Protection of Charismatic Megafauna in the Law of Central European Countries

Abstract

In my article, presented at the 18th International Wildlife Law Conference in Tilburg, the Netherlands, in 2018, I focus on both theoretical and practical issues related to the protection of mega-species of mammals and birds in the law of Central European countries. The problem is topical; many of those species were either killed off or their populations were significantly decreased, if not decimated, in the past. Only in the past few years have they started to gradually move back to Central European nature from other regions, particularly from the north and east of Europe. This shows that the protection of mega-species of mammals and birds cannot be narrowed to a policy of deterrence contained in legal regulations; what also matters is economic motivation (compensation for damage caused by those species), as well as education and raising public awareness. All of this is, however, a quite difficult, demanding, and long process. What can serve as a model example is certainly the wolf and its return to the Central European wilderness.