees.

The Meeting adopted the Minutes from the 7th AGM, nem con.

3. REVIEW OF ECO HVAR'S ACTIVITIES IN 2020

Nada Kozulić presented the following review of the Charity's activities during 2020.

The Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to our planned activities, especially lectures on organic agriculture and a children's photographic competition to raise awareness of environmental issues. However, there was still a lot of work relating to animal welfare, and of course the Association's work via the internet continued as usual.

Requests for help or advice

As in previous years, throughout 2020 people contacted us with various questions, mostly via email or Facebook, occasionally by telephone.

Each year we receive more inquiries about the availability of organic products. Sadly, due to the pandemic, the small shops which sold organic products on the island were mostly closed during 2020. This left DM as the main supplier of organic goods, from food staples to cleaning products. On Hvar, the big gap in the market is for organic fruit and vegetables.

The environment

There were several inquiries via email and Facebook related to the environment during the year. Among the subjects: organic, eco-friendly ways of removing weeds, slugs and mice; organic cleaning products; where to buy lavender oil; identification of unusual flowers; how to deal with bed bugs; pesticide use; the loss of the noble pen shells or fan mussels (Latin pinna nobilis, Croatian periska) in the Adriatic Sea; and the pollution on land and sea when the pontoon at the Iga headland broke up.

We were in correspondence with MEP Ivan Vilibor Sinčić, the only Croatian member of the European Parliament who took the trouble to answer our requests for information, and who in turn expressed an interest in the environmental problems we are encountering.

Animals

We received 58 inquiries about animals, 20 about dogs, 33 about cats, 2 about birds, 1 each about a wild boar, donkey and horse. Mostly the animals in question were on Hvar, but some were in other parts of Croatia, such as Split, Trogir and the Kornati islands. There were also some inquiries from abroad.

As always, we helped as much as we could, directly or indirectly. In most cases, we passed the inquiries on to the relevant town wardens (komunalni redari) who are responsible for taking care of stray dogs, or who should call in the veterinary inspector from Split in the case of mistreated animals.

The saddest situation concerned the mass poisonings of cats in Hvar Town, which tragically is still ongoing. Apart from that, the major difficult problem concerning cats has been the large number of abandoned kittens.

The majority of complaints about dogs concerned hunting dogs. Mistreatment of hunting dogs, especially outside of the hunting season (which only lasts from about mid-October to January), is a particular problem, and it is hard to find an adequate solution to it. We feel the Hunters' Association should certainly do more to ensure that hunting dogs are properly looked after. All too often they are neither micro-chipped nor vaccinated, and are kept on a chain in appalling conditions, without adequate food and water, even during the hottest summer months.

Actions relating to animal welfare

Eco Hvar helped save several dogs and cats during the year. We continued our collaboration with the 'Bestie' Animal Shelter in Kaštela, where we placed 12 dogs from Hvar (2 bitches and 10 puppies). Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the 'Bestie' Shelter still managed to find new homes for numerous homeless dogs, in Croatia, Germany and other countries. The 'Bestie' Shelter provides the best possible conditions for the animals in its care: apart from food, water and medical attention, they socialize with other dogs, are taken for walks by trained volunteers, and in summer some even go swimming at the local dog-friendly beach.

Caring for dogs: three special cases:

i) In January 2020 we were asked to look after a young puppy called Zigi who was semi-paralysed, probably because of neosporosis, because his owner was ill. Zigi needed 24-hour care, because he was incontinent and couldn't use his back legs. We are extremely grateful to Bojana Marijan and her friends and family who took over Zigi's care. Sadly, despite every effort, it proved too difficult to guarantee that Zigi would enjoy any kind of normal life, so his owner took the decision to end his suffering and have him humanely put to sleep.

ii) In April we received a request from an animal lover to help a hunting dog who was being extremely badly treated. The town warden and veterinary inspector responded to our call to intervene, and the bitch was taken away from her owner, who had not even noticed that she was heavily pregnant. Apart from her swollen stomach, she was skin and bones. As she was very near full term, we took the decision to keep her in our care until the puppies were born. Happily, proper feeding over a fortnight gave her enough strength to give birth to seven puppies without any problems. We looked after them all until the puppies were weaned and old enough to be transferred to the 'Bestie' Animal Shelter. We had covered the costs involved ourselves, and expected the local authority responsible for the bitch to pay for the placement in the shelter, as they had promised, in line with the law. However, when the moment arrived, the local authority refused even to contribute part of the costs, on the grounds that they had used up their budget for helping animals. As agreed at the 7th Annual General Meeting, we launched an appeal for funds. We were relieved, amazed and delighted in equal measure when our appeal for help raised the necessary 28,000 kunas needed for the Shelter costs. We thank everyone who contributed so generously in these very difficult economic times. We are glad to report that the bitch and several of her puppies have been successfully homed in Split and Germany. The remaining puppies will certainly find homes in due time.

