ISTROS: Strengthening Biodiversity Protection Cross Borders

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin

Date of latest update: 2026-01-13

Description

Description (EN):

The project's overall objective is to enhance the protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity, and green infrastructures in the Black Sea Basin by combating poaching and illegal fishing. This will strengthen operational capacities for biodiversity protection and will promote sustainable practices. By developing a comprehensive best practice guide and fostering active community involvement through education and participatory activities, the project aims to create an informed, responsible and engaged community dedicated to environmental conservation. 1. The common challenge of the programme area that the project is tackling. The Black Sea basin faces significant challenges related to poaching and illegal fishing, which threaten biodiversity and disturb the ecological balance. These activities contribute to the degradation of natural habitats, uncontrolled depletion of fish populations, imbalance of food chains, decline of wildlife populations and loss of biodiversity. All these shortcomings can have social and economic impacts. The region lacks coordinated efforts and standardised practices to effectively combat these problems, and a collaborative approach is needed to develop and implement effective biodiversity protection measures. 2. Overall Project Objective and Expected Change. The objective of the project is to strengthen the operational capacities of the partner institutions to combat poaching and illegal fishing, thus contributing to the protection of biodiversity in the Black Sea basin. Through this, the project aims to reduce the incidence of poaching and illegal fishing, improve biodiversity conservation and enhance the sustainability of natural resources. The expected change aims to significantly reduce poaching activities, increase awareness and involvement among local communities and establish standardised procedures and practices for biodiversity protection across the region. 3.The main outputs and results that the project will develop, and who will benefit from them. Given the need to implement this project in the best conditions and to obtain the expected results, the main outputs include three workshops to develop a draft guide for combating these issues, two information and awareness campaigns to foster community involvement and three joint field exercises to test and finalize the guide and procedures. During the first workshop, theoretical aspects of biodiversity protection will be discussed. The second workshop will build a foundational understanding of legislative and practical aspects through anti-poaching efforts, generating the first draft of a best practice guide. Additionally, it will document the participation and involvement of the stakeholders. The third workshop will refine and ensure the guide’s applicability across countries. The information and awareness campaigns aim to encourage community involvement in biodiversity conservation. They will promote participatory learning, intergenerational collaboration and children's creativity through artistic activities, integrating environmental values and fostering a long-term commitment to environmental protection. The joint field exercises will test procedures and equipment in a real-case scenario, followed by a workshop to finalize the best practice guide. Specialized equipments purchased through the project will provide tangible support for biodiversity protection. The expected results include increased knowledge and capacity among stakeholders, standardized practices for biodiversity protection and active community involvement. The beneficiaries are local communities, enforcement agencies, conservationists, and educational institutions. By engaging various stakeholders, the project aims to create an informed, responsible and engaged community dedicated to environmental conservation, promoting sustainable practices and strengthening community bonds. The project’s transnational approach ensures coordinated efforts, sharing of best practices and effective biodiversity protection across the Black Sea Basin, leading to more sustainable environmental outcomes and reduced poaching and illegal fishing activities. 4. The planned approach and why transnational cooperation is needed in the project. The project adopts a collaborative, transnational approach involving joint development and implementation of workshops, information campaigns and field exercises. This method ensures the creation and validation of a best practice guide for combating poaching and illegal fishing, tailored for the Black Sea Basin. Transnational cooperation is essential to harmonize efforts, share best practices and leverage collective expertise and resources across partner countries, leading to more effective and sustainable biodiversity protection outcomes. Specialized equipments purchased by all partners will further enhance operational capacities, providing tangible support for biodiversity conservation efforts.

Expected Achievements (EN):

The project aims to develop an innovative best practice guide to combat kinetic poaching, overfishing and illegal fishing, which will lead to the conservation and protection of protected areas, thus resulting in the protection and conservation of nature and biodiversity. This system is a symbiosis between tactical training and legislative, informal and theoretical practice, which will be used by all partners and can be used as a model of good collaboration by other partners and public institutions. With the help of the equipment, the four partners will be more effective in monitoring and controlling protected natural areas. The equipment aims to reduce the response time of the competent institutions to operational situations. This equipment, together with the reinforcement of theory through common guidelines, will contribute to increasing the level of expertise of users and efficiency in the field.

