Strasbourg, 3 December 2004                                                                            PE-S-DE (2005) 6

[diplome/docs/2005/de06e_05]                                                                                                                                     English only

Committee for the activities of the Council of Europe

in the field of biological and landscape diversity

(CO-DBP)

Group of specialists – European Diploma for Protected Areas

28 February – 1 March 2005

Room 11, Palais de l’Europe, Strasbourg

Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve

(Romania)

RENEWAL

Expert report by

Mr Hervé Lethier

(Switzerland)

Document established by

the Directorate of Culture and
 Cultural and Natural Heritage

The European Diploma for protected areas was awarded to the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (Romania) for the first time in 2000.

The Secretariat did not accompany the expert on his visit to the reserve.

Appendix 12 reproduces Resolution (2000) 12 concerning the award of the European Diploma. In Appendix 13 the Secretariat presents a draft resolution for possible renewal.

* * * * *

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the visit was to appraise the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve’s suitability for the renewal of the European diploma (see programme of the visit, appendix 1).

The mission took place from 5 to 11 May 2004, on the basis of the aspects listed in appendix 3 of the Regulations of the European Diploma of Protected areas (Resolution (98) 29). The expert spent three days on the visit of the area.

INTRODUCTION

The European diploma was given to the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (DDBR) by decision of the Committee of Ministers on 21 June 2000[1], with the following recommendations:

-          Rec. 1: to continue the process of co-ordinating the ecological management of the delta system with the three countries concerned, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine, and consider the possibility of establishing a cross-boarder protected area ;

-          Rec. 2: to reinforce the monitoring of industrial plant located within the Danube basin upstream form the delta and take appropriate measures to avoid further accidents ;

-          Rec. 3: to continue the operations to restore the polders and monitor the results, and hand back to the reserve the areas of land no longer used for farming and fishing, with a view to their rehabilitation according to sound ecological principles;

-          Rec. 4: to improve the standard of tourist facilities and apply land use planning rules strictly, particularly with regard to construction ;

-          Rec. 5: to enforce the rules relating to fishing in the interests of rational fish resources management and improved protection for threatened fish species ;

-          Rec. 6: to draw up a plan for household refuse collection and disposal sewage treatment in the reserve ;

-          Rec. 7: to draw up architectural guidelines that respect the reserve’s cultural and landscape value ;

-          Rec. 8: to draw up a programme for rehabilitating and exploiting disused buildings and other constructions.

The DDBR is situated in Romania (Map 1), on the eastern part of the country (Map 2), in the delta of the Danube river. It covers around 600 000 ha of wetlands (Map 3) and is limited by Ukraine on the north and by Moldova upstream.

                          Map 1                                           Map 2                                      Map 3

The DDBR was designated wetland of international importance (1993) under the Ramsar Convention, on part of its surface (580 000 ha, eg 2,5% of the territory of Romania), and world heritage site (1997) under the WH Convention.

Table 1 gives information on the functional organisation of the DDBR territory and on the spatial distribution of the main activities.

Function	Surface (ha)
Strict protected area	50 600
Buffer zone	223 300
Economic area Ecological restoration Agriculture Fishery Forestry	306 100 11 425 39 974 39 567 6 442

Table 1: functional organisation of the DDBR (Source: DDBR)

For the record:

–    strict protected areas(18 units) include relatively unspoilt sites, representative of the diversity of ecosystems and usually hosting the most sensitive species;

–    buffer zones (13 units) include areas of biological interest, surrounding the SPA and dedicated to the mitigation of the external human effects on the SPA;

–    economic zones include areas where allowed activities are traditionally undertaken, in the limits of the capacity of the  ecosystems;

–    restoration areas are places where the DDBR carries on activities in the way to rehabilitate the original ecosystems and the natural processes.

ASSESSMENT

The information in this section will follow the headings in appendix 3 of the Resolution (98) 29 of the regulation of the European Diploma of Protected Areas.

I     European interest

The situation of the DDBR has not changed since 1999 and the reserve is still one of the most important wetlands, not only in Europe but also in the world, and hosts an outstanding biodiversity.

The DDBR contains 30 types of ecosystems where 5 000 species live, 1 689 fauna species and 3 448 flora species. Respectively, 229 of them are strictly and 91 partly protected by the Bern Convention. It is an unique habitat for many rare and endangered fauna species - birds especially (red breasted goose, white fronted goose, the two species of pelicans, ferruginous duck, white headed duck, pigmy cormorant, …) - and flora species (water lilies, trapa natans, …).

