WLC detection training organized in three cities in Serbia

At the beginning of May, WWF Adria-Serbia worked with the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Serbia to organize three one-day workshops in Belgrade, Niš and Novi Sad in Serbia. Over 80 representatives from the Environmental Crime Unit and other police units (border police, traffic police) attended the training. The goal of this trainings was to develop capacities and improve the knowledge of those directly responsible for uncovering and processing wildlife crimes in Serbia.

The training included presentations on the legal framework for wildlife protection and CITES compliance and implementation, as well as open discussions on best practices and an opportunity to share experiences and ideas with representatives from other institutions in the chain of wildlife crime prosecution.

WWF Adria developed the program with the help of Nena Miloradović Bjelica from the First Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade, Vladimir Jaćović from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, who is responsible for CITES implementation in Serbia and members of the Hunting Society Barajevo and Fishing Association of Vojvodina.

“We’re seeing a positive shift towards prioritising fighting ecological and wildlife crime in the world and in the region. For example, the establishment of the Environmental Crime Unit is a great move towards similar positive trends in other countries, but this is just one of the many steps needed. Capacity building, knowledge exchange and actionable plans are needed and this is where organizations like WWF can help – we’re hopeful that more cooperation between government institutions and NGOs, like this training was, can provide the necessary support for greater prioritization and concrete implementation of actions that benefit both people and nature,“ says Iva Svilar from WWF Adria. 

During the training, the attendees and the trainers from various institutions had an opportunity to discuss and share experiences. The topics covered the most common types of wildlife crimes in Serbia, the consequences these crimes can have on people and nature, the legal and institutional framework currently in place and the importance of fostering good cooperation between state bodies and institutions to achieve greater synergy and improve wildlife crime prosecution.