Project outputs: Jointly developed solutions(EN)
Organisations cooperating across borders(EN)
Public events across borders jointly organised(EN)
Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects.(EN)

Thematic information

Innovation capacity and awareness-raising Institutional cooperation and cooperation networks Climate change and biodiversity

Priority: (VI-B_BSB_P2) Clean and Green Region

Priority specific objective: RSO2.7. Enhancing protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and reducing all forms of pollution

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO2 A greener, low-carbon transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy and resilient Europe by promoting clean and fair energy transition, green and blue investment, the circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, risk prevention and management, and sustainable urban mobility

Type of intervention: 079 Nature and biodiversity protection, natural heritage and resources, green and blue infrastructure

Partners (4)

Lead Partner: INSPECTORATUL DE POLITIE JUDETEAN BRAILA

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 877637571

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 4343265

Department: SERVICIUL CABINET

Address: MIHAIL SEBASTIAN, 810487 BRAILA, Romania

Department address: MIHAIL SEBASTIAN, 810487 BRAILA, Romania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: National public authority

Website: https://br.politiaromana.ro

Total budget: EUR 521 267.24

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 469 140.51

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 90.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 52 126.73

Inspectoratul Național de Securitate Publica

Name: Inspectoratul Național de Securitate Publica

Department: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS DIRECTORATE

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 880136582

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 1013601000509

Address: Doina, MD-2059 Chisinau, Moldova

Department address: Tiraspol, MD-2001 Chișinău, Moldova

Legal status: public

Organisation type: National public authority

Website (not verified): https://politia.md/ro/content/inspectoratul-national-de-securitate-publica-insp

Total budget: EUR 360 889.05

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 324 800.14

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 90.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 36 088.91

ВІЙСЬКОВА ЧАСТИНА 3058 НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ ГВАРДІЇ УКРАЇНИ

Name: ВІЙСЬКОВА ЧАСТИНА 3058 НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ ГВАРДІЇ УКРАЇНИ

Department: Unit 3058 of the National Guard of Ukraine, Izmail

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 879547889

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 24520810

Address: Prydunaiska, 68603 Izmail, Ukraine

Department address: Prydunaiska, 68603 Izmail, Ukraine

Legal status: public

Organisation type: National public authority

Total budget: EUR 248 247.59

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 223 422.83

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 90.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 24 824.76

INSTITUTIA PREFECTULUI-JUDETUL BRAILA

Name: INSTITUTIA PREFECTULUI-JUDETUL BRAILA

Department: SERVICE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF DECONCENTRATED PUBLIC SERVICES, GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES AND POLICIES AND EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 877253839

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 4205637

Address: Piața Independenței, 810210 Braila, Romania

Department address: Piața Independenței, 810210 Brăila, Romania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: https://br.prefectura.mai.gov.ro/

Total budget: EUR 145 635.82

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 131 072.23

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 90.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 14 563.59

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

National Inspectorate of Public Security

ISTROS: Strengthening Biodiversity Protection Cross Borders

Partners and Projects info

Unit 3058 of the National Guard of Ukraine, Izmail

ISTROS: Strengthening Biodiversity Protection Cross Borders

Partners and Projects info

PREFECTS INSTITUTION- BRAILA COUNTY

ISTROS: Strengthening Biodiversity Protection Cross Borders

Partners and Projects info

BRAILA COUNTY POLICE INSPECTORATE

ISTROS: Strengthening Biodiversity Protection Cross Borders

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): ISTROS: Strengthening Biodiversity Protection Cross Borders

Project acronym: ISTROS

Project ID: BSB00927

Project start date: 2025-09-16

Project end date: 2028-03-15

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (EN) | The project aligns closely with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 by complementing its ambitious goals through targeted actions and synergistic approaches. Specifically, the project contributes to the strategy's objectives of protecting and restoring biodiversity, ensuring ecosystems are resilient and restored and enhancing the benefits they provide to people.
Synergies with the EU Biodiversity Strategy are evident in several ways. Firstly, the project's focus on combating poaching and illegal fishing directly supports the strategy's goal of preventing biodiversity loss and safeguarding species. By enhancing enforcement capabilities and promoting sustainable practices, the project contributes to the conservation and restoration of ecosystems in the Black Sea Basin.
Moreover, the development of a good practice guide by all project partners serves as a practical tool aligned with the strategy's call for harmonized approaches across Europe. This guide ensures consistency in conservation efforts and enhances the effectiveness of biodiversity protection measures implemented under the project.
This application is not linked to any other proposal under preparation within other EU funds at this time, ensuring focused implementation and clear alignment with the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. (EN), LIFE Programme (EN) | The project synergizes with the LIFE Programme by complementing its objectives focused on nature conservation, biodiversity protection, and ecosystem restoration. Specifically, the project aligns with the LIFE Nature and Biodiversity sub-programme's goals of implementing the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, managing the Natura 2000 network, and addressing invasive alien species (IAS). By enhancing enforcement against poaching and illegal fishing, the project directly contributes to conserving habitats and species within Natura 2000 sites in the Black Sea Basin.
Synergies are evident through shared objectives and collaborative efforts. The project's activities, such as the development of a good practice guide and the acquisition of advanced equipment, reinforce the LIFE Programme's commitment to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience. The guide serves as a practical tool for implementing standardized conservation practices, ensuring alignment with EU directives and strategic objectives.
the project does not duplicate activities funded under the LIFE Programme but rather enhances and complements existing initiatives. This approach fosters a cohesive and integrated approach to achieving biodiversity targets set under the EU's Green Deal and Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. By aligning with EU priorities and leveraging EU funding mechanisms, the project strengthens the overall impact of conservation efforts in the Black Sea Basin, contributing to a more resilient and sustainable natural environment for future generations. (EN), Project "Utilizing stream waters in the suppression of forest fires with the help of new technologies," funded through the Joint Operational Programme "Black Sea Basin 2007-2013." (EN) | The project synergizes with the "Utilizing Stream Waters In The Suppression Of Forest Fires With The Help Of New Technologies" initiative by building on established partnerships and shared objectives in environmental protection and sustainable management of natural resources. Both projects aim to safeguard protected areas, from different threats—forest fires and illegal fishing/poaching. This common goal creates a foundation for collaborative learning and the exchange of innovative solutions.
By integrating lessons learned and technologies from the forest fire project, our current initiative strengthens its operational capabilities and fosters a holistic approach to ecosystem management. This synergy enhances the overall impact of both projects, contributing to the broader objectives of environmental conservation and sustainability in the region. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 1 276 039.70

