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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

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