iii) In October a hunting dog fell into a pit in the hill above Pitve. After ten days, she was found by Susanne Pieper, animal lover and Eco Hvar supporter, who bravely made her way through very difficult terrain to find where the dog was. We alerted the Hvar gamekeeper Tonči Batoš, who in turn asked the Fire Brigade for help. Chief Fireman Roman Radonić succeeded in climbing down into the pit with a ladder, and lifting the dog up to Susanne. Meanwhile, the owner had been identified. Fortunately, apart from being very dirty, hungry and thirsty, Dijana was not injured and apparently none the worse for wear. She was returned to her owner after having a thorough professional grooming from Sara Radonić. However, the owner admitted that he did not want to keep her, as she kept running off and getting lost, and seemed of little use for hunting or breeding. Knowing that it would be extremely difficult for Dijana to find a good home, we took the decision to keep her in our care, and we are glad to say that she is very happy with her lot!

Helping cats in need. Helping needy cats is a much bigger problem than helping dogs, though neither is easy. Many animal lovers take care of stray cats in their locality, providing food and water, and often taking them to the vet for medical care and sterilization. This is the case in most places across Hvar, including Hvar Town, Stari Grad, Jelsa, Dol, Vrbanj, Vrboska, Pitve, Humac. In summer, tourists also help out. These individual efforts are of vital importance.

We are specially grateful to husband and wife team from Stari Grad, Amanda Blanch and Chris Edwardes, owners of the 'Hidden House Hotel'. They were responsible for setting in motion the project for local authorities on Hvar to finance sterilizations for stray cats, which has helped reduce the numbers of unwanted kittens being born. They have tirelessly and selflessly devoted themselves to saving cats and dogs in need, at great personal sacrifice in terms of time, effort and finance, despite the hardships caused by the Covid pandemic. Through their Cat and Kitten Fund they manage to raise some of the money needed, but much is covered by them personally.

Donkeys and horses: Jana Appleyard from Dol is another true saviour of animals in need. She has given donkeys and a horse, not to mention numerous cats and kittens, a new lease of life. In the old days, donkeys, mules and horses were useful, especially in the fields. Now, sadly, if people keep them, they are often neglected or mistreated. Jana, like Amanda and Chris, has provided a shining example of how to care properly and humanely for the animals who share our world with us.

Campaigns

Eco Hvar continued to support the work of several like-minded Croatian and international organizations. The time-frame for the European Citizen's Initiative 'Save Bees and Farmers', a petition across all EU member states which aims to reduce pesticide use in the region substantially over the next few years, was extended into 2021 because of the Covid epidemic, so we have continued to try to get more signatures for it.

Our ongoing campaigns are to promote organic farming, and to reduce / eliminate the use of poisons in the environment. We also support the national campaign against gene-edited seeds.

Eco Hvar in the media. As in previous years, in 2020 Eco Hvar's work was highlighted especially in the widely read regional newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija, thanks to the tireless support of journalist Mirko Crnčević. His exemplary professional work and his understanding of the importance of our aims have definitely increased awareness in a wide-ranging public of the issues of concern regarding animal welfare and environmental protection.

Mirko's articles in 'Slobodna Dalmacija', which referred to the work of Eco Hvar, covered the following topics: the rescue of Dijana the hunting dog from the pit above Pitve - „Susanne i vatrogasci spasili iz jame bijegu sklona Dijanu“ (11.11.2020); the break-up of the pontoon in Jelsa harbour - „U jelšanskoj luci raspao se ponton propalih hidroaviona i zagadio plaže“ (25.11.2020); mass cat poisonings in Hvar Town - „Teror u srcu Hvara“ (27.08.2020); the need for an animal sanctuary for strays in our area - „Općina Jelsa trebala bi nam dati zemljište za spašavanje lutalica“ (12.'7.2020); organic agriculture as the future for Hvar's farmers „Ekoproizvodnja je budućnost hvarskih poljoprivrednika“ (16.04.2020) and Hvar's unique botanical garden near Dol - „Zeleni raj na Katovnici“ (18.01.2020). In the monthly periodical 'Dobra kob', the topics covered were: the European Citizens' Initiative to phase out pesticide use - „Na pomolu kolaps prirode“ (January 2020); and the unique attraction of Hvar's bee-eaters for bird-loving visitors - „Pernati turizam, hvarske pčelarice privlače Engleze“ (July 2020).

