The Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) is the first in the recent time and the biggest non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to the biodiversity conservation. It is founded on 3 June 1988 and proved itself as a national-wide organisation. The only NGO in Bulgaria, which achieved stable conservation results in the regions of its action. BSPB is the Bulgarian Partner of BirdLife International.
BSPB is registered charity, civil non-for-profit Nature conservation organisation. It is officially registered in the list of the organisations, acting in favour of the society as a whole. BSPB is one of the few in Bulgaria NGOs with real membership and local structures throughout the country, a real grass-root organisation. It is a personal decision for everyone to become a BSPB member, most of the activities are done on a voluntary base, but with high professionalism. BSPB works for the Nature, defending its right to exist. BSPB is working for the people, defending the social interests and the right of everybody to have preserved Nature and helthy environment.
Why BSPB is necessary?
This is the most often and logic question directed to us. Are the birds the most important thing when so much powerty, unemploiment, drug problems, lack of vallues, globalisation?
It is not easy to answer shortly this question. Nevertheless, the birds are one of the most important elements of the natural ecosystems, directly connected with their optimal functioning. Thanks to these ecosystems, there is air, water, favourable climat and many other things, without which the human existence is imposible. So, the birds have direct positive effect for the key living conditions and for the existence of the humans themselves.
Birds are important element of the people"s internal life. Everybody was born with natural love toward the living creatures. Unfortunately, this love remeins in very few adults. And it is just the factor, which later turns to general love to Nature, home, people, God. The love towards the living things is the way to the internal harmony of people, towards realising their role in the universe. It is the main factor for everybody"s internal peace, health and prosperity. This love is the best protections for the youths against the dangers of the contemporary society.
Birds face many threats. The increasing building-up of the natural territories, pollution, direct persecution are leading to extinction 10% of the all birds species on the Earth. It is worthy, moral and satisfactory to defend these, which can not complain, which are unable to turn for a help to the court or to the doctor, and silently and invisibly are leaving the planet. The planet, which belongs to them, too...
Birds have also a financial dimension. They can be evaluated as meet, feathers, stuff for the farmacy, etc. They can be evaluated also on a more clever way - as "stuff" for eco-tourism as a "medicin" (brd songs in nature are used for treating stress and other similar diseases), etc. So, protecting birds, we are protecting an economy resource, too. BSPB is necessary for birds to be able to peform their invaluable ecological role and to guarantee favourable living environment, BSPB is necessary in order more of our children to find the pleasure of the contact with the wilderness, in oredr more people to preserve and develop their internal richness, to be able to get profit from wise and inteligent use of the natural resources.
BSPB is necessary also as a representative of the society, as exponent of the public interests concerning conservation of Nature. BSPB is an invaluable element of the Bulgarian social life, demonstration that we are a modern country, where Nature conservation is not only government policy, but also a field of action of the civil structures, too. In order this state policy to be more effective, highly motivated, independent, active public organisations are necessary. To stimulate the government structures, to correct their actions and to be partner of their efforts to preserve one of the basic elements of the national herritage - the wilderness. BSPB is such organisation.
Our mission
BSPB works for the conservation of the wild birds, for the important for them sites and habitatsq as well as for the biodiversity as a whole, and thus for the sustainable use of natural resources and for the wellfare of people.
BSPB in the world conversation
Bulgaria is a small country with a vast biodiversity. Bulgaria is tiny one, but due to its gepgraphical position, half of the European birds locate it and spend winter or cross it every migration season. What difference, than ten countries preserve the Globally Threatened Red-breasted Goose, if Bulgaria do not do this at the two lakes near the towns of Shabla and Durankulak, where 70% of the world population of this species winter? The conservation importance of Bulgaria for the whole German population of the White Stork is then clear when we know, that every speciemen of it crosses twice per year the fields and beaches of our country! That is why BSPB is and it will be an organisation, protecting the Europe"s biodiversity, too. Part of this is the conseravtion of the Important Bird Areas - the items of the Bulgarian Nature, which become part of the common European Ecological Network and enrich it. Here they are the numerous BSPB international projects with over than 20 countries, amongst which Great Britain, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, Germany, USA, Greece, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Macedonia, Latvia and others. That is why Bulgaria was the second after Hungary East European country, invited by BirdLife Internationa to become its Partner. A BSPB representative was elected for two twrms a member of the highest steering bodies of BirdLife International - the European Committee and the World Council.
