Advancing the Species Conservation Agenda An overview of the IUCN SSC Network 2009 – 2012 Cover: Great Hammerhead ( Hammerhead Great Cover: Sphyrna mokarran Sphyrna ) photo © Karl Dietz © Karl ) photo

Specialist Groups

Stand-alone Red List Authorities

Sub-Committees

Task Forces

This publication was produced with the kind support of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhai (EAD) and the Mohamaed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ)

Species Survival Commission (SSC) Global Species Programme (GSP) Report 2009–2012

Simon N. Stuart, Jane Smart

Introduction • to monitor, evaluate and report on the effectiveness of the combined global conservation actions to mitigate We must start with a very large thank you to current and emerging threats to biodiversity. Conservation International (CI), the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), the MAVA Foundation, the Al Ain 2. SSC Vision Zoo, the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre A world that values and conserves present levels (UNEP-WCMC), the World Association of Zoos and of biodiversity. Aquariums, Chester Zoo, Bristol Zoo, and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) for providing such generous 3. SSC Goal financial assistance for the SSC Chair’s Office during The extinction crisis and massive loss of the 2009–2012 quadrennium. This has enabled Simon to biodiversity are universally adopted as a shared serve as a full-time SSC Chair, and to have a small, highly responsibility and addressed by concerted actions effective staff team in his office. We should also say at throughout the world. the outset that the SSC works to the same strategic plan and programme as the GSP in the IUCN Secretariat; 4. SSC Objectives the activities of the SSC and GSP are intentionally For the intersessional period 2009–2012 SSC, working in intertwined and mutually supportive, and so no effort is collaboration with members, other IUCN Commissions made to separate them in this report. A major highlight of and the IUCN Secretariat, will pursue the following key the quadrennium was the signing of the SSC’s first ever objectives in helping to deliver IUCN’s “One Programme” dedicated framework agreement. This was with the EAD commitment: for 2011 to 2013, and this most generous funding allows a) Status of Biodiversity us to move ahead with some important strategic priorities Observing and monitoring species with the aspiration that were previously unfunded. to remain the leading global organization monitoring

SSC Mandate, Strategic Plan and Priorities panorpoides Acisoma

During the 2009–2012 intersessional period SSC, with support from the Global Species Programme, focused on implementing its 2009–2012 Species Strategic Plan. This report discusses our accomplishments for the . © Kevin Smith . © Kevin period 2009–2012, in line with the Commission Mandate approved at the WCC4 in Barcelona, Spain.

1. Commission Mandate In the intersessional period of 2009–2012, the Species Survival Commission (SSC) will continue to play a leading role in enabling IUCN to be the world’s most authoritative voice on behalf of global biodiversity conservation and the sustainability of natural resource use. In particular, SSC and its worldwide network are uniquely placed to allow IUCN to fulfil two essential functions for the global community, namely: • to inform the world about the status and trends of global biodiversity, thus providing measures for the health of our one and only biosphere, and

1 the status and trends of the world’s biodiversity and conservation status, particularly of those most informing the world and its decision makers about its in decline, has been improved and sustained. full range of values. However, we also participated in the negotiations on b) Pressures on Biodiversity several other Aichi Targets that are very important Analysing the impact of threats to biodiversity with the for species, notably Targets 1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 13, aspiration to be a leading authority in the analysis of 14, 15, 17 and 19. It is hard to over-emphasize the factors responsible for the decline of species and their importance of the achievement in Nagoya; the CBD relative impacts. SP provides a roadmap for biodiversity conservation c) Response to Biodiversity Loss for the next decades, with clear commitments to Facilitating and undertaking action with the aspiration conserve biodiversity from almost all of the world’s to deliver solutions for halting biodiversity decline by governments. It has been followed up by the other convening, advising, facilitating and supporting key biodiversity-related conventions and several UN players in their efforts to mitigate the pressures on organizations ‘mapping’ (an exercise carried out biodiversity and to reduce the rate of species decline. by IUCN) their remits to the Aichi targets. The second important species-related achievement from Nagoya was the updated Global Strategy on Plant 5. Priorities and achievements for the 2009–2012 Conservation (GSPC), and the SSC was also heavily intersessional period engaged in the negotiations that led to its adoption. The specific working priorities of SSC are derived from and focused on the ten IUCN Global Results and We have to work in support of the Convention on grouped into 22 Key Species Results each of which has a International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), number of measurable targets to be attained by the end working closely with TRAFFIC. We participated of 2012. These Key Species Results are listed below (in actively in all of the important CITES meetings, italics), with the 2009–2012 achievements (not in italics). including COP14 (in Doha, Qatar, March 2010), and As always, what we have left out of this report is much all meetings of the Standing, Animals and Plants more than what we have included. In addition, given the Committees this year. SSC Specialist Groups way that we often work ‘behind the scenes’, for instance engaged on a number of issues in relation to CITES, in some policy fora, it is not always possible or desirable including on seahorses, sharks, chameleons, to claim attribution, so again it is necessary to downplay crocodilians, tortoises and turtles, galliformes, tigers, what has been achieved. There have, of course, been elephants and rhinos, with specific attention given a very large number of important activities carried out to Crowned Cranes from East Africa, Bottle-nosed among the SSC Specialist Groups and Sub-Committees, Dolphins in the Solomon Islands, the Humphead and in the IUCN GSP – far more than there is space Wrasse in East and Southeast Asia. Prior to COP14, to report on here. As a result, a fuller and much longer IUCN and TRAFFIC published the Analyses of report on the activities of all of the components of the Proposals to Amend the CITES Appendices, which SSC is being prepared. is the key document in terms of providing the best science to the governments to guide them in their a) Policy and Governance in regions and globally (public decisions on listing proposals. This is the ninth time sector): Species information contributed to influence that we have produced the Analyses. Since COP14, policy and governance systems with regard to the at the request of the Council of IUCN, we have been sustainable management of natural resources and conducting a review of IUCN engagement in CITES. the management of invasive species. As is widely As part of this, Council has already reaffirmed CITES known, biodiversity loss and species extinctions as a priority for the institution and a more thorough are continuing at unprecedented rates, and urgent exercise to agree full CITES engagement strategy is action is needed to ensure the resilience of nature nearing completion. Meanwhile, we have continued and to avoid catastrophic tipping points. Recovering to participate in several CITES processes, including: from such dramatic changes in biodiversity will be technical support for the workshop on Asian snakes costly. As a result, the SSC and GSP (the IUCN (April 2011), a detailed report on the application of the delegation was headed by the Director, GSP) were CITES Listing Criteria, and several meetings relating heavily engaged in the negotiations for the new to our collaboration with the CITES Secretariat on the strategic plan of the Convention on Biological MIKE (Monitoring Illegal Killing of Elephants) project Diversity (CBD). We participated in all of the long (including trying to secure funding to extend MIKE to series of meetings leading up to the 10th Conference its next phase of implementation). of the Parties (COP10) of the CBD in Nagoya, Japan, in October 2010, at which the strategic plan, The SSC also participated in COP10 the Convention including the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets was on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild adopted. Most notably, the SSC was closely involved Animals (CMS) in Bergen, Norway, November 2011. in the drafting of the ambitious Aichi Target 12 of IUCN and SSC had a high-profile at this meeting, with the CBD SP: By 2020 the extinction of known important inputs from a number of SSC Specialist threatened species has been prevented and their Groups, and the Wildlife Health Specialist Group

