The opening conference of the project “Adaptation and Increased Resilience of Birds through Awareness-Raising, Monitoring, Treatment and Raptor Protection Management – AVIATOR” was held in Belgrade on Tuesday, September 23. The project is funded by the European Union through the Interreg Danube Region Program.
The project aims to strengthen resilience, support adaptation, and improve the protection of raptor populations in the Danube Region in the context of climate change, through the development and testing of coordinated and harmonised measures across transnational ecological regions. These measures are designed to mitigate the negative impacts of infectious and parasitic diseases on raptor populations, as well as to reduce overall pressures on biodiversity and ensure the conservation of endangered species.
The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Dr. Branislav Kureljušić, Director of the Institute of Veterinary Medicine of Serbia, and Prof. Dragan Glamočić, Serbia’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management.
Dr. Vesna Milićević, Project Manager at the Institute of Veterinary Medicine of Serbia, the lead partner of the project, also addressed the audience. She presented the AVIATOR project, its pilot activities, and the joint methodological framework for raptor protection.
Dr. Ljubiša Veljović from the Institute of Veterinary Medicine of Serbia shared results from the pilot vaccination program for raptors, while Károly Erdélyi of HUN-REN presented prevention and risk assessment models for protected areas.
The conference included presentations on the importance of raptor conservation, highlighting regional threats, the effects of climate change, emerging infectious diseases, and wildlife poisoning. Experts from Serbia and neighbouring countries shared insights and research findings, stressing the need for collaborative action.
Fund for European Affairs and Development of the AP of Vojvodina outlined the project’s communication plan, while Dr. Dejan Laušević from the Diagnostic Veterinary Laboratory in Podgorica spoke on “Mapping Local Stakeholders for Project Implementation.” The event concluded with Ana Vasić from the Institute of Veterinary Medicine of Serbia presenting the “Joint Methodological Framework.”
The AVIATOR project is being implemented by the lead partner of the project, the Institute of Veterinary Medicine of Serbia and with the participation of the following partner institutions from Europe:
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety – Austria
- University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine – Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Trakia University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine – Bulgaria
- Association BIOM – Croatia
- Institute of Dipterology / Association for the Promotion of Mosquito Control – Germany
- Veterinary Medical Research Institute, HUN-REN – Hungary
- Diagnostic Veterinary Laboratory – Montenegro
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Natural Sciences in Iași – Romania
- Fund for European Affairs and Development of the AP of Vojvodina – Serbia
- University of Ljubljana – Slovenia
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb – Croatia
- Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development – Romania
The AVIATOR project has a total budget of €2.16 million, including €1.73 million in EU grant funding. Launched in 2025, the project will run until 2027. years.
Follow AVIATOR on the Interreg Danube Region Program website, as well as on social media via the provided links and QR codes:
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