The BSPB Sttrategy
The BSPB was one of the first Bulgarian organisations that stright after the changes, developed its own strategy - in 1991. Here we present some of the main strategic principles, but not the document itself.
A clear strategic principles of the BSPB mission and goal, the plain determination of its "niche" within the Bulgarian conservation community, BSPB has he chance of becoming the first Bulgarian NGO in the recent country history and to fulfill a totally unoccupied niche , more late organisations. BSPB "occupied" the "vacant" in that time place of organisation for conservation of the wild birds, the important for them areas and habitats. This allowed BSPB to establish itself as a leading Nature conservation NGO in Bulgaria.
The place of Bulgaria in the contemporary world determined as another important strategic principle for BSPB to join the partnersip of an international organisation with similar mission, goals and approaches. The Society had the chance to have the confidence of the strongest world conseravtion organisation - BirdLife International and even directly to participate in its reorganisation and modernisation.
The real membership and the democracy are other extremmely important elements of the BSPB strategy. From the very beginning the Society was found as a national, but real "grass-root" organisation, an organisation with active local structures, where every member contribute at least by paying membership fee. BSPB is one of the few NGOs, where the decission have been taken by a collective body, elected by the General meeting of BSPB and where both the volountary Council members, and the payd staff members are elected and where the Council members are replaced on a mandate principle. BSPB also proved its principle of continuity.
Another important principle is the sound scientific approache in the menegement of BSPB and in its conseravtion activity. That is why the data gathering on birds, Important Bird Areas and the habitats as well as monitoring of them are of extremelly importance for BSPB. The work is done on the base of clear priorities, on the base of the BirdLife experience , which is a garanty for the high professionalism and leads to the high prestige of BSPB.
Direct and concrete action, orientated to real contribution to the Nature, to real and measurable results, is another basic principle. This is the reason BSPB to work actively on some "non attractive" forms of conservation, such as helping the government in improving the legislation, in developing startegic documents in the sphere of Nature conservation.
BSPB accepted as its basic principle to be constructive in its work with the central and local institutions, to consider them as partners. To avoid confrontation and to use demonstrations and other forms of "sharp" conservation as a latest tool, when the dialogue and the other options did not give results.
Probably the main and the most important BSPB principle is the striving to build stable local BSPB structures and to strenghten them as effective representations of the Society in the regions of Bulgaria with highest biodiversity, but also as generators of constant, systematic conservation work there. The two BSPB Nature Conservation and Information Centres "Poda" and "Eastern Rhodopi" are undoubtful and specific for BSPB success, where the activities, started for decades not only continue, but have clear perspective. Thanks to this principle, BSPB is the only Bolgarian NGO, acheiving stable conservation results in the regions of its action.
What we are not
There is a big variety of environmental problems: air, water and soil pollution, noise, biodiversity decrease, biology ethics, etc. No one organization can work effectively on all of them. To be successful, every organisation has to clearly define the problems it will deal with. This is also a way to avoid useless competition with other organisations, competition which waist resources and often damage the wilderness itself. As a responsible organisation, BSPB identified itself very clearly as a biodiversity conservation organisation, primarily for conservation of birds, of the most important sites for them and of their habitats. This happened before the appearance of the other conservation NGOs, which made impossible the duplication of any of these activities from the side of BSPB.
We DO NOT deal with:
* general environmental problems, which do not affect directly, or significantly, or concrete the birds, their specific sites and habitats (there are other NGOs, specialised in working against pollution with radioactive elements, against water pollution, soil pollution, etc.);
* problems, concerning domestic animals and non-protected wild birds kept in captivity;
* helping or keeping in captivity injured birds of common species (this is an activity of the zoos and special aviaries), but this is not the case, when the bird is of a rare or threatened species;
* imposing sanction in case of illegal activity (the NGOs do not have right on this, except they are authorised for this by special act – according to Article 37 (2) of the Administrative infringements and punishments Act) and issuing punishment measures (the NGOs do not have right on this according to the Punishment Act);
* issuing permissions;
* other activities, which do not correspond with the BSPB priorities.