2 (WHSG) was named in an important decision © Mboy68-flickr crane. Crowned on disease in migratory species. On the issue of “health”, three UN organizations, WHO, FAO and OIE have been collaborating on a One Health Initiative. However, because these organizations do not encompass wildlife and ecosystem health, IUCN is now bringing in this aspect through the WHSG. This now enables us to operate at a more strategic level on wildlife health than ever before, and this is helped by funding that has allowed for the recruitment of a small staff team for the first time.

We have contributed to the work of the Ramsar Convention through the work our GSP Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Unit. This has covered the value of wetlands to livelihoods (see below) and discussions on the selection of sites of importance for the Bukit Tigapuluh forest landscape in Sumatra, with freshwater biodiversity (KBAs see also below). likely severe impacts on large mammals and other species; Chile to express concern about cliff diving in We have participated in the annual meetings of the the vicinity of an important seabird colony on Easter International Whaling Commission (IWC) Scientific Island; and Macedonia concerning major infrastructure Committee, and in 2010 we prepared an IUCN threats to Mavrovo National Park, which is the last policy statement raising concerns that the attempts source population on the Eurasian Lynx in the Balkans. to bridge the divide in the IWC were not taking sufficient notice of sound science. SSC also provided We have also had important contacts with the important inputs into the formal IUCN position on government of China concerning proposals to place the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on a barrage at the outlet of Poyang Lake, where 98% Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). We also of the world’s Siberian Cranes spend the winter. played a prominent role in the Eye on Earth Summit The government delayed the project pending further (EoE) in Abu Dhabi in December 2011. In both the studies, and IUCN (in partnership with Wetlands IPBES and EoE negotiations we have emphasized International) submitted a very thorough report on the the importance of ensuring that global biodiversity issue to the Prime Minister; we are currently awaiting monitoring systems build on existing programmes the government’s decision. We also expressed serious (notably the IUCN knowledge products), and do not concern to China about proposals to build a dam in wastefully compete with ongoing initiatives. the Yangtze National Native Fish Reserve, which could block the migratory routes of Critically Endangered b) Policy at national level: Species-based information migratory fish species. provided to IUCN members, IUCN Regional and Country Offices and partner organizations to influence We contacted the government of the Republic of national policy making. Throughout the 2009–2012 Korea concerning the reclamation of tidal mudflats quadrennium, the SSC has made interventions at Song Do and in other locations, contrary to a to address some crucially important species commitment that the government made to Ramsar conservation issues at the national level. A request COP10. The reclamation of these mudflats has been to the government of the Seychelles asking them to linked to serious declines in wetland birds along extend a planned nature reserve so that it includes the East Asian flyway (including the Spoon-billed the foraging areas of the Critically Endangered Sandpiper which is heading rapidly towards extinction). Seychelles Free-tailed Bat was successful. We also We are now carrying out an independent study, contacted governments in the following countries: engaging government agencies and other stakeholders Ukraine to draw attention to illegal mass poisoning from all parts of the region, of the issue to inform the of geese; Zimbabwe to urge actions to address a IUCN World Conservation Congress when it discusses serious escalation in rhino poaching; Costa Rica on this issue in Jeju in September 2012. marine turtle conservation; Argentina concerning draft legislation (eventually withdrawn) that could have had Other important national-level initiatives have a serious impact on wild populations of Guanaco and included a major collaboration with Brazil on red Vicuña; India concerning threats to Gangetic River listing, including a high-level Colóquio a Proteção de Dolphins if proposed dams on the Brahmaputra River Espécies Ameaçadas de Extinção held in October go ahead; New Zealand to oppose (successfully) re- 2011. In South Africa we took part in the launch of a scheduling of land to allow mining on the Corromandel ground-breaking publication: Ensuring a Future for Peninsula, the main site for the Critically Endangered South Africa’s Frogs – a Strategy for Conservation Archey’s Frog; Indonesia concerning plans to clear Research. This is a model for other countries to follow.

3 c) Red List Assessments globally: Conservation status, trends and distribution of selected taxonomic groups assessed at the global level. We signed the new ). © IUCN Red List Partnership Agreement on 21 June 2010. The Red List Partners are those organizations that have committed resources (financial and in-kind) to support the IUCN Red List, in particular the various Barons mantella biodiversity assessment projects that feed data into the Red List. The Partners are BirdLife International, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Conservation International (CI), Department of Animal and Human Biology at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, NatureServe, Royal Botanic Gardens Photo Library/Dennis Hosack Kew (RBGK), Texas A&M University, Wildscreen and Variegated Golden Frog ( Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The expansion of the Partnership is extremely good news for the as the Barometer of Life on earth. Our estimate of SSC, and a vote of confidence in the Red List. With the true cost of establishing the Barometer of Life is the new partnership, we have re-established the SSC US$60 million, including the costs of the information Red List Committee (RLC), which provides strategic systems, training, and support to national listing oversight for the Red List, and which is currently processes, and we are now working to identify donors preparing a new draft strategy for the Red List for for this ambitious sum, working in close partnership 2012 to 2020. especially with Conservation International and NatureServe. The Red list was updated nine times during the 2009–2012 quadrennium, four of these being during d) Red List Assessments at national and regional the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010. As of scales: Conservation status, trends and distribution early 2012, the Red List comprised 61,914 species, of species assessed, correctly applying the IUCN of which 865 are Extinct or Extinct in the Wild, 3,879 Regional Categories and Criteria. The Red List Index Critically Endangered, 5,689 Endangered, and 10,002 has been adopted by the United Nations as one of Vulnerable, and 9,709 are Data Deficient. The findings the indicators for the 2015 Millennium Development of this work are too extensive to summarize fairly Goal 7 on environmental sustainability. As a result, all here. Unfortunately, there have been many more countries of the world are now being asked to develop deteriorations in the Red List status of various species their own national red lists in order to measure trends than improvements. Deteriorations have been noted, in the status of their species. In order to support this for example in several species of turtles, molluscs rapidly growing need, the SSC National Red Listing and amphibians (amphibians remain one of the most Working Group, in collaboration with ZSL, convened threatened groups with an estimated 41% at risk). a meeting in London in September 2009. It was However, there have been some improvements in agreed that the SSC and GSP need to establish a status due to conservation, and the downlisting of proactive training initiative to help countries develop the Arabian Oryx from Endangered to Vulnerable in and enhance their national red listing programmes, 2011 is especially noteworthy given that the species and to develop improved means of incorporating was Extinct in the Wild less than 40 years ago. Two data from national red lists into the global IUCN species of plant also improved in status, one from Red List. This work has started with the training Corsica, the other from Sicily. New Caledonia’s programme being generously supported by the MAVA endemic reptiles were assessed for the first time Foundation. Another very important new development and a shocking 67% were found to be threatened, was the launch of a joint SSC-ZSL website on which especially by ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation information on national red lists from around the world as the nickel mining industry continues to expand, can be found – see http://www.nationalredlist.org/site. but also by the effects of invasive alien species. aspx. Many newly discovered species are proving to be threatened, for example the Siau Island Tarsier, The update of the IUCN Red List in November 2011 described in 2010 from Indonesia and classified as focused on the results of the European Red List Critically Endangered. assessments funded by the European Commission. The results reveal that in Europe at least: 44% of A major event in 2010 was the publication of a short all freshwater molluscs; 37% of all freshwater fish; paper by senior SSC authors in the Policy Forum 23% of all amphibians; 20% of selected terrestrial section of Science Magazine entitled “The Barometer molluscs; 19% of all reptiles; 15% of all dragonflies; of Life”. This paper calls for a major investment in 11 % of a selection of saproxylic beetles; 9% of all broadening the taxonomic base of the IUCN Red butterflies; and 467 of the 1805 vascular plant species List so that it can truly fulfill its enormous potential assessed are threatened.