Facebook. We continued to post items related to our aims on our Facebook page every day. The page had over 800 followers in June 2021.

Website www.eco-hvar.com. We continued to update the information about the adverse effects of pesticides and their approval status, alongside articles about the beauty of our island.

Good News: Congratulations to Eco Hvar supporters Daniela Lučić and Mario Cvrković, who were honoured on the occasion of Jelsa's Feast Day, 15th August 2020. Daniela works fearlessly and tirelessly to save animals in need. As a teacher in Jelsa's elementary school, she has been a positive influence on generations of pupils who have learned through her to love and cherish all creatures great and small. Daniela is also a fine singer, and as part of the Zbor Sv. Cecilije, took part in the fundraising concert in aid of Eco Hvar in October 2018, together with her blind Maltese terrier Čoro. Mario Cvrković, a well-loved local presence, who originally hails from Slavonia, received a special Certificate of Gratitude for his consistent contribution to raising everyone's spirits with his lively decorated delivery float! Like Daniela, Mario is also an animal lover, and does his bit looking after Jelsa's dogs and keeping them safe.

In conclusion to the report Eco Hvar thanked everyone who made the Charity's work in 2020 possible, whether through donations or other kinds of practical help.

The Review of Activities in 2020 was accepted nem con.

4. FINANCIAL REPORT FOR 2020

The FINA financial statement shows that the Association's income during 2020 amounted to 24,108.00 kn, and the outgoings totalled 35,225.00 kn. On 01.01.2020 the balance was 16,932.00 kn carried over from the previous year, while on 31.12.2020 the Association had 5,818.00 kn left in the account.

The Association's main expenditure is on animal care, accountant's fees and bank expenses. Donations are the Association's sole source of income.

The Financial Report was accepted nem. con.

5. ELECTION OF THE COMMITTEE

In accordance with the Eco Hvar Statute, the four-year mandate for the Eco Hvar Steering Committee came to an end with this AGM. Mrs. Nada Kozulić, Vice President and Legal Adviser, stepped down from the Committee, and the following were proposed as members of the reconstituted Committee and representatives of the Association: Vivian Grisogono, Debora Bunčuga, Marija Bunčuga, Dinka Barbić and Sara Radonić. Vivian Grisogono was proposed to continue as President, and Debora Bunčuga as the Association's Secretary.

The officers and representatives for the Steering Committee were elected as proposed, nem con.

6. PROPOSED PROGRAMME FOR 2021

Our work will continue according to our aims - hopefully the continuing pandemic will not limit us as much as in 2020..

i. Education and raising awareness

We hope to be able to organize workshops and lectures, especially involving Mrs Andrea Vugrinović, who would have led a workshop on organic agriculture in 2020, but the pandemic prevented it.

If possible, we will organize activities for young people, to help their awareness of environmental issues and problems involving animals.

ii. Animals

We will continue our efforts to help animals in need, by supporting individuals who are engaged in this work, and by continuing our collaboration with the 'Bestie' Animal Shelter in Kaštel Sućurac.

We will try to establish contact with the Hunting Association, to persuade them to take an active part in ensuring that hunting dogs are treated properly and humanely, especially outside the hunting season.

We will organize a project to establish feeding stations for cats in suitable places in and around Hvar Town, Stari Grad and Jelsa.

We will continue to work on establishing a temporary shelter for stray cats, which would function under the aegis of the 'Bestie' Animal Shelter.

iii. Promotion of organic agriculture

We will continue to lobby against pesticide use, whether by public authorities or individuals.

We will continue our support and promotion of producers and sellers of organic products on the island.

iv. Support for eco-tourism initiatives such as Ecobnb will continue, building on the success of the first 'eco-friendly accommodation' on Hvar, managed by Eco Hvar supporter Vilma Plazonja.

We will support the Jelsa Tourist Board in developing hiking trails to encourage walking holidays on the island, specifically in the shoulder months. For this project to succeed, public pathways and tracks must be cleared and maintained, and the Hunting Association must publish details of the dates and times of all hunting activities.

v. Cooperation with other charitable organizations

We will continue our collaboration with like-minded organizations at local, national and international levels.

