Social network analysis and the implications for Pontocaspian biodiversity conservation in Romania and Ukraine: A comparative study

contradicting national laws and uncoordinated actions of regional administrations were com- mon [17], they were not the case in Romania; indicating higher consistency in conservation policies in Romania, which in turn may be the result of the accession to the EU Acquis. Coordinating joint Pontocaspian biodiversity conservation actions Romania and Ukraine share the Danube Delta, the Black Sea coastline and associated habitats in which Pontocaspian biota occurs (Fig 1), which may benefit from a coordinated action of both countries [71]. Some of the PC species, e.g. the sturgeon species, are mobile and not lim- ited to the administrative and political boundaries [72]. Furthermore, PC species have a patchy distribution in Ukraine and Romania and face similar pressures in both countries [9, 18, 19]. Cross-border collaboration is therefore instrumental to achieve common conservation objec- tives and optimal conservation action [71, 73]. Sharing the management experiences and best practices among the organizations from both countries can help to the development of com- mon organizational awareness and embolden joint efforts and understanding [73, 74]. The great significance of cross-border collaboration has been recognized by international conventions and the EU, which resulted in several collaborative projects [75]. In our interviews we did not specifically address cross-border collaboration between Romania and Ukraine with regard to PC biodiversity, but from the network narratives we learned that institutions in both

countries are aware of each other and some collaboration exists. Established programs relevant to PC biodiversity conservation are the cross-border cooperation program (within the Euro- pean Neighborhood Instrument - https://www.euneighbours.eu/en) and the EU LIFE pro- gram. The former includes the “Black Sea”, “Danube”, and other bilateral or trilateral (including Moldova) ecological programs with substantial budgets. Usually in their formula- tions the term "Pontocaspian" does not exist, but these projects mainly concern the habitats of PC fauna (Danube Delta and Prut River, Lower Dniester and the Black Sea coastline of Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria). The EU LIFE program targets Danube sturgeons. For other PC taxa we did not find evidence for deep collaboration. The PRIDE project (http://www. pontocaspian.eu/) was a pioneering EU funded project, which, in collaboration with WWF Ukraine, attempted to integrate the entire PC community in the sturgeon related awareness raising activities for different coastal protected area administrations and local residents in Ukraine. Future projects that can extend the current organizational focus from flagship species to the entire PC biota in Ukraine and Romania are critically important. Such projects can be expected to raise awareness of the need of PC biodiversity conservation and increase the inter- est of governmental and nongovernmental organizations to collaborate more and exchange the relevant information. Conclusions We found structurally different networks of stakeholder organizations in Romania and

Ukraine. However, PC biodiversity was not a driver of inter-organizational relations in either of the countries, resulting in incidental coverage of this biota in conservation practices. In an earlier study from Ukraine, we concluded that the maintenance of existing network is a neces- sary base, and can be expected to result in increased conservation action if the content of inter- actions is improved and funding and legal limitations are resolved. In Romania, such social variables are more consequential for the network functioning resulting in a hierarchical, non- inclusive system of conservation planning, continuous institutional reforms, and reduced col- laboration. Improvements can be expected, however, as the adjustments to the EU institutional structures and the participatory conservation governance systems mature in Romania. Foster- ing cross-border collaboration through new calls for project proposals from the state and the PLOS ONE Social network analysis and the implications for Pontocaspian biodiversity conservation in Romania and Ukraine PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221833 October 23, 2020 15 / 20