4 e) The neglected taxa: Prominence of hitherto under- A particularly major achiever took place in September represented marine, freshwater, plants and invertebrate 2010 with the completion of the red List assessment species conservation issues increased in the global of African freshwater species. This was the conservation community. Fungi must be the most culmination of five years of work, led by the GSP neglected of all the neglected taxonomic groups in the Freshwater Biodiversity Unit (FBU), working with conservation world. However, during this quadrennium several SSC Specialist Groups. During this project, fungal conservation in SSC has had a boost, and 5,167 African freshwater species were assessed by we now have five specialist groups: Chytrids, 200 scientists. These included all known African Zygomycetes, Downy Mildews and Slime Moulds; freshwater fish, molluscs, crabs, dragonflies and Cup Fungi, Truffles and Allies; Lichens; Mushrooms, damselflies, and selected families of aquatic plants. Brackets and Puffballs; and Rusts and Smuts. A Many of the species included are of great economic historic first SSC Fungal Conservation Meeting took importance, and even the loss of a single species place in Whitby, UK, in October 2009 to plan the could have a dramatic impact on human livelihoods. activities of the new SSC fungi network. Despite this, For example, in Lake Malawi, a group of fish, known fungi remain hardly represented on the IUCN Red List, as ‘chambo’ by locals, forms an extremely important and there is much work still to be done. source of food. Of these, Oreochromis karongae, an Endangered species, has been hugely overfished, We have seen a large increase in the number of with an estimated 70 per cent reduction in the well-documented plant Red List assessments over population over the past ten years. In Lake Victoria, the quadrennium, including endemic species from a decline in water quality and the introduction of the South Africa, the Caucasus, the Eastern Arc in East Nile Perch (Lates niloticus) have caused a reduction Africa, and New Caledonia. The Cactus and Succulent in many native species over the past thirty years, Specialist Group is making very good headway with threatening traditional fisheries. This IUCN Red List their Global Cactus Assessment. The Cycad Specialist assessment studied 191 fish species in Lake Victoria Group completed its second assessment of every and found that 45 per cent are threatened or thought cycad species. We also completed the first ever Red to be extinct. Around the great lakes of Africa, fish List assessments of every species of sea-grass and provide the main source of protein and livelihoods mangrove, and are well on the way to completing for many of the continent’s poorest people. The the second assessment of every species of conifer. livelihoods of an estimated 7.5 million people in sub- Work is also underway to complete the magnolia Saharan Africa depend on inland fisheries. These assessments and include them into the Red List. new data in the Red List will be invaluable in helping A major activity has been the Sampled Red List to safeguard these fisheries, freshwater supplies Index (SRLI) project, the plant component of which and the many other associated resources. Priority is being implemented by the RBGK. Huge progress areas of highly threatened and range-restricted has been made on this during the quadrennium, with African freshwater species can now be identified. For representative samples being assessed of all the major example, in the waters of the crater-lake Barombi Mbo plant groups. Preliminary results have already been in Cameroon, 11 species of fish are highly threatened published by RBGK, and these will shortly be included and live a precarious existence as deforestation on the IUCN Red List – for the first time giving us an increases the risk of lake ‘burping’, where large levels overall picture of the status of the plant kingdom. of carbon dioxide are released from deep within the lake suffocating the fish. Without management A number of important and exciting new marine intervention these species, some of which are assessments have been completed, including on sea- important food sources, may be lost forever. Fish are snakes, lobsters, and commercial sea-cucumbers. clearly important to people, both as a source of food Work is ongoing on the cone shells and the squids, and income. But other freshwater species such as cuttlefishes, octopuses and nautiloids. Most of molluscs, dragonflies, crabs and aquatic plants also the attention, however, has been on the marine play vital roles in maintaining functioning wetlands fishes, several groups of which (including all the and these should not be ignored. In the rapids of sharks, rays and skates, groupers, wrasses, tunas, the lower reaches of the Congo River 11 species of billfishes, angelfishes, butterflyfishes, parrotfishes, mollusc, found only within a 100km stretch of water, croakers, surgeonfishes, and hagfishes and some are highly threatened due to upstream pollution. of the blennioids, and seabreams) have now been Molluscs such as these provide important functions completed. Some of the fish assessments have been including water filtration. The results of the African conducted on a regional basis, with the Mediterranean freshwater assessments are published an analyzed in and Eastern Tropical Pacific so far completed, and an outstanding IUCN publication, The Diversity of Life work is ongoing in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2011 an in Freshwaters: Underwater, Under Threat, in 2011. important paper was published in Science on the The freshwater assessments have now expanded tuna and billfish assessment showing that the level of into Asia, in part due to a very successful fundraising threat of these is strongly correlated with generation collaboration between Conservation International and length and market price. the FBU. Other important freshwater assessments

5 g) Analysis of threats to biodiversity: Impacts of major drivers of biodiversity loss analyzed and utilized to develop solutions, especially in relation to emerging ). issues. In 2009 we published Wildlife in a Changing World, a beautifully produced analysis of the 2008 Red List. This is the most recent, comprehensive global analysis to emerge from the Red List, and it covers all of the major biomes and threatening processes. We have done some more specific work on particular drivers of biodiversity loss, as indicated in the following paragraphs. Serranochromis robustus jallae

