1991 - 2006. EUROBATS celebrates its 15th anniversary
1991 - 2006. EUROBATS celebrates its 15th anniversary
1991 - 2006. EUROBATS celebrates its 15th anniversary
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66<br />
<strong>EUROBATS</strong> Publication Series No 1 Countries<br />
Bat research and conservation in<br />
Italy: the role of <strong>EUROBATS</strong> and<br />
the Italian Chiroptera Research<br />
Group (GIRC)<br />
by Adriano Martinoli<br />
The culture of nature protection in Ita-<br />
ly has, unfortunately, always played<br />
a marginal role. In this scenario, bat<br />
conservation has not found fertile ground,<br />
in terms of both public attitude and attenti-<br />
on paid by wildlife management authorities.<br />
The activities carried out by bat specialists<br />
were inevitably affected by such discouraging<br />
circumstances.<br />
However, in the last decade there has<br />
been a considerable rise in the levels of interest<br />
shown in conservation. Ratification<br />
of EC directives and other international<br />
treaties, along with the growing attention<br />
towards bat protection encouraged by European<br />
agencies and authorities, have contributed<br />
to improve the situation.<br />
In 1998, on the occasion of the first Italian<br />
Bat Congress, a crucial event took place,<br />
partly promoted by a close yet indirect sinergy<br />
with <strong>EUROBATS</strong>. Several bat specialists<br />
started the process leading to the creation<br />
of the first national research group fully<br />
devoted to bat ecology and conservation. A<br />
main objective recognised at that Congress<br />
was to encourage the Italian Government to<br />
join the Bat Agreement — the process was<br />
concluded successfully on May 27th , 200 .<br />
The initiative was soon followed by the<br />
official foundation of the Italian Chiroptera<br />
Research Group (thereafter named GIRC),<br />
a nation-wide association comprising bat<br />
scientists aiming to promote and develop<br />
scientific research on bats in the country.<br />
The GIRC’s first objective is to improve<br />
the knowledge available on bats and their<br />
habitats, as well as to coordinate and promote<br />
conservation actions, with special<br />
reference to bats. The association also acts<br />
as a consultant for national and local authorities,<br />
as well as private bodies, for all aspects<br />
related to bat conservation. Moreover,<br />
it constitutes a reference point to international<br />
bodies dealing with bat protection,<br />
and invests a lot of effort in raising public<br />
awareness on the importance of saving<br />
threatened bat populations.<br />
Research and conservation prompted by<br />
GIRC<br />
After <strong>its</strong> official foundation (December 11th ,<br />
1999), GIRC joined the Italian Mammal Association<br />
(A.T.It), whose main concern was the<br />
promotion of scientific research on mammal<br />
conservation and management.<br />
The Italian roost database<br />
The first GIRC project, started in 1999, was<br />
the “Italian bat roost project”, aiming to set<br />
up a national archive of bat roosts as a tool