Even some ethological adaptations of migratory birds have been observed in the last past years, when they preferred to winter in the Balkans peninsula instead of the Danube delta, due to very harsh climatic conditions (it was the case for red breast goose[2] and for swans[3]), the DDBR remains an important wintering and nesting area for birds. No significant negative signs have been recorded in the reserve during the past four years, concerning the bird populations tendencies. The DDBR still hosts half of the world population of pigmy cormorant and around 40% of the world population of red breasted goose.

It even seems that the situation of the fish populations have been improved during the concerned period, as shown by an increase of captures (pikes, carps, tench, …)[4], mainly due probably to the new fish regulation implemented since 2001 (law n° 92-2001) and to the efforts made by the reserve authority on the restoration of natural areas which are good fish spawning and feeding sites. Moreover, the sturgeon captures regularly increased during the same period; it could mean that their populations which are not in a good shape at international level, are recovering in the delta[5].     

 

Diagramm 1 gives an overview of the biodiversity of the DDBR.

The Danube delta remains probably the largest reed-bed in the world and it is not necessary to develop the European interest of this diplomed protected area further, very well documented in the bibliography.

II         MERITS AND PROTECTION SYSTEM

a.                  Administration and management of the DDBR

b.                 

The DDBR is still administered and managed by the DDBR Authority, directed by the Governor which is answerable to the Ministry in charge of Environment. Its status is enshrined in law[6].

App. 7 et 8give detailed information and data on the evolution of the staff organisation and of the budget dedicated to the DDBR, since the award was given to the Reserve.

The staff has significantly decreased since 2000 and now comprises 107 employees compared to 193 in 2000.  Table 2 shows the yearly evolution of the staff number during the period 2000-2004. 30% of the staff capacity, among them 35 rangers employments, were cut out in 2001 to reduce the costs of the staff administration. This decrease has been partly compensated by an increase of the technical means given to the rangers (fuel, supplies, …) and by a larger cooperation between the various police authorities (policemen, coast guards, border guards, …). In the same time, the decision was taken at national level to strengthen the power of the rangers in enforcing the regulation (Decision 1167/2001) and a “national ecological guard” status has been set up[7]. Globally, the human capacities dedicated to the enforcement of the DDBR regulation has not been notably reduced (see App. 10) and the police activities continued to increase after this decision had been taken.

Year	Employees (N)
2000	193
2001	123
2002	123
2003	122
2004	107

Table 2: Evolution of the staff number, period 2000-2004  (Source: DDBR)

Year	Sources	Total (Millions USD)
1999	National International.	1,488 0,522
2000	National International	2,215 0,720
2001	National International	2,635 -
2002	National International	2,118 -
2003	National International	1,061 -

Table 3: Evolution of the DDBR budget, period 1999-2003 (Source: DDBR)

The budget data also shows a significant reduction from 2002 to 2004 (App. 8).  For the record, a EBRD grant (1993-1995, 725 000 Ecu) and a World Bank grant (1995-2000, 4,5 MUSD) were given to the DDBR at the end of the nineties.  Since 2000, the global budget continued to increase till 2001 and then, started to decrease, especially in 2003 where 50% of it was cut out, due partly to the end of external fundings. Table 3 summarizes those data.

A large part of this cut concerned the budget allocated to equipment and infrastructure expenses, and, conversely, the part of the budget allocated by the government to salaries, supplies, studies and research, stayed, more or less, at the same level during the last part of the covered period (2001/546 927 USD ; 2002/732 937 USD ; 2003/605 167 USD).

Those data mean that the DDBR has reached a key phase of development and, in the future, will probably have to orientate its activities more on socio-economic development issues than on equipment and infrastructures. Accurate research and studies have been carried out in the past to better know the ecological situation of the Reserve and more efforts will also be needed, henceforth, on monitoring the effects of the socio-economic activities on the reserve and the wise use of the natural resources.

Finally, the status and the component of the Scientific Council (SC) was revised in 2001[8]; the SC had approved several important documents since its nomination, inter alia: the DDBR management plan 2002-2006, a public awareness strategy, a strategy for the sturgeon stock management, various management plans for strict protected areas.

b.   Regulations and effects of socio-economic activities

Appendix 9 summarizes the regulations enforced in the DDBR during the 1993-2003 period. The main evolutions observed since 2000, a related to three issues:

-          fishing activities (Law n°192/19.04.2001 modified by Law n°42/21.01.2003 and Decision n°311/04.04.2002) which were totally reorganized;

-          scientific committee (Decision n°367/18.04.2002);

-          impact assessment (Decision n° 918/ 22.08.2002 and Order n°860/26.09.2002).