The SSC Marine Conservation Sub-Committee (MCSC) has laid the groundwork for a proposed SSC bycatch initiative. Review papers have been prepared on bycatch of both marine and freshwater fishes, and Yellow-belly Bream ( © William Darwall of marine invertebrates, all showing that this is a very serious, growing, and largely unregulated threat. It is were completed during the quadrennium: crayfishes hoped that the bycatch initiative can be fully launched (over 500 species); sturgeon (for which a shocking in the next quadrennium. The MCSC, together with 85% of species are threatened, and 63% are Critically our new Coral Specialist Group, has also focused on Endangered (some possibly already Extinct)); the disturbing evidence that the future of coral reefs and several groups from the Eastern Himalayas: is bleak unless atmospheric carbon dioxide levels dragonflies, molluscs and freshwater fishes. In general can be reduced to below 350 parts per million (ppm). this work is also impressively highlighting the links Given that the current level is approaching 400 ppm between species and people, an often neglected and rising, and that the international negotiators at this consideration. time seem unable to agree on measures that would stabilize the level even at 450 ppm, it is clear that The zoological side of the SRLI project is run by ZSL, we are heading to a catastrophe which could wipe and among others they have completed assessments out an entire marine ecosystem, with untold impacts of random samples of 1,500 dragonfly species and in terms of species extinctions, and serious loss of 1,500 reptile species. ZSL is also working on SRLI human livelihoods. The practical response to this samples of butterflies, and has also driven some threat is proving elusive, but the SSC will continue to comprehensive assessments of various invertebrate collaborate with others to explore options for increasing groups. ZSL convened the Foundations of Biodiversity the resilience of corals, at least in local situations, in conference in February 2010, focusing attention on all order to buy more time in the hope that the international neglected groups of animals, fungi and plants. negotiations will deliver much-needed results. f) Population level monitoring: Trends and distribution The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) has of selected species assessed at population level. continued to be very active, working with the Invasive Several SSC Specialist Groups have continued the Species Initiative in the GSP. The ISSG is currently important work of monitoring trends of populations of working with the Red List Unit (RLU) in the GSP to species. The longest running and most sophisticated redevelop the Global Invasive Species Database, with of these is the African Elephant Database (AED), run a particular view to integrating it more closely with the by the African Elephant Specialist Group. Plans have IUCN Red List, and to make it more useful in been completed to expand this into the African and facilitating early warning and rapid response actions in Asian Elephant Database in collaboration with the relation to invasives. The ISSG has also maintained Asian Elephant Specialist Group. Both rhino specialist the Aliens list serve (allowing enquirers to seek groups have continued to keep a close watch on rhino solutions from experts on invasive species problems population numbers, and the African Rhino Specialist that they face), published Aliens newsletter, and Group updated the population numbers for Black and featured an Invasive Species of the Week on its White Rhinos at its meeting in South Africa in March website. 2011. The Crocodile Specialist Group, in collaboration with UNEP-WCMC, developed a new database of In 2011 the SSC established a joint task force with the African crocodile population surveys. Most of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) specialist groups dealing with large animals are doing on systemic pesticides. These systemic pesticides population monitoring at least at some level, and the have been implicated in the decline of a number of possibility of building this into a more formal process groups of invertebrates, including pollinators such within SSC is being considered. as honey bees. A number of environmental groups have called for neonicotinoid pesticides to be

6 banned, but these calls have been strongly contested new SSC approach to conservation planning for by the industry. The SSC and CEM are therefore species. In this quadrennium we established a reviewing the scientific evidence in depth with a view new SSC Species Conservation Planning Sub- to determining the true environmental impacts of Committee (SCPSC) to promote the adoption and systemic pesticides. implementation of the guidelines through the SSC Specialist Groups. The work of the SCPSC is being h) Biodiversity Indicators: Status and trend of generously supported by the EAD and the Al Ain Zoo. biodiversity, and effectiveness of conservation The SSC has now adopted a new process through actions, monitored over time through selected species which we will endorse species conservation plans, indices and indicators. During the IYB the world and we now expect to see a number of new SSC- had to examine its progress against the CBD’s 2010 endorsed conservation plans appearing in coming Biodiversity Target to reduce the rate of biodiversity years. Two have already appeared, on the Critically loss. The SSC participated fully in this process Endangered Golden Mantella, a frog known from (through our involvement in the 2010 Biodiversity a single site in Madagascar, and on the Ethiopian Indicators Partnership), in particular through the Red Wolf. In both cases these plans were developed List Index (RLI). The results of all the official indicators with the local communities and, critically, endorsed of the CBD Target, including the RLI, were published by the government. The SCPSC is now starting a in 2010 in the 3rd Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO- programme for mentoring SSC Specialist Groups in 3), and summarized in an important paper published species conservations planning, and supporting the in Science entitled “Global Biodiversity: Indicators Sawfish Action Plan of the Shark Specialist Group, of Recent Declines”. The results showed that the the Asian Wild Buffalo Action Plan of the Asian rate of biodiversity loss is not slowing, while the Wild Cattle Specialist Group, the Brown Howler pressures on biodiversity are growing rapidly. But Monkey Action Plan of the Conservation Breeding most worrying of all, the rate of increase in responses (CBSG) and Primate Specialist Groups, and the to these pressures has slowed since 2002 when the Djibouti Biodiversity Action Plan (involving the IUCN Target was set. In other words, the gap between the Eastern and Southern African Regional Office and pressures and the responses is widening, and the only the Antelope and Equid Specialist Groups). The possible result of this is acceleration in biodiversity partnership between the SCPSC and CBSG is very loss and species extinctions, with growing risks to important when it comes to pushing ahead species human wellbeing – unless of course the new CBD conservation planning in the SSC, and CBSG is Strategic Plan is implemented with urgency. GBO- working with a number of components of the SSC 3 also showed the importance of IUCN knowledge to assist in this regard. Linked in some ways to the products, and of the IUCN Red List in particular, for species conservation planning process is a new the development of indicators to measure status and initiative in SSC to develop guidance for species-level trends in biodiversity. The most meaningful indicator priority setting, and the inaugural workshop for this of the benefits of biodiversity to people, for instance, process took place in Caracas in September 2011. the ‘food and medicine indicator’ is based on the IUCN Red List. The Re-introduction Specialist Group remained very active advising and guiding re-introduction projects During CBD COP10, a major paper was published in worldwide. Notably, the second and third editions Science “The Impact of Conservation on the Status of the excellent series, Global Re-introduction of the World’s Vertebrates”. The SSC and GSP led Perspectives, were published in 2010 and 2012 on this paper, which had 175 authors. The headline respectively. This second issue contained 72 case- message of the paper was that, although the status studies and the third issue had 50 case-studies. These of biodiversity continues to deteriorate, focused include re-introduction projects for invertebrates, conservation efforts do work and have a measurable fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and effect on the RLI globally. Conservation now needs to plants. The joint work of Re-introduction and Invasive be scaled up! We are working on developing improved Species Specialist Groups to revise the IUCN Re- methods for measuring the impact of conservation introduction Guidelines and Policy Statement on the on species, and hope to publish these in the next Translocation of Living Organisms has been a major quadrennium. activity this quadrennium and it is hoped that this work will be completed for the end of 2012. This work i) Species Conservation Strategies, Action Plans and has been generously funded by Al Ain Zoo. The new Tools: Conservation action for species improved Re-introduction Guidelines will, among others things, through application of IUCN species specific develop IUCN policy on options to address climate conservation strategies and action plans and change, including difficult topics such as assisted other relevant tools. In the last quadrennium, the colonization. SSC Species Conservation Planning Task Force produced a very important set of guidelines, Strategic We have continued to address the amphibian Planning for Species Conservation, outlining a extinction crisis, and in the response to Resolution

