European Union needs urgent strategy for the European bison

The status of the European bison in the nearest future is extremely uncertain in result of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Currently, over half of the whole European bison population (50.4%), and almost two-thirds of free ranging population (61.8%) is located in countries directly and indirectly involved in this military conflict, that is, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus (Raczyński, 2022). Recent reports indicate a likely major economic crisis in Belarus and Russia caused by economic sanctions (Harrison, 2022; Kłysiński, 2022), and in Ukraine due to infrastructure and economy destruction (Washington Post, 2022). The magnitude of the economic crisis is difficult to estimate however, due to the ongoing conflict, which will probably continue at least until the end of the year. As shown by the experience from previous years, the economic crisis may significantly affect the development of the European bison population. Such a decline was recorded in the 1990s after the collapse of the USSR, when the population declined almost 17% between 1991 and 1998 (Pucek, 2004). This decline mainly occurred in the former USSR countries in result of poaching and general lack of governmental control (Pucek, 2004; Olech and Perzanowski, 2022).

Currently, there are 2,758 free ranging European bison in the European Union (EU), 80.6% of which are located in Poland (2223 ind.); however, only in Lithuania and Romania, there are more than 100 animals in free ranging populations (256 and 181 ind., respectively). In other countries, such as Latvia, Germany, Slovakia, and Bulgaria, European free ranging populations of this species are sparse (98 ind. in total) (Raczyński, 2022). The future of the European bison population in Poland is also uncertain due to threats of diseases, for example, telaziosis, which may cause a significant decrease in the population numbers in Bieszczady (Demiaszkiewicz et al., 2020), the largest population of Lowland-Caucasian line in Europe. In addition, some of populations are overcrowded, which increases the risk of disease transmission and exposes the European bison to other threats like intensified migration toward agriculture and build up areas. Similar problems are observed in Lithuania.

Isolation of European bison populations in Russia creates a risk of future improper management decisions, considering facts of already performed: introduction of hybrids with American bison to Caucasus and establishment of free ranging herd of Bison bonasus athabascae in Siberia (Sipko et al., 2010; WWF, 2017).

Considering the above, there is a high risk of a decline of the European bison population and the loss of its current status, which would be a waste of 20 years of intensive conservation measures. For this reason, we call for immediate action to develop a strategy for the European bison conservation at the EU level. The strategy should include a plan for the resettlement of animals among EU member states to form new free-roaming or semifree populations. Currently, five populations in Poland (Białowieska, Knyszyńska and Borecka Forests, Bieszczady, and Zachodniopomorskie) and one in Lithuania (form Panevėžys and Kdainiai districts) can play a role as a source population. Potentially also the semifree and captive populations in western Europe could enrich the newly established herds. The strategy should also include legislative simplification of rules for the European bison transportation and the unification of the legal status of this species in the member states. In addition, stable, structural financial support should be planned to minimize the conflict with the local communities through environmental subsidies.

Such protection is the only effective way to ensure the further development of this species population in Europe and to allow minimizing threats coming from the current military conflict and its subsequent economic consequences. We believe that failure to act now, when the population in Poland is still large enough to be further a source for new restitution projects, may squander about 100 years of joint efforts of European countries to rescue the species from the brink of extinction and so far, achieved spectacular results of its restitution. The loss of that species, being such emblematic for nature conservation, would be an inexcusable error.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.