The head of nature conservation at the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) Stoycho Stoytchev is one of eight winners of this year's "Green Oscars" as the awards of the Whitley Fund for Nature are popularly known. The award was presented in London by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne at a ceremony held at the Royal Geographical Society. The reason is the contribution of Mr. Stoytchev for the successful ongoing strategy of the BSPB on the conservation and increasing the population of the last living wild imperial eagles in Bulgaria.

What has the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds achieved regarding the Imperial Eagle?

"We already have 26 nests of imperial eagles, while in 2000 we were aware of only 8 nests. Apparently, the population of these birds is increasing as a result of our successful efforts, including a wide range of conservation activities. During the breeding season we guard the nests to prevent anxiety and death of eggs and chicks or felling of trees with nests. In winter we arrange artificial feeding of the young birds to survive better. We are making and placing artificial nests to help young couples breed successfully, to attract them to safe places that are healthier and more comfortable for their nests. To our great delight, several couples of Eagles already started inhabiting four of our nests, which is not easy to realize."

The BSPB achieved an uneasy cooperation with the electricity distribution company EVN, which started placing plastic insulation on its electric poles. It is a high-voltage network in the Strandja-Sakar Mountains, Southeastern Bulgaria, where the smallest population of the Imperial Eagle is found.

What do we actually gain from the return of the population of these majestic birds?

"I would ask what we gain from the protection of the Boyana Church or the Panagjurishte gold treasure?", responds with a rhetorical question the conservationist. "These birds are part of our natural heritage, even part of our culture. The Proto-Bulgarians had the eagle as their symbol. In the tomb of Khan Kubrat /who ruled in the 7^thcentury/ we discover as a sign the eagle of the deity Tangra. Later, during the Renaissance, the Imperial Eagle was called the “cross-shaped eagle” and Bulgarians believed that it kept their crops. It was a symbolic bird and therefore not pursued. Eagles are something lasting in our culture and I would not differentiate between the preservation of the country’s natural and cultural heritage."

How will the financial reward accompanying the Whitley award be used, as it is to the tune of 280,000 British pounds?

"This is very important financial support and these funds will be used again for the protection of eagles. We also want to help the region of Strandja –Sakar in order to boost ecotourism there, so more people could visit and watch the eagles. This will provide income for the local economy, which is very important. So people will have a direct financial benefit from protecting eagles. With Topolovgrad Municipality we will work to promote local products associated with pastures. The conservation of grassland is a very important part of the strategy for eagles’ restoration because these birds hunt right there. There they come across their favorite delicacy – the hamster. It is no accident the disappearance of eagles in different regions of the country is connected precisely with the decline of livestock there. When there are no sheep and other livestock, pastures get overgrown and woodland conquers them."

English version: Rossitsa Petcova