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 1 148 435.71

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 90.00%

Co-financing sources:

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyDanubeRegion The project, targeting poaching and illegal fishing to protect biodiversity, significantly advances the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). By focusing on environmental protection, the project aligns with EUSDR's goals of preserving biodiversity and reducing pollution. Protecting endangered species and ensuring cleaner ecosystems contribute directly to the region's ecological health.
Promoting sustainable economic development, the project supports sustainable fishing practices and boosts ecotourism, providing alternative income sources for local communities. By fostering cross-border collaboration between Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, it enhances mutual trust and coordinated efforts, vital for addressing transboundary environmental challenges. The joint exercises, workshops, and public awareness campaigns build operational capacities and facilitate knowledge sharing, creating a foundation for effective anti-poaching strategies.
The project also supports integrated water management by improving water quality in the Black Sea basin, connected to the Danube River. Aligning with the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), it ensures complementary actions for environmental protection. Public awareness campaigns involving children, students and local communities foster environmental stewardship and community engagement, promoting a culture of conservation.
Overall, the project's efforts in combating poaching and illegal fishing not only address immediate threats to biodiversity but also enhance the ecological, economic, and social resilience of the Danube region, aligning perfectly with EUSDR’s strategic objectives.
SeaBasinStrategyBlackSea The project significantly contributes to the Common Maritime Agenda (CMA) for the Black Sea. This initiative focuses on combating poaching and illegal fishing to protect biodiversity and strengthen operational capacities in the Black Sea basin.
By reducing illegal fishing, the project directly supports the CMA's goal of maintaining healthy marine and coastal ecosystems. The enhanced enforcement capabilities, facilitated by modern equipment such as drones, thermal monoculars, and four-wheel drive vehicles, contribute to a more regulated and sustainable blue economy. Additionally, the development of a best practice guide on combating poaching and illegal fishing promotes innovative approaches and regional knowledge sharing.
Public awareness campaigns play a crucial role in fostering a culture of conservation and sustainable resource use. These campaigns, targeting children, students, and local communities, highlight the importance of biodiversity, thus fostering investment in sustainable blue economy projects. Cross-border cooperation among Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine exemplifies the CMA's emphasis on regional dialogue and collaborative action.
The project’s focus on protecting endangered species, such as the southern heron and wildcat, underscores its commitment to biodiversity conservation. By addressing illegal activities that threaten marine life, the project supports the CMA’s environmental protection goals, contributing to a balanced and sustainable marine ecosystem in the Black Sea region.
Other EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030
The project contributes significantly to the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 by addressing critical threats to biodiversity, specifically illegal fishing and poaching, which are major factors in the degradation of Europe’s natural heritage. By enhancing enforcement capabilities and promoting sustainable practices in the Black Sea Basin, the project directly supports the conservation objectives outlined in the Birds and Habitats Directives.
Through the development and implementation of a good practice guide, the project standardizes and disseminates effective methods for biodiversity protection, ensuring that species and habitats are maintained or restored to a favourable conservation status. This aligns with the directives’ goals of halting the decline of vulnerable species and allowing them to recover and thrive.
By raising public awareness and engaging local communities in conservation efforts, the project also addresses the human activities that contribute to biodiversity loss. This holistic approach not only safeguards biodiversity but also enhances the well-being and economy of the region, aligning with the EU’s broader goals for sustainable development and environmental health.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
RCO 116 - Jointly developed solutions, Measurement unit:
RCO 087 - Organisations cooperating across borders, Measurement unit:
RCO 115 - Public events across borders jointly organised, Measurement unit:

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 084 - Organisations cooperating across borders after project completion, Measurement unit:
RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSDR

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin

Latest month of project-partner-call data publication

2026-01

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

67 / 67 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

296 / 296 (100%)

Notes on the data

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ISTROS: Strengthening Biodiversity Protection Cross Borders

Description

Thematic information

Partners (4)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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