7 4.017 (Stopping the Amphibian Crisis) from the IUCN the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Taman Safari World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Barcelona Indonesia, International Rhino Foundation, Indonesian in 2008, an Amphibian Mini-Summit was convened Rhino Foundation, WWF and the IUCN Asia Regional in London in August 2009. Following this meeting Office, prepared a statement on these two species we formed a new inter-institutional Amphibian which was adopted by the SSC Steering Committee Survival Alliance (ASA), and six institutions and one at its meeting in Indonesia in July 2011. On the basis individual formed the founding group and provided of this statement, we were able to meet with Vice- the necessary core funding. We are extremely grateful President Dr Boediono in October 2011 in Jakarta. The to all of them. As a result we fundraised for and then Vice President was very receptive to the six urgent appointed the ASA Director and the Chief Scientist in recommendations we gave him, and we are anxiously 2011. The priorities for the ASA are the conservation waiting to hear whether or not these proposals will of key sites for amphibians (very many of these fall be formally adopted by the government. SSC has outside protected areas), and fostering research on also been involved in many other initiatives in Asia, threatening processes, especially on the management including advising on the conservation of the Critically of the devastating fungal disease, chytridiomycosis. Endangered Delacour’s Langur in Vietnam, and on In 2011 we harmonized the SSC’s three initiatives the planned re-introduction of the Cheetah to India. on amphibians: ASA; Amphibian Ark (AArk); and the We have also participated in the Global Tiger Initiative Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG). AArk has become (GTI), which reached its culmination in November 2010 the ex situ programme of the ASA, and the ASA is now with the Global Tiger Forum in St Petersburg. This was the “host institution” of the ASG. The staff working the first time that five heads of government have come for ASA, AArk and ASG are now members of a single together to agree plans to conserve a single species. team. These changes bring about much needed The Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, convened coherence in global amphibian conservation, and as the meeting, which was also attended by the Chinese a result of this, a unified approach to fundraising and Premier Wen Jiabao. Significant momentum in tiger work planning is now been developed. As a result conservation was achieved at the meeting, and IUCN of the work of ASA, Aark and ASG, twelve national will have particular roles to play in future. and regional amphibian action plans have been or being developed, 55 threatened species protected j) Area-based conservation planning: Biodiversity in situ (including 22,000 ha of new protected areas), conservation action improved through the application conservation needs have been assessed for 2,435 of refined area-based conservation planning amphibian species, and ex-situ programmes have standards. A joint SSC-WCPA Task Force on been established for 100 threatened species. Biodiversity and Protected Areas was formed during the quadrennium. Two initial activities have been Another major conservation crisis concerns the given to the task force. The first is to carry out a rapid declines of large animals in Asia, especially study looking at how well protected areas conserve Southeast Asia. This includes most species of large biodiversity, and what the relationship is between this mammals, turtles, and freshwater fishes such as the and the IUCN management categories for protected Mekong Giant Catfish and Chinese Paddlefish; many areas. The second is to develop new criteria for of these species could go extinct unless action is identifying and designating sites of importance taken very soon. In collaboration with the Secretariat for biodiversity, and to run an expert review and and various IUCN Members, the SSC is launching a consultation process within IUCN to reach consensus new initiative to address the crisis called Action Asia. on these criteria. Criteria have already been formulated There is an especially urgent need for increased law for identifying Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), and enforcement on the ground in the places where the these will now be subject to extensive review with the most threatened species occur. We have started an aim of reaching global agreement on a new system important collaboration with the European Association (the final name might change from KBAs). Through of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA), which invited us to the generosity of the MAVA Foundation, we have join a major fundraising campaign for Action Asia, appointed a new member of staff to support the Task starting in September 2011 and running to 2013 to Force in its work on developing the “KBA” criteria. raise funds from the European zoo-going public for The task force has appointed leaders for the following the conservation of severely threatened large animals working groups: Criteria and Thresholds; Delineation; in Southeast Asia. Documentation, Validation and Endorsement; Application; and Ecosystems. Other working groups We have had a major focus on the Sumatran and might yet be formed. The consultation process started Javan Rhinos, two of the most seriously threatened with a workshop in Auckland in December 2011 at the large mammals on earth. Both of these species Society for Conservation Biology’s Annual Meeting. now appear to be extinct on the Asia mainland, or The next step will be an over-arching workshop during almost so, and so their future depends mainly on the 2012 to complete the process design and to ensure conservation of the last few populations in Indonesia. buy-in from all the major communities that we need The SSC Asian Rhino Specialist Group, working with to have behind the new IUCN standard for “KBAs”,

8 already recognized as needing to develop into an IUCN ( Mer der Coco flagship knowledge product. k) Species Information Service: A state-of-the- art Species Information Service in place, for maldivica Lodoicea managing and disseminating species information and incorporating general biodiversity, sustainable use, economic and livelihood issues. The Species Information Service (SIS) is the underlying software ). © Jean-Christophe Vie © Jean-Christophe ). for the IUCN Red List. A major advance took place in January 2012 when SIS version 2 was launched, with a dedicated back-end database ensuring data integrity and stability. The SIS now has 3,000 users worldwide. The SSC, GSP and Red List Partners, have 800 active accounts between them. This gives an idea of the scientific network that lies behind the Red List. Many further advances to the SIS are under development, including incorporating more data relating to human livelihoods. Another important advance is the new Red List map browser, released in December 2011, designed to facilitate the exploration and visualization of species distribution ranges, and to overlay them with other datasets such as protected areas. The significant advances in our software have been possible due to generous support from the MAVA Foundation and others. We have also taken concrete steps to integrate the IUCN Red List with the joint UNEP-WCMC World Database on Protected Areas.

