Present: Vivian Grisogono - Eco Hvar President, Debora Bunčuga - Secretary, Dinka Barbić - steering committee member, Marija Bunčuga - steering committee member, Sara Radonić - steering committee member, Nada Kozulić, Ingrid Bujis, Rupert Dawnay, Frank John Dubokovich, Toni Hall, Janet Raabe, Olivier Schweitzer, Wendy Zečić
Apologies for absence: Martin Gannon, Jasenka Splivalo
The meeting was opened by Association President Vivian Grisogono at 17:00.
AGENDA
1. Welcome. Number of attendees noted, selection of the Meeting Secretary.
2. Adoption of the Minutes from the 9th AGM.
3. Review of Eco Hvar's activities during 2022.
4. Adoption of the Charity's financial report for 2022.
5. Outline of the Charity's programme for 2023.
6. Any other business.
1. WELCOME. Vivian Grisogono welcomed the attendees and confirmed that there was a quorum.
Sara Radonić was elected Meeting Secretary, and Debora Bunčuga was deputed to lead the meeting in Croatian, with Vivian Grisogono translating into English as necessary.
2. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES FROM THE 9TH AGM.
The Minutes, which were published previously on the Eco Hvar website in English and Croatian, were circulated to the attendees.
The Meeting adopted the Minutes from the 9th AGM, nem con.
3. REVIEW OF ECO HVAR'S ACTIVITIES IN 2022
Requests for help or advice
As in previous years, throughout 2022 people contacted us with various questions, mostly via email or im Facebook, occasionally by telephone. We respond as quickly as possible, usually within a day or two. General inquiries included some unusual requests, such as whether it was allowed for a hotel guest to light a fire outdoors so his family could eat their favourite breakfast rather than the hotel fare (answer 'no'); how does one get rid of a hornets' nest above one's front door (answer, 'please refer to Ekocijan'). More routine questions focused on the insect suppression programme, rodents and rubbish management.
Animals
We received c. 83 inquiries about animals on Hvar and elsewhere in Croatia: 32 about dogs, 40 about cats, 4 about birds, 6 about donkeys, and one about horse riding.
As always, we helped as much as we could, directly or indirectly. In most cases, we passed the inquiries on to the relevant town wardens (komunalni redari) who are responsible for taking care of stray dogs, or who should call in the veterinary inspector from Split in the case of mistreated animals.
Volunteers: we are always pleased to received offers of help from volunteers, and recommend them people who need help the most, such as Jana the donkey rescuer in Dol and Chris and Amanda, tireless carers of street cats and stray dogs in Stari Grad.
Help for cats
Abandoned kittens are always a major problem, and we remain truly grateful to all those who have helped to save at least some of them.
The project to place feeding stations for stray cats has progressed slowly: we have placed three, one in Stari Grad and two in Jelsa. It has proved difficult to identify places which tick all the boxes: relatively safe for the cats, not likely to cause a nuisance to people, and accessible for ongoing maintenance.
The cat sterilization programmes financed by local councils have been a great help and we are grateful to the authorities who participate. Hvar Town has gone several stages further in trying to help reduce the problems associated with unwanted cats. Nino Pijanović, Hvar's Chief Administrator, has been instrumental in enabling a generous programme of care: not only free sterilizations with local vet Dr. Mirej, but also free food, free transport to the Bestie Animal Shelter in Kaštel Sućurac. It is an example which we hope other local authorities will follow.
Help for dogs
The plight of mistreated hunting dogs is still a major concern, for which we are still trying to find a solution. Too often these dogs are not microchipped or vaccinated, and are kept in totally unsatisfactory conditions, chained up, without adequate water or food, even in the hottest months. The Hunting Association should certainly take responsible action to help improve the situation.
On a happier note, as usual our Association has succeeded in saving several dogs during the year. We do not always publicize our activities, as in certain cases this would risk making the situation worse for dogs with aggressive owners, and could jeopardize the safety of those who have reported them. (We always pass on reports and complaints about mistreatments without disclosing the names of the complainants.)
Our successful collaboration with the Bestie Animal Shelter in Kaštel Sućurac has continued. We are very grateful to be able to send rescued dogs there, secure in the knowledge that they will receive excellent care, socialization and some training to prepare them for the time when they find their forever homes.
On October 29th 2022 we were delighted to welcome a group of pupils from the Jelsa Elementary School to Pitve, together with their teacher Irma Bogdanić Cvrković. The pupils practised their (impressive) English as they learned a little about dogs, their needs and characteristics. Ivica Drinković gave an entertaining demonstration of dog training with his dog Luki, who is beloved by all, after which it was playtime, to the delight of the pupils and the dogs.