The Meeting accepted the planned programme for 2021 nem con.

7. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

i). Đani Bodlović reported on the terrible cat killings in Hvar Town, stating that the problem started as a result of the new system of rubbish collection which was instituted in 2019. While previously rubbish was collected from the large bins in public places, from 2019 each house had its own rubbish bin or a code to open the locked bins on the streets. Cats had previously used the public bins as a source of food, but now they congregated closer to individual households, where animal lovers were feeding them, and also having them sterilized. Sadly, especially in the Križni rat area of Hvar Town, animal haters began killing large numbers of cats in various cruel ways. The resulting dead bodies were all too evident, creating problems for residents and tourists alike during the summer season of 2020. Some tourists left the island, disgusted by the sight and smell of the unfortunate creatures, especially when bodies were found in the sea at a popular bathing beach. Although the Police intervened, unfortunately legal action against a suspected cat killer failed to produce a conviction, because of inadequate engagement by the legal authorities, despite compelling evidence against that person. This gave a green light to the cart killers that they could continue their illegal activities despite the law, so the killings have continued into 2021, in various places around Hvar Town. It is estimated that about 50 cats have been killed, including many which had been sterilized. Animal lovers in Hvar Town now live in fear for the strays (as well as household pets), and are desperately seeking ways to put an end to the killings.

Everyone present was shocked. These tragic events highlight the fact that the Association's project for feeding stations must ensure adequate safety measures around them.

ii. Frank John Dubokovich reported on the amounts of litter and large rubbish littering the environment. Where possible, he collects it up for proper disposal when he sees it, and suggests that there should be a fine imposed on anyone guilty of dumping rubbish in the environment.

Everyone present agreed that this is a good idea which could help the situation.

iii. Sara Radonić suggested that the Association could apply to the major supermarkets (such as DM) for donations of food: by placing a box with the Association's logo by the cash tills inviting customers to place their extra purchases of dog or cat food. This is done in places in some other countries, notably Slovenia. Sara has applied to DM headquarters, but received no reply as yet.

Everyone present agreed that this idea should be pursued.

Sara also suggested that the Association should purchase at least one special cat-trap basket, to make it easier to catch strays with a view to sterilizing them.

Everyone present agreed that this should be done

A further suggestion from Sara was to organize workshops for creating 'cat houses' out of waste material, notably old tyres, which could be donated by the tyre service in Jelsa.

Everyone present agreed that this idea was worth pursuing.

iv. Ingrid Bujis commented that she was surprised that the bank did not give non-profit Associations special accounts. In other countries it is the norm for banks to provide cheaper services for non-profit organizations. Ingrid also suggested that the Association should make it easier for donors to pay via the internet. Jessica Romano (Digital Nomad) offered to look into this possibility with a view to setting it up.

Everyone present agreed with the suggestions

Association President Vivian Grisogono concluded the Meeting by thanking those present for their continued support of the Steering Committee and Officials. In particular she offered the warmest thanks to retiring Vice-President Nada Kozulić, without whose expert help the Association would probably never have come into being. Finally she thanked all those present for their invaluable suggestions and support, which are extremely helpful for improving the Association's work.

The Meeting closed at 11:30

Sara Radonić                                                                                                                                                                       Vivian Grisogono MA(Oxon)

Meeting Secretary                                                                                                                                                                President

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    A black-backed jackal hunts for prey.

    “But then the nature finance team at Conservation International — these crazy guys — came up with a wild idea,” Alie said. “In just six months they put this entirely new funding model together: loaning money at an affordable rate to the conservancies so that they can continue to pay staff and wildlife rangers.”

    Conservation International and the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association launched the African Conservancies Fund — a rescue package to offset lost revenues for approximately 3,000 people in the area who rely on tourism income. Between December 2020 and December 2022, the fund provided more than US$ 2 million in affordable loans to four conservancies managing 70,000 hectares (170,000 acres).

    The loans enabled families in the Maasai Mara to continue receiving income from their lands to pay for health care, home repairs, school fees and more. And because tourism revenues — not government funding — support wildlife protection in conservancies, this replacement funding ensured wildlife patrols continued normally, with rangers working full time.

    Born out of this emergency, we discovered a new way to do conservation.

    Elijah Toirai

    “The catastrophe of COVID-19 was total for us,” said Benard Leperes, a landowner with Mara North Conservancy and a conservation expert at Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association. “Without Conservation International and the fund, this landscape would have not been secured; the conservancies would have disintegrated as people were forced to sell their land to convert it to agriculture.”