Closely related to the improvements in the SIS, the SSC Standards and Petitions Sub-Committee (SPSC) and Red List Technical Working Group (RLTWG) have regional policies in the energy production sector. Due continued to work through a range of issues relating to lack of resources, the SSC has not been able to to the Red List, the data standards and definitions, prioritize work on this Key Species Result. The results the documentation requirements, and the implications of our analyses of the impacts of climate change on of all of this for the underlying software – the SIS. species (see (n) below) are, however, an essential Among the outputs of this work are the Guidelines basis for incorporating biodiversity considerations into for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, policies in the energy production sector. which have been updated annually by the SPSC, the most recent version being 9.0 dated September 2011. m) Biodiversity conservation and carbon off-set schemes: The RLTWG, working with the GSP, has been leading Carbon offset and carbon credit trading schemes a very important SSC-wide consultation process on used to enhance biodiversity conservation, especially revising the documentation standards for the Red for plants and other carbon fixing species. Due to lack List. The aim is to have broad consensus on the of resources, the SSC has not been able to prioritize revised standards, ready to come into force at the work on this Key Species Result. The results of our beginning of the next IUCN quadrennium. The RLTWG analyses of the impacts of climate change on species also worked on proposing changes to the Red List (see (n) below) are, however, an essential basis for peer review system, and reviewing the rules for re- incorporating biodiversity considerations into carbon assessing species. offset and carbon trading schemes.

The development of the software is taking into n) Response of species to climate change: Impacts account the future IUCN Red List of Threatened of climate change on species and the response of Ecosystems (RLE) to ensure that it will be fully species to climate change documented, analyzed integrated with the existing species Red List. The RLE and taken into account in public and private sector is being led by the CEM, with the support of the SSC, adaptation policies and practices at global and and with funding from the MAVA Foundation and the regional levels. We have continued our work to Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. develop a traits-based approach to assessing species’ vulnerability to climate change, having tested l) Biodiversity and climate change: Biodiversity the approach on birds, amphibians and corals. We considerations introduced into emerging global or expect the final details of this to be published in

9 a peer-reviewed journal before the end of 2012 in vulnerability to natural hazards influenced by sound a paper entitled “Climate change susceptibility of analyses of the relationship between species and the world’s birds, amphibians and corals”. This will human livelihoods. Due to lack of resources, the SSC become a new approach to assessing the impacts has not so far been able to prioritize work on this Key of climate change on species, in addition to climate- Species Result. envelope modeling which is already widely used. Meanwhile, we are already pioneering our new r) Human wildlife interaction: Livelihoods of people and methodology with economically valuable species in species conservation enhanced through improved the Albertine Rift region of central Africa with a view to human-wildlife interactions. Work on this area was gaining insights on how climate change might impact called for in Resolution 4.039 (Cross-Commission the livelihoods of populations dependent on wild Collaboration on Sustainable Use of Biological species. This work has been funded by the MacArthur Resources) from the WCC in Barcelona in October Foundation. 2008. In October 2009 we convened a meeting with the Chair of the IUCN Commission on Environmental, In response to IUCN Resolution 4.016 (Development Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) to plan our of climate change guidelines for IUCN Red List future work on sustainable use and human-wildlife assessments) from the WCC in Barcelona in 2008, the interactions. At this meeting it was decided that we SPSC completed interim climate change guidelines could not advance major new initiatives on both topics from the Red List in early 2010. The SPSC is working simultaneously, and so we prioritized sustainable use, on more detailed, definitive guidelines, this requires on which we already had more capacity. We expect some detailed modeling and is proceeding more a great focus on human-wildlife interactions in the slowly than we would like because of limited funding. 2013–2016 quadrennium. However, a number of SSC In 2011 we established a new SSC Climate Change Specialist Groups have continued to work in this area Task Force (CCTF), and this will guide our future work as part of their regular business. on climate change, working solely with the Climate Change Unit in the GSP. We are very grateful to WCS s) Species values for ecosystem goods and services: for their support of the CCTF. Species-related ecosystem goods and services evaluated and analyzed. In the coming year we expect o) Biodiversity and energy production: Biodiversity to devote greater efforts to examining the links considerations introduced into emerging global or between species and human well-being. In the race regional policies in the energy production sector between conservation and development it is very (especially biofuels). Due to lack of resources, the clear that we need to identify and raise awareness SSC has not been able to prioritize work on this Key of the importance of species to people’s livelihoods Species Result. We did, however, nominate experts and to national economies. In an effort to assist to sit on the “Independent Advisory Panel on the this process for wetlands we have developed “An “Remediation and Rehabilitation of Biodiversity and Integrated Wetland Assessment Toolkit” which Habitats of Oil Spill Sites in the Niger Delta” and provides a methodology and case studies to participated in the IUCN-Shell Biofuels Workshop held determine the full value of a wetland in terms of in Switzerland in 2011. Additionally we make Red List its biodiversity, economic value, and importance data available to help guide the work of the energy to peoples’ livelihoods, thus filling an important production sector (see (u) below). Our other link to this methodological gap. works comes from the development of conservation planning tools such as the KBA standard to inform t) Biodiversity and food production: Biodiversity decision-making regarding where, for instance, to considerations introduced into emerging policies in develop oil palm plantations in a way that minimizes the food production sector (agriculture, fisheries, the destruction of biodiversity. and aquaculture). Due to lack of resources, the SSC has not so far been able to prioritize work on p) Biodiversity and development strategies: Biodiversity this Key Species Result. However, the SSC Marine and livelihoods considerations fully reflected in Conservation Sub-Committee (MCSC) is in the development strategies and policies (such as the process of developing new programmes of work, one Precautionary Principles, aid agency policies, National on engagement with Regional Fisheries Management Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans and Poverty Organizations (RFMOs), and one on bycatch, and Reduction Strategies). Due to lack of resources, the these will be relevant to the fisheries and aquaculture SSC has not been able to prioritize work on this Key sectors. A number of SSC Specialist Groups, Species Result. However, work on a number of other including the Shark, Group and Wrasse, and Tuna Key Species Results is relevant here, for example (b) and Billfish Specialist Groups, continue to engage to above and (s) below. fisheries policy issues to help ensure sustainability, and eliminate threats from bycatch. Also, the SSC- q) Vulnerability to natural hazards: Regional and national CEM Task Force on Systemic Pesticides (see (g) environmental management strategies to reduce above) will probably engage with the agriculture