Social care
We advised the local authority in Jelsa several times that facilities for disabled wheelchair users in the town are woefully inadequate (non-existent) and the ongoing works provided an opportunity to provide minimal facilities such as wheelchair accessible zebra crossings, a paved path through the park from the disabled parking places and disabled access to the newly renovated public toilet. Despite assurances that these would be done, disappointingly none of it has happened. The nearest public toilets for wheelchair users are in the two supermarkets on the outskirts of the town, Plodine and Tommy.
For the environment
Pesticides.
We continue unceasingly to promote initiatives for environmental protection at international, national and local levels. Unfortunately, the use of pesticides is still a major problem on our island, as in the whole of Croatia. The struggle to reduce pesticide use is almost 'Mission Impossible', because of the huge financial interests involved. Biocides and so-called 'plant protection products' are granted authorizations on the basis of unpublished industry-financed studies, while independent published studies showing possible adverse effects are not taken into account.
Biocides are authorized by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and come under the Ministry of Health (MIZ) in Croatia. 'Plant protection products' are approved by the European Union and the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture. The situation is complicated. For example, Cypermethrin is an insecticidal substance which was approved back in 2006, currently approved until 31/01/2029 (EU Pesticides Database, June 2023) or 31/05/2030 (ECHA, June 2023). Cypermethrin is the active ingredient in some 50 insecticidal products on the ECHA listing, c. 53 on the Croatian Health Ministry list (August 2022), and just 6 approved by the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture Phytosanitary Information System (FIS, June 2023). The EU designates it as a 'candidate for substitution, the ECHA does not. The EU, concerned about the potential harm to bees, placed a strict limitation on Cypermethrin-based products in 2021, allowing its use on condition that it is not used when plants of any kind are in flower (legislation 24/22/2021). Yet over many years Cypermethrin has been used in the DDD insect suppression programme around the whole of Hvar: the environment has been sprayed at least 3 times each summer, usually in Cipex 10, with Microfly used round rubbish bins and the rubbish tip. All when plants are flowering and bees are in action.
Another example is the product Closer, whose active ingredient is Sulfoxaflor. Sulfoxaflor is authorized in the EU until 18/08/2025, but not approved by the ECHA. Closer has been the Ministry of Agriculture's insecticide of choice against orange spiny whitefly (aleurocanthus spiniferus). The Ministry even ordered compulsory use of Closer in a garden on a private property on Hvar in September 2021. But in April 2022 the European Commssion restricted the use of Sulfoxaflor to indoors in permanent greenhouses only because of its high risk to pollinators, especially bees.
These are just two examples of the harm being done because of the practice of authorizing potentially dangerous pesticides without full and proper investigation of the risks. Occasionally substances are banned, but the bans are slow to come into force, and are anyway ineffective, because pesticide users are not properly educated as to the dangers of the substances they use. For instance, farmers on Hvar are still using the herbicide Roundup / Cidokor, which was banned in the EU way back in 2016. So it's not surprising that there are fewer and fewer bees and other useful insects on Hvar. Every year there is a tragic reduction of biodiversity on the island.
In 2022 Association President Vivian Grisogono again sent a hair sample (at her own expense) for pesticide analysis in the Kudzu laboratory in France. The results showed the presence of 6 pesticides: 4,4-DDE, an organophosphate, metabolite of DDT; Allethrin, and Permethrin, synthetic pyrethroid insecticides; Fipronil sulfone, a primary metabolite of the pyrazole insecticide Fipronil; Acetamiprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide; and Azoxystrobin, a strobilurin fungicide. All of these substances have potentially highly dangerous effects on human health.
Ecological workshop.
In cooperation with LAG-Škoji we helped to organize a workshop in Jelsa under the title of 'Does Nature Know Better?' Andrea Vugrinović, an expert consultant on organic and biodynamic agriculture, gave a powerful explanation of the modern farming methods which can preserve the health of farmers and citizens, especially children, at the same time saving biodiversity and also reaching the highest levels in the market for produce, with good effects for tourism thrown in. The lecture (in Croatian) is on our Eco Hvar Youtube channel in four parts.
See the articles on our website for more information about the pesticides listed:
Many more articles detailing the problems of pesticides are found on our website under the category 'Poisons beware'
Eco Hvar in the media. As in previous years, in 2022 Eco Hvar's work was highlighted in print, especially in the widely read regional newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija, thanks to the continuing tireless support of journalist Mirko Crnčević. His exemplary professional work and his understanding of the importance of our aims have definitely increased awareness in a wide-ranging public of the issues of concern regarding animal welfare and environmental protection.