Fishery is still one of the main economic activities, after shipping[9], involving more than 1 500 fishermen[10]. In 2002, an auction was organized for leasing the fishing rights in the 25 fishing areas delimited in the DDBR (App. 4); 12 of them were leased and 12 more in 2003. The new fish regulation will permit a better monitoring of fishing activities and also increase the outcome of this activity for the DDBR. It will facilitate the police controls and contribute, in the long term, to reduce the infringements observed in the past[11].

Hunting activities were totally banned between 1998 and 2000 but, under pressures coming partly from game organisations, the DDBR authority took the decision to reopen this activity which is now permitted but only in limited areas, and strictly regulated (App. 5).   

Finally, tourism is becoming a relatively new and increasing activity in the DDBR, even if the number of visitors stayed relatively low and constant during the concerned period of time (App. 6 andTable 4). Huge progress has been done by the private sector in cooperation with the DDBR administration, to develop this activity. Ancient fishfarms have been rehabilitated and transformed in high level tourist resorts, existing camping sites and other tourist accommodations have been largely improved. The DDBR itself provides information, services[12] and equipments for tourists in three visitor centres, located in Sulina, Crisan and especially in Tulcea where the most up-to-date information are given to the tourists.  The DDBR operates in this field in close cooperation with the Rural Tourism National Association and with the Tourism National Authority.

Tableau 4: Estimation of the tourism pressure, period 2000-2003 (Source: DDBR). 

Appendix 10gives data on the effectiveness of existing protective regulations; as previously mentioned, even if the ranger staff was reduced in 2001, police activities in the DDBR continued to increase over the period, both in terms of number of penalties and value of confiscated goods.

Appendix 11 summarizes the quantity of licenses delivered by the DDBR Authority, for the main activities performed in the reserve, during the period 1998-2003; those data show that the global pressure coming from those activities is increasing in terms of numbers of permits and authorisations, except for agriculture and forestry. The evolution appears to be particularly fast and significant for fishing, hunting, tourism and transport activities. Those activities need to be monitored with attention in the future.

In 2002, the DDBR hosted more than 15 000 inhabitants, mostly Romanian (12 666/87%) but also from Russian (1 438/10%), Ukrainian (299/2%), Greek (63), Turkish (17), Hungarian (12) and diverse other ethnical origins (12)[13]. The DDBR is an unusual and valuable “melting pot” of people and cultures merged in the same society and living together in a unique natural area. In this sense, the DDBR has a great cultural and architectural potential which may be taken into account in the management of the reserve.

The award was given to the DDBR with the recommendations to draw up architectural guidelines respectful of the cultural values of the reserve (Rec. 7), not only for the new buildings but also for the ancient ones, and to draw up a programme for the rehabilitation and the exploitation of disused buildings and other constructions (Rec. 8). A lot of work has been done by the DDBR, to eliminate the illegal cabins and buildings in the reserve (several hundreds of them have been destroyed since 2000). Progresses have been made also to improve the collect and the treatment of waste material in the villages, with the financial support of the SAPART programme. Restoration of public buildings have started with the financial support of the PHARE programme and old fish-farms has been transformed in high standard tourist resorts, on the initiative of the private sector. These measures hare positive for the preservation of the reserve and they must be continued and strengthened in the limits of the carrying capacity of the delta.

c.   Zoning

Except the fishing zoning which was revised in connection with the new fish regulation (App. 4), no significant change seems to have happened in the zoning of the Reserve since 2000.

d.   Ownership title

In 2003, 8,249 ha of public land were transferred by law[14] to the local authorities. This transfer did not influence significantly the status of the DDBR.

e.   Land-use plans

A management plan for the DDBR was finalized and adopted by the scientific committee; it still has to be approved officially by the government.

f.    Development work

No comment.

g.   Management plan for the area

See above (e.).

h.  Public access and reception facilities

See above, § b. and Table 4.

i.    Scientific studies needed and activities of research bodies

For details, refer to the annual proceedings of the Danube Delta Research Institute.

During the covered period, research activities focused on wetland restoration monitoring (Babina, Fortuna and Cernovca polders), elaboration of management plans for the strict protected areas, sturgeon monitoring and fishery, restoration of the population of the European mink (Mustela lutreola) in cooperation with scientists from Austria and Czech Republic, and, lastly, monitoring of fauna communities in relation with the fluctuations of the water level[15].

A public awareness strategy was published in 2000.

