“This project is unique because the livestock farmers concerned take the initiative to enable coexistence of humans, grazing animals and wild animals.”
Livestock protection is still a major challenge and requires the implementation of various measures depending on the case complexity. For the first time, agricultural organizations have come together and developed a joint project for the German-speaking Alpine region. We collaborated with scientists, nature conservationists, livestock protection experts and other actors from Austria, Bavaria and South Tyrol.
The main aim of the project is to illustrate and implement livestock protection measures to enable the coexistence of humans, grazing animals and wild animals. The target region is the predominantly German-speaking part of the Alps in Austria, Bavaria and Trentino-South Tyrol.
Actions
LIFEstockProtect includes the following actions:
- Livestock protection training for owners of sheep, goats, cows, horses and poultry.
- Training of livestock protection advisors
- Establishment and improvement of livestock protection competence centers
- Improvement of public and professional support structures for livestock protection
- Increase of local acceptance of livestock protection measures
- Knowledge transfer on the subject of livestock protection between farmers, experts, youth and the public
- Training of tourism managers in dealing with livestock protection
- Guidelines for the Breeding and Certification of Livestock protection dogs
Goals
LIFEstockProtect plans at least 150 activities with at least 4 000 participants, including workshops, seminars, and trainings. They have the following objectives:
- More regions where livestock protection is effectively implemented
- Establishment of at least 20 livestock protection competence centres
- Establishment of at least 9 pilot regions to test various livestock protection measures
- Better knowledge of farmers on the subject of livestock protection through
- Training of at least 1000 farmers
- Education of at least 100 livestock protection advisors
- Availability of at least 20 livestock protection emergency kits
- Increased public acceptance of livestock protection measures through
- Mediation of at last 250 volunteers to help shepherds
- Training of 100 livestock protection ambassadors
- Visit of at least 140 schools
- Public conferences and specialist meetings with at least 500 participants Visit of at least 20 Agricultural fairs
- Establishment of at least 9 thematic working groups involving as many stakeholders as possible
- Exhibition with at least 30 000 visitors
- Less conflicts between people, grazing animals and wild animals in the project target region in the Alps
- Education of at least 5 tracking dogs
- Education of 24 000 farmers
- Workshops with at least 25 Tourism associations
Project area
LIFEstockProtect is implemented in all regions of Austria, the German state of Bavaria and the Italian province of Trentino-South Tyrol.
Project plan
- Start of the project: September 2020
- Project duration: 5 years
- Number of project partners: 17
- Project budget: estimated € 4 988 308