In Slobodna Dalmacija: „Bolje gnoj nego požar!” (07.04.2022.); „Na Hvaru pred sezonu napuštaju štenad, truju mačke...”(23.05.2022); „Na Hvaru će odbaćene plastike proizvoditi atraktivan nakit!” (31.05.2022.); „'Zatrovano zemlište' ili kako varkom p(r)otjerati nepozvane iz vinograda” (02.06.2022.) „Ruglo na Škoju” (29.06.2022.); „'Jelsa ide naprijed, ali su nam nužni čisti spremnici za otpad i oprano mjesto' - Dan Općine” (17.08.2022.); „Vinogradari, dobri primjeri su u Burgundiji” (18.10.2022.); „Bračni par iz Australije zatvorio je poslovnu priču u domovini i u srcu Dalmacije otvorio novu stranicu: ‘Prije četiri godine došli smo nakratko, a onda nas je zavela ljepota‘” (30.10.2022.). In the magazibe 'Dobra kob': „Alarm s otoka. Opasnost prijeti gregulji i kaukulu” (veljača 2022.); „Hvar: želite udomiti psa, javite nam se!” (travanj 2022.); „Uroci „bježe” od rute“ (lipanj 2022.)
Facebook. On our Facebook page we continued to post warnings regarding the annual insecticide spraying programme and the hunting season, as well as items of interest, in keeping with our aims.
Website www.eco-hvar.com. We continued to update the information about the adverse effects of pesticides and their approval status, alongside articles about the beauty of our island.
The Meeting accepted the Review of Activities in 2022 nem con.
4. FINANCIAL REPORT FOR 2022.
The Association's income during 2022 amounted to 17.053,00 kn, and the outgoings totalled 13.209,00 kn. On 01.01.2022 the account stood at 5.509,00 kn. carried over from the previous year, while on 31.12.2022 it was 9.449,00kn.
The Association's main expenditure is on animal care, accountant's fees and bank expenses. Donations are the Association's sole source of income.
The Financial Report for 2022 was accepted nem. con.
5. PROPOSED PROGRAMME FOR 2023.
Our aims remain the same and we plan our programme accordingly.
i. Environmental protection and reduction of pesticide use.
We will organize further workshops and lectures, especially with Andrea Vugrinović, who has proved a popular, enthusiastic and compelling lecturer. We will continue to lobby against pesticide use, to raise awareness of the dangers inherent in pesticide use and to promote environmentally friendly methods and products to farmers and sellers.
At the end of September 2023 the Research and Development Centre of the 'Island Anatomy' Association (Udruga Anatomija otoka) will be holding its 11th symposium. The subject will be 'Island at the table: Mediterranean food between global processes and island know-how'. The co-organizers of the symposium are from the Zagreb Ethnology and Folklore Institute, with whom Eco Hvar's Secretary Debora Bunčuga had a meeting in May. They are interested in collaborating with our Association and their representative Mrs. Marina Blagaić Bergman will contact us in July to discuss details of the cooperation, focussing especially on our battle against pesticide use. Of course our Association will support the project and cooperate in any way we can.
ii. We will organize testing of a certain number of residents for pesticides, with the aim of an eventual comparison with the incidence of illness on the island.
iii. Activities for animals
We will continue to develop our pšroject to establish feeding stations for cats in various places, with the help of volunteers who will maintain them.
In the longer term we still hope we might be able to establish a holding station for street cats on the island, under the management of the Beštie Animal Shelter in Kaštela.
We will of course continue our successful collaboration with the Beštie Shelter, as well as our support for individuals who are helping animals on the island.
iv. We will continue to support initiatives for eco-tourism on the island.
v. We will continue to lobby for adequate conditions for wheelchair users in Jelsa and elsewhere.
vi. We will continue to cooperate with like-minded international organizations and national organizations which are working on local and countrywide levels.
The Meeting accepted the Proposed Programme for 2023 nem con.
6. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Marija Bunčuga reported that pesticide users were now strictly limited by new regulations: for instance, professional users can only buy a certain quantity of dangerous substances according to the size of their registered fields, and their purchases are recorded. This is certainly a step forward, although, as some attendees commented, it did not stop the problem of purchases from outside Croatia, notably from Bosnia and Hercegovina.
Dinka Barbić reported that some of her guests described seeing many more street cats on Korčula than on Hvar. This led to a discussion as to whether this is due to the sterilization programme working more effectively on Hvar.
Toni Hall commented that castration of male cats, which is currently not funded by the Jelsa Council, is an important part of controlling cat populations. Toni also introduced the subject of re-wilding the island, which led to comments about how difficult it is to control existing populations of wild boar, which cause significant damage to crops every year.
Rupert Dawnay suggested that further education of pesticide users was needed: more specialists should be invited to give lectures and workshops to local farmers and gardeners to demonstrate the alternatives to chemical pesticides. The suggestion met with wholehearted approval from the attendees.
The meeting officially closed at 18:30.
Sara Radonić, Vivian Grisogono,
Meeting Secretary Association President