10 sector in the 2013–2016 quadrennium. We also have collaboration with China in improving conservation an active SSC Crop Wild Relatives Specialist Group hunting, and a new process to develop new SSC carrying out work that is critical to the future of food guidelines on trophy hunting for conservation. The security, and this we be a growing priority for IUCN in Plant Conservation Sub-Committee (PCSC) has been the next quadrennium. prioritizing species groups of high economic value for Red List assessments (including timber trees, u) Species information for private sector: Species medicinal plants and crop wild relatives). information contributed to reduce the negative impacts and strengthen the benefits of offsets in industries Governance and, where relevant, their products on biodiversity, 6. The SSC has continued to enjoy strong governance as and to the development of biodiversity strategies in follows: the private sector. In June 2010, IUCN formally joined the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) a) Participation on Council by the SSC Chair. Simon Partnership, together with BirdLife International, CI Stuart attended all Council meetings in the 2009–2012 and UNEP-WCMC. IBAT bring the IUCN Red List, intersessional period and served on the Programme the World Database on Protected Areas, Important and Policy Committee, and the Climate Change and Bird Areas, and Key Biodiversity Areas into a single IPBES Working Groups. His performance as Chair was online tool. The specific website “IBAT for Business” appraised by the President (as per Regulation 78.c). supports the private sector, development banks and As part of his duties he undertook a strategic analysis others in making sound decisions that take full regard of the evolution of IUCN’s budget since 2000 in order of the available conservation-related data. We have to gain insights as to the types of information that the done a lot of work to put IBAT on a secure financial Council requires in order to discharge its oversight footing through subscriptions from corporations, and responsibilities with regard to the budget, specifically this is progressing well. We are also very grateful to to ensure that investments are made to deliver the the MacArthur Foundation for providing much-valued highest priority results in the IUCN Programme. He bridging funds to support IBAT for 2011–2012 while also developed a paper for the May 2011 Council adequate subscription income becomes available. In meeting to start the process for preparing the World addition to the IBAT Partnership, we have also worked Species Congress in 2015 (as per Resolution 4.019 directly with a number of businesses on the provision (World Species Congress)). This paper was accepted of species information to support their decision-making. by Council, and the Director General has since written to all IUCN State Members inviting expressions of v) Use of wild living resources: Sustainable harvest interest in hosting the Congress. and trade of wild living resources are promoted and b) SSC Steering Committee. The regionally balanced adopted through cooperation with relevant parts Steering Committee consisted of 21 global leaders of the private and public sector. As mentioned in (r) in the species conservation community, with seven above, in response to Resolution 4.039 we convened, institutional observers from major conservation together with the Chair of CEESP, a workshop in organizations. The SSC Steering Committee met October 2009 to plan our future work on sustainable five times during the quadrennium: Switzerland use. At this meeting it was agreed that the SSC’s (June 2009), Venezuela (January 2010), Switzerland existing Sustainable Use Specialist Group (SUSG) (December 2010), Indonesia (July 2011), and Abu would form the basis for a SSC/CEESP group (the Dhabi (February 2012). In addition to its regular work final name of which will be agreed in 2012). We have of governing the Commission, the Steering Committee devoted significant energies to securing core funding conducted a performance appraisal of the SSC for the new “SUSG”, and we are most grateful to EAD Chair in 2011, and also led the process to receive for their generous support which has allowed us to nominations from SSC members for the position of proceed with a recruitment process for the new Chair, SSC Chair in the 2013–2016 IUCN quadrennium. The who was appointed in December 2011. Already, we SSC Deputy Chair has handled these activities with are very excited to see our sustainable use activities great discretion and professionalism. picking up speed, and to see this happen as a CESP/ c) SSC Sub-Committees. The SSC has operated seven SSC collaboration. sub-committees to address major areas of work that are too large to be managed by the Steering The SSC of course remains very active on sustainable Committee on its own. The Freshwater, Invertebrate, use issues through a number of its Specialist Groups, Marine and Plant Conservation Sub-Committees have such as the South American Camelid and Crocodile each met three times. They represent the interests SGs. One particular initiative with which we have of their respective components of the SSC Network, been involved with is being led by Rich Harris of help to prioritize their work and improve their strategic the Caprinae SG on conservation hunting in China, engagement with SSC and other parts of IUCN. The in close collaboration the Chinese State Forestry Species Conservation Planning Sub-Committee is Administration. From this a number of new initiatives assisting the SSC Specialist Groups to move beyond are expected to flow, including a more in-depth Red Listing to plan for species conservation (see

11 (MBZ), the second ever SSC Chairs’ meeting is being held in Abu Dhabi in February 2012. About 260 SSC leaders will be present, including all SG and TF Chairs and Stand-alone RLA Focal Points, all SSC Steering Committee and Sub-committee members, many GSP staff, senior managers from IUCN headquarters, all IUCN regional offices, all Red List Partners, and representatives of all of the other IUCN Commissions. ). © Daniel WS Challender This is an unprecedented opportunity to plan for the 2013–2016 quadrennium and for the World Species Congress, as well as forging new alliances within SSC,

