Understanding human effects on the European wildlife communities
A network of “observation points” capable to monitor wildlife population at European level
What is the EOW?
The European Observatory of Wildlife is a network of “observation points” over Europe with common protocols for the generation of harmonized and interoperable data on wildlife populations.
The EOW has been developed to deal with the lack of comparable data on the geographical distribution and abundance of wildlife hosts and their pathogens at European scale, essential for an effective wildlife management and particularly to perform risk assessments for shared emergent diseases.
Main aims
To generate and provide information and unbiased trends on population abundance for those developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating enviromental policy in europe.
To provide sound, independet guidance on methods and protocols for those involved in implmenting wildlife monitoring, in close collaboration with European Institutions.
To develop a network alive for wildlife monitoring, incorporating different stakeholders, such as regional and national administrations, game, protected areas and research Institutions.
Supporting observation points, providing training and facilitating field design, data processing and analysis.
Focused on mammals but looking to integrate other taxa and ecological variables and integrated monitoring (wildlife diseases).
To improve population abundance estimation protocols, calibrating methods, incorporating information technology and citizen science.
Highlight areas and recommendations for action working, the inequalities existing in wildlife population monitoring over Europe.
The EOW as part of the ENETWILD network
EFSA – European Food Safety Authority – is a European agency funded by the European Union that provides independent scientific assessment and communicates on risks associated with the food chain to support decisions of the European legislative and executive institutions (Commission, Council, Parliament) and EU Member States.
EFSA funds the Enetwild project to collect comparable data at European level to analyse risks of diseases shared between wildlife, livestock, and humans; data that are also essential in conservation and wildlife management.
This project attempts to improve the European capacities for monitoring of wildlife population, developing standards for data collection, validation and, finally, create and promote a data repository.
