International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation

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The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (in French: Conseil International de la Chasse et de la Conservation du Gibier, abbreviated CIC) is a politically independent advisory body internationally active on a non-profit basis. It assists governments and environmental organizations in maintaining natural resources by sustainable use. CIC was created in 1928 and since then it has gained global recognition as a unique advisor in the field of sustainable use and conservation of wildlife. The organisation unites 32 states as members, universities, NGOs as well as private members and scientific experts from 82 countries. This knowledge-based network formulates recommendations, organizes scientific conferences and supports projects related to specific aspects of wildlife conservation and sustainable use. National delegations are responsible for local activities in over 40 countries. During its long years of existence, CIC has achieved major goals in the conservation of endangered species around the world e.g. the Peregrine Falcon, Thaki Wild Horse, Houbara Bustard and strives to help the Saiga Antelope and the Bukhara Deer.

[edit] History

The idea of the establishment of an international organization dealing with sustainable hunting and wildlife management was first brought up in 1910 at the occasion of a hunting exhibition in Vienna. Professor Antonin Dyk from the Prague University brought up the idea again in 1926. However, thanks to the French lawyer Maxime Ducrocq and Count Louis Károlyi the idea was translated into concrete action. They organized an international conference in the small southern Slovak town of Nové Zámky in November 1928 to discuss the idea of establishing an international hunting organization. Many of the discussions took place in the manor of Count Károlyi in Palárikovo. The result of the conference was the "Declaration of Nové Zámky" calling for the establishment of an international hunting council with the name of "Conseil International de la Chasse" and establishing a commission which was to work out the statutes of this organization. This was the basis for the first general assembly and the founding of the CIC in November 1930 in Paris.

[edit] Projects

CIC supports the "Countdown 2010" and contributes to it with the project Habitat Fallow Land. The goal of the project is to improve the situation of wildlife in the agrarian landscape by using wildlife-friendly forms of set-aside. Furthermore, they try to integrate wildlife-friendly land set-aside into the basic conditions of agriculture.