A pre-feasibility study for the establishment of architectural guidelines was carried out in 2002; this survey will be finalized in the coming weeks.

In the coming years, the accent will probably need to be put on the monitoring of the socio-economic activities (fish, game, tourism, …) and on the hydroecology of the DDBR, particularly in the north side of the reserve, in relation with the restoration of the Bystroe canal, which was done by Ukraine, in 2004.

j.    Membership of other international networks

No changes since 2000.

 
k.   Relationship

At the delta scale, the regional cooperation between the three countries concerned remains a difficult issue. In 2000, under the auspices of the Council of Europe, Moldova, Ukraine Romania signed a trilateral agreement for the creation and the management of a cross-boarder protected area in the Danube delta and the lower River Prut nature protected areas.

The Parties undertook to:

-          harmonise their methods of management and to co-ordinate all development projects or improvements by means of a comprehensive action programme leading ultimately to the development of a joint management plan;

-          coordinate research activities and monitoring of flora and fauna at the state of natural habitats, as well as policing activities;

-          promote exchange of information and the sharing of experience, on scientific and technical levels, between the various authorities responsible for management of the nature protected areas, and a joint training programme for staff of these authorities, with a view to conserving the nature protected zone”[16].

Unfortunately, the cooperation remains very weak till now even if the annual DDBR reports mentioned cooperation activities between the three countries through this legal instrument in the three past years. A draft trans-boundary management plan would be available but it has still not been approved and more recently, the relationship between Romania and Ukraine got colder, because of the “Bystroe” issue[17].

For the future, we may wish that this cooperation between the three countries for the wise management of the entire delta, be developed in a better and proper way.

 

CONCLUSION

Referring to the art. 9, § 5.a of Res. (98) 29 of the Committee of the Ministers and to the eight recommendations attached to the Res. Dip (2000) 12 on the award of the European Diploma to the DDBR (Romania), it is suggests that the group of specialists proposes the extension of the period of validity of the Diploma to the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, for five more years, with the following recommendations, attached to the renewal decision:      

Rec. 1              To renew Rec. 1, attached to Res. Dip (2000) 12, on the coordination between the three countries concerned by the management of the entire Danube delta;

Rec. 2             To strengthen the monitoring of the socio-economic activities in the reserve, in relation with the carrying capacity of the natural habitats;

Rec. 3             To develop the role of the DDBR in bringing technical and financial assistance to the local municipalities in different fields (land planning, water supplies, sewage treatment, valorisation of the cultural heritage, improvement of tourist accommodations, public awareness, …);

Rec. 4             To add an economist to the DDBR staff ; this professional will elaborate and follow up a monitoring programme on  the main socio-economic activities performed in the reserve (ecotourism, fishing, shipping, agriculture, forestry, hunting, …) ; he will also bring a technical assistance to the local population and to the private operators, for organizing and developing their activities, ecotourism notably;

Rec. 5              To elaborate a restoration programme for the existing buildings, using traditional materials and natural local products;

Rec. 6              Ten years after its elaboration, to order an external review and assessment of the DDBR strategy (priorities, management objectives, operational objectives, …), with the support of  the international expertise. 

APPENDIX I

PROGRAMME OF THE VISIT

Wednesday, 5^th of May:                       arrival at Bucharest

                                                              transfer to Tulcea, accommodation in Tulcea

Thursday-Friday (6^th-7^th of May):     

          Tulcea                                          lecture at theinformation seminar

                                                              “Sustainable Spatial Development and the European                            Landscape Convention”, co-organized by the Council of                Europe and Romania

Saturday, 8^th of May:                          Field visit of the DDBR

          Tulcea – Chilia Veche                 meetings with the Mayor of the municipality and the                             manager of a fishing company

                                                              visit of the ecological restoration of Babina and Cernovca                    polders

          Sulina                                          discussion with the DDBR staff

                                                              accommodation.

Sunday, 9^th of May:

          Sulina                                          meeting with the Mayor of Sulina,

                                                              halt to the visitor centre

                                                              meeting with a fishing company manager

          Sf. Gheorghe                               visit of Sacalin – Zatoane strictly protected areas

          Uzlina                                          discussion with the DDBR staff

                                                              meeting with journalists   

                                                              accommodation.