    But it was communities themselves that proved the model might be replicable after the pandemic ended.

    “The conservancies had until 2023 before the first payment was due,” Toirai said. “But as soon as tourism resumed in mid-2021, the communities started paying back the loans. Today, the loans are being repaid way ahead of schedule.”

    “Born out of this emergency, we discovered a new way to do conservation.”

    A new era for conservation

    The high plateaus overlooking the Maasai Mara are home to the very last giant pangolins in Kenya.

    These mammals, armored with distinctive interlocking scales, are highly endangered because of illegal wildlife trade. In Kenya, threats from poaching, deforestation and electric fences meant to deter elephants from crops have caused the species to nearly disappear. Today, scientists believe there could be as few as 30 giant pangolins left in Kenya.

    Conservancies could be crucial to bringing them back. Conservation International has identified opportunities to provide transformative funding for conservancies in this area — a sprawling grassland northwest of Maasai Mara that is the very last pangolin stronghold in the country. The fund will help communities better protect an existing 10,000-hectare (25,000-acre) conservancy and bring an additional 5,000 hectares under protection. It provides a safety net, ensuring a steady income for the communities as the work of expanding the conservancy begins. With a stable income, communities can start work to restore the savanna and remove electric fences that have killed pangolins. And as wildlife move back into the ecosystem, the grasslands will begin to recover.

    In addition to expanding conservancies around Maasai Mara, Conservation International has identified other critical ecosystems where community conservancies can help lift people out poverty, while providing new habitats for wildlife. Conservation International has ambitious plans to restore a critical and highly degraded savanna between Amboseli and Tsavo National Parks in southern Kenya, as well as a swath of savanna outside Kruger National Park in South Africa.

    © Emily Nyrop

    A lone acacia tree in a sea of grass.

    Elephants, fire, Maasai and cattle

    Many of the new and emerging community conservancies have been carefully chosen as key wildlife corridors that would be threatened by overgrazing livestock.

    When the first Maasai Mara conservancies were established in 2009, cattle grazing was prohibited within their boundaries. When poorly managed, cattle can wear grasses down to their roots, triggering topsoil erosion and the loss of nutrients, microbes and biodiversity vital for soil health. It was also believed that tourists would be put off by the sight of livestock mingling with wildlife.

    © Emily Nyrop

    Cattle are closely monitored in the Maasai Mara to prevent overgrazing.

    However, over the years, landowners objected, lamenting the loss of cultural ties to cattle and herding. “That was when we changed tactics,” said Raphael Kereto, the grazing manager for Mara North Conservancy.

    Beginning in 2018, Mara North and other conservancies in the region started adopting livestock grazing practices to restore the savanna. Landowners agreed to periodically move livestock between different pastures, allowing grazed lands to recover and regrow,  mimicking the traditional methods pastoralists have used on these lands for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

    “Initially, there was a worry that maybe herbivores and other wildlife will run away from cattle,” said Kereto. “But we have seen the exact opposite — the wildlife all follow where cattle are grazing. This is because we have a lot of grass, and all the animals follow where there is a lot of grass. We even saw a cheetah with a cub that spent all her time rotating with wildlife.”

    “It's amazing — when we move cattle, the cheetah comes with it.”

    The loans issued by the fund — now called the African Conservancies Facility — will enhance rotational grazing systems, which are practiced differently in each conservancy, by incorporating best practices and lessons from the organization’s Herding for Health program in southern Africa.

    © Will Turner

    An elephant herd stares down a pack of hyenas.

    For landowners like Dickson Kaelo, who was among the pioneers to propose the conservancy model in Kenya, the return of cattle to the ecosystem has restored a natural order.

    “I always wanted to understand how it was that there was so much more wildlife in the conservancies than in Maasai Mara National Reserve,” said Kaelo, who heads the Kenya Wildlife Conservancy Association, based in Nairobi.

    “I went to the communities and asked them this question. They told me savannas were created by elephants, fire and Maasai and cattle, and excluding any one of those is not good for the health of the system. So, I believe in the conservancies — I know that every single month, people go to the bank and they have some money, they haven't lost their culture because they still are cattle keepers, and the land is much healthier, with more grass, more wildlife, and the trees have not been cut.

    “For me, it’s something really beautiful.”

    Further reading:

    Will McCarry is the content director at Conservation International. Want to read more stories like this? Sign up for email updates. Also, please consider supporting our critical work.

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