The purpose of OMPO is to be the European Institute of reference on sustainable use of the natural resources that are migratory birds and their habitats.

OMPOs’ priority species are game species of interest to our hunting organizations and endangered species. OMPO brings its contribution via an ecosystemic approach, i.e. considering species in their habitats. Among game species, are studied: waterbirds, doves and the Turdidae.

Rather than creating a structure where management fees outweigh the credits granted to actions, OMPO aims at coordinating existing research institutions and working on common grounds; thus, works are already published or in progress with the Russian Academy of Sciences or the Institute of Ecology of Lithuania.

In order to ensure governance that is transparent and that takes into account both, the demand of the hunting community and the necessary exigency the scientific work requires, OMPO is organized into three levels:

-    A committee of experts to determine the issues on which it is necessary to work on. This committee is composed of hunting engineers having a scientific and technical experience

-    A European scientific council that reviews scientific research projects and validates the results

-    A board of Directors that guides the action of OMPO. This BoD gathers the representatives of national and of the major European hunting organizations.

OMPO works closely with FACE, IUCN, Wetlands International, AEWA, ….in order to make the most of the results obtained.

The topics covered:

-    Species distribution and monitoring (flyways, trends, conservation status ...)

-    Understanding of the mechanisms that rule the functioning of populations

-    If necessary, modeling to predict species reactions in particular to climate change.

The monitoring requires networks of observers, in particular hunters. This development of participatory sciences involving the primary users of this natural resource which are the migratory birds, will show that hunters contribute directly to their knowledge.

The issues to be dealt with are being examined and can already be cited:

-    The status of Geese and especially the Greylag in the Palearctic and the determination of migratory flyways (using various satellite monitoring technologies, wing collection and genetic analysis)

-    The possibility of developing a European network of Turdidae population monitoring

-    Analysis of the contribution of hunting as a means of controlling invasive species (Canada goose, ...).

Issues such as confusion and disturbance will be submitted to

the Scientific Council

• WHO? OMPO, Migratory Birds of the Western Palearctic, is a Non-Governmental organization under French Law with international focus created in 1984.

Its area of intervention covers that of the AEWA, Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds on 118 countries, spread from Siberia to southern Africa.

The purpose of OMPO is to contribute to a better understanding of Palearctic migratory birds and their habitats across their overall distribution range at the various seasons of the annual cycle.

To do this, OMPO operates on a block diagram based on the rigorous optimization of its funding.

A scientific and technical section based in Paris (France) and linked to an OMPO-Unit at the Center for Nature Research, University of Vilnius (Lithuania), designs, builds, and coordinates all programs of study and action plans.

Projects are submitted to OMPO’s partners of its international network of scientists before being contracted with university teams, hunting organizations, ornithological societies, etc. This network includes more than a hundred employees who carry out studies.

• WHY? OMPO is born from the observation that knowledge on migratory bird populations and their Flyways was notoriously fragmented and did not permit to have a global view of their status and functioning.

OMPO’s reflection has naturally focused on how best to fill those deficiencies and gaps by resolutely looking for means to answer questions put by their sustainability.

This worry to have better and more comprehensive knowledge is part, indeed, of the urgent need for our civilization to preserve biodiversity in order to transmit to future generations the natural living heritage that are migratory birds.

These principles are the scope of OMPO’s action which assembles biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of its resources across the Palearctic. To do so, OMPO favors:

- An increased account of biological specificities, regulatory factors and requirements of migratory bird populations, particularly in terms of habitat,

- The mobilization of the hunting community on its specific responsibility vis-à-vis the migratory avifauna, via a solid support to research and a firm commitment in species and habitat conservation programs.

• HOW? Achieving these goals requires a total commitment and a clear vision of actions, without any derogation to scientific objectivity.

OMPO contributes to the advancement and sharing of knowledge, acting in partnership with other organizations pursuing similar and converging goals: AEWA, IUCN, Wetlands International, Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar), ONCFS, ... in full accordance with the governments concerned.