Monday, 10^th of May:

          Uzlina                                          visit of the “Cormoran” tourist complex and tourist zone                  Isac-Uzlina lakes

          Litcov Channel – Crişan              accommodation at a tourist pension

          Tulcea.                                         meeting with the Governor, dinner

                                                              accommodation

Tuesday, 11^th of May                           travel with the Governor to Bucharest

                                                              meeting with the delegate of UNESCO

                                                              departure from Bucharest to Geneva

APPENDIX II

Strict protected areas

APPENDIX III

 

APPENDIX IV

Fish concessions

APPENDIX V

APPENDIX VI

Touristic routes

APPENDIX VII

Internal organisation

APPENDIX VIII

Budget tendencies

APPENDIX IX

APPENDIX X

APPENDIX XI

Main activities

APPENDIX XII

COUNCIL OF EUROPE
COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

Resolution Dip (2000) 12

on the award of the European Diploma

to the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve

(Romania)

(Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 21 June 2000

at the 715^th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)

 

The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Article 15.a of the Statute of the Council of Europe,

Having regard to Resolution (65) 6 instituting the European Diploma, as amended by Resolution (98) 29 on the regulations for the European Diploma for protected areas;

Taking into consideration the expert’s report as presented at the meeting of the Group of Specialists for the European Diploma of Protected Areas on 21 and 22 February 2000;

Having regard to the proposals of the Committee for the activities of the Council of Europe in the field of biological and landscape diversity (CO-DBP);

Having noted the agreement of the Government of Romania;

After deliberation,

Solemnly awards the European Diploma of Protected Areas to the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, in accordance with the Regulations for the European Diploma, as an example of a unique wetland, harbouring a wealth of flora and fauna – in particular fish, and as such an outstanding biological, landscape and cultural asset for Europe;

Places the aforesaid reserve under the patronage of the Council of Europe until 20 June 2005;

Attaches the following recommendations to the award:

1. Continue the process of co-ordinating the ecological management of the delta system with the three countries concerned, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine, and consider the possibility of establishing a cross-border protected area.

2. Reinforce the monitoring of industrial plant located within the Danube basin upstream from the delta and take appropriate measures to avoid further accidents.

3. Continue the operations to restore the polders and monitor the results, and hand back to the Reserve the areas of land no longer used for farming or fishing, with a view to their rehabilitation according to sound ecological principles.

4. Improve the standard of tourist facilities and apply land use planning rules strictly, particularly with regard to construction.

5. Enforce the rules relating to fishing in the interests of rational fish resources management and improved protection for threatened fish species.

6. Draw up a plan for household refuse collection and disposal and sewage treatment in the reserve.

7. Draw up architectural guidelines that respect the reserve’s cultural and landscape value.

8. Draw up a programme for rehabilitating and exploiting disused buildings and other constructions.

APPENDIX XIII

Draft resolution

on the renewal of the European Diploma of Protected Areas

to the Danube delta biosphere reserve

(Romania)

The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Article 15.a of the Statute of the Council of Europe,

Having regard to Resolution (65) 6 instituting the European Diploma as amended by Resolution (98) 29 on the regulations for the European Diploma of Protected Areas;

Having regard to Resolution (2000) 12 on the award of the European Diploma to the Danube delta biosphere reserve;

Taking into consideration the expert’s report as presented at the meeting of the Group of Specialists for the European Diploma of Protected Areas on 28 February and 1 March 2005;

Having regard to the proposals of the Committee for the activities of the Council of Europe in the field of biological and landscape diversity (CO-DBP);

Renews until 20 June 2010 the European Diploma of Protected Areas awarded to the Danube delta biosphere reserve;

Attaches the following recommendations to the renewal:

1.   Continue the process of co-ordinating the ecological management of the delta system with the three countries concerned, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine, and consider the possibility of establishing a cross-border protected area;

2.   Strengthen the monitoring of the socio-economic activities in the reserve, in relation with the carrying capacity of the natural habitats;

3.   Develop the role of the Danube delta biosphere reserve in bringing technical and financial assistance to the local municipalities in different fields (land planning, water supplies, sewage treatment, valorisation of the cultural heritage, improvement of tourist accommodation, public awareness, …);

4.   Include an economist in the Danube delta biosphere reserve staff; this professional will elaborate and follow up a monitoring programme on the main socio-economic activities performed in the reserve (ecotourism, fishing, shipping, agriculture, forestry, hunting, …); he will also bring technical assistance to the local population and to the private operators, for organising and developing their activities, in particular ecotourism;

5.   Elaborate a restoration programme for the existing buildings, using traditional materials and natural local products;

6.   Order an external review and assessment of the Danube delta biosphere reserve strategy (priorities, management objectives, operational objectives, …), ten years after its elaboration, with the support of the international expertise.