Manis javanica and between SSC and other parts of IUCN. f) SSC Awards. The SSC’s highest honour, the Peter Scott Award for Conservation Merit, was given to five people during the quadrennium: Raoul du Toit for this pioneering work on the conservation of both rhinos Sunda Pangolin ( in Zimbabwe; Sue Mainka for her work on conserving the Giant Panda, leading the IUCN Species (i) above). The Red List Committee oversees the Programme, and encouraging conservationists in strategic development of the IUCN Red List, and the Asia; and other recipients to be announced at the SSC Standards and Petitions Sub-Committee acts as Chairs’ Meeting in late February 2012. We established the independent “supreme court” over the Red List, the new George Rabb Award for Conservation handling petitions against listing, and maintaining the Innovation, generously funded by former SSC Red List Guidelines. Chair George Rabb himself. The first two recipients d) Specialist Groups, Red List Authorities and Task will be announced at the SSC Chairs’ Meeting in Forces. The SSC currently has 105 Specialist Groups late February 2012. The Harry Messel Award for (SGs). Most of these have a taxonomic focus, but Conservation Leadership was given to six people five are disciplinary: Conservation Breeding; Invasive to be announced at the SSC Chairs’ Meeting in late Species; Reintroductions; Sustainable Use; and February 2012. The SSC Chairs Citation of Excellence Wildlife Health. There are 17 Stand-alone Red List was given to 14 people to be announced at the SSC Authorities (RLAs), and a further 71 RLAs within Chairs’ Meeting in late February 2012. SGs. The SSC also has three Task Forces: one of g) Recognizing SSC Members. In addition to the Biodiversity and Protected Areas shared with WCPA; awards mentioned above, the Steering Committee one on Systemic Pesticides (shared with CEM); felt that we are not recognizing long-serving, hard- and one Climate Change (CCTF). We established working SSC members appropriately. Accordingly, 15 new groups during the quadrennium: Anolid we decided to re-establish the SSC Roll of Honour, Lizards; Aquatic Plants; Australasian Marsupials which includes a very limited number of people who and Monotremes; Boas and Pythons; Brazil Plants; have made extraordinary leadership contributions to Bumblebees; Bustards; Butterflies; Carnivorous the Commission. The Roll previously included HRH Plants; Grasshoppers; New World Marsupials; Prince Bernhard, Lieut. Col. C.L. Boyle, Richard Fitter, Pangolins; Small Mammals; Vipers; and Vultures. Maisie Fitter, Kai Curry-Lindahl, Boonsong Lekagul, During the quadrennium we had leadership transitions Ian Grimwood, Grenville Lucas, and Alexey Yablokov. in 12 groups: African Rhinos; Arabian Plants; Bison; The new members of the Roll of Honour agreed by Conservation Breeding; Dragonflies; Flamingos; Steering Committee are: Sir Peter Scott; George Marine Invertebrates RLA; Otters; Peccaries; Pelicans; Rabb; Ralph Daly; Lee Talbot; and Hal Coolidge. Polar Bears; and Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles. We are also establishing a new category of SSC In the case of the Flamingo and Otter Specialist Distinguished Service Members (DSM), and we are Groups, the transitions were sadly necessitated by currently going through a very large task to identify the deaths of the incumbent chairs. In early 2011 we all those who have served the SSC in important signed a new agreement with Wetlands International roles over the last 30 years, in order to identify (WI) governing the 13 SGs shared between SSC and DSM candidates. We hope to make these DSM WI, and broadening the collaboration more generally appointments before the end of the quadrennium. between the two organizations. The great mass of work carried out by the SSC is done by the SGs, Communications RLAs and TFs – too much to be reported on here. The 7. We have enjoyed some very successful publicity number of SSC members is constantly changing, but during the quadrennium. Almost all of our Red at the end of 2011 it stood at around 8,000. List update launches have been accompanied by e) Second SSC Chairs’ Meeting. Thanks to the significant media coverage. This was especially the extraordinary generosity of the EAD and the case during CBD COP10 when a Red List launch took Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund place simultaneously with the release of our Science

12 paper “The Impact of Conservation on the Status quadrennium was the signing of a new framework of the World’s Vertebrates” (see (h) above). We also agreement between the SSC and the EAD which gained important public profile with a number of other provides extremely generous and much-needed media releases, for example when we ran a story funding support for key aspects of our work, notably in February 2011 provided by the SSC Lagomorph the SUSG, Red List training, Red List assessments Specialist Group to mark the start of the Chinese Year in the West Asian region, developing links between of the Rabbit. the Red List and the GISD, assistance to Specialist Groups in Species Conservation Planning, developing Our most prominent contribution to raising the profile criteria for “KBAs”, developing Action Asia, and of the IYB was Species of the Day, implemented completing the Red List assessments of cacti, with the support of UNEP and Wildscreen. We had conifers and magnolias. a different species account for every day of 2010, each with text, a photograph and a map. Species of The other major highlight was the establishment of the Day was placed on the IUCN Red List website, the Save Our Species (SOS) Fund, supported to the and generated enormous interest among the public, tune of US$10 million by the Global Environment with over 600 other websites and blogs linked to Facility (GEF) and the World Bank, with the first it, and now over 7,000 followers on Twitter. From matching funding so far raised from Nokia and the 2011 onwards we have continued these popular French Government. The SOS Secretariat has been species account on a weekly basis, called Amazing established in the GSP, and an SSC SOS Working Species. We also developed a partnership with Collin Group is advising the SOS Donor Council on funding Bartholomew publishers to produce a beautiful book, priorities and is screening funding applications. The based on almost all of the 2010 Species of the Day first public call for SOS proposals was issued in profiles. The book, Species on the Edge of Survival, July 2011 for conservation projects on amphibians, appeared in bookshops in September 2011. The IUCN threatened large animals in Asia and Africa, and Red List website continues to enjoy a very high visitor Critically Endangered birds. Over 400 proposals were rate, which has been climbing to about 15,000 unique received, of which 23 were eventually funded. visitors per day, with occasional peaks of nearly 30,000. This is probably IUCN’s most visible window We have also had extremely generous financial to the outside world, the visitor rate to the Red List support from numerous other supporters, including website being much higher than to the main IUCN the MAVA Foundation, CI, the European Commission, website itself. With the generous support of Rolex, we the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the US are now developing a popular interface for the Red State Department, the MacArthur Foundation, the List website. We have undertaken a major upgrade Government of France, Rolex and numerous others, and improvement of the species pages on the IUCN as well as the support to the SSC Chairs’ Office (see website, and this went live in February 2012, with Introduction), and the essential in-kind support from greatly improved presentation and navigation. the Red List Partners.

Finances and Fundraising Acknowledgements 8. The SSC Commission Operations Fund (COF) 9. It is impossible to thank by name here all of the many is insufficient for the governance needs of the people and institutions who have made it possible for Commission and the Office of the SSC Chair. SSC the SSC and GSP to function so well this quadrennium. COF has decreased from CHF 297,000 to 268,000 We have had enormous support from many quarters, per annum over this intersessional period due to the and we are most grateful for all of it, especially the overall decrease in core funding available to IUCN. thousands of SSC members who give their time free Likewise, the core funds allocated to the GSP do not of charge, and our many wonderful donors. However, cover even the core functions of maintaining the Red we close by thanking the EAD’s Director General, List standards, producing the annual Red List, or Ms Razan Khalifa Al-Mubarak for her extraordinarily providing the necessary support to the Commission, generous support of the SSC. We would also like to and have decreased from over CHF 1,000,000 per name Jon Paul Rodríguez, Frédéric Launay, Russ annum to less than CHF 800,000 per annum. External Mittermeier, George Rabb, and Jean-Christophe Vié as donor funds for the programmatic contribution of the outstanding colleagues. We thank all of the GSP staff, SSC must therefore be raised from external sources. too numerous to mention, and the excellent staff in the SSC Chair’s Office: Mike Hoffmann (Senior Scientific We have been successful increasing significantly Officer); Rachel Roberts (Executive Assistant); Jeremy the project funding available to the SSC and GSP. Harris (Development Director); Katharine Holmes As mentioned in the Introduction, the highlight of the (intern); and Jennifer Luedtke (intern).

13 African Elephant Specialist Group

Chair: Dr. Holly T. Dublin [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Diane Skinner [email protected] Our Secretariat is based in Nairobi, Kenya at the IUCN ESARO office. Holly is a Senior Conservationist with WCS, temporarily seconded to PPR Home, a large corporate sustainability initiative. Diane Skinner has been the AfESG Programme Officer for three years and Cecily Nyaga, our Administrative Officer, for almost a decade. The group has 54 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals 2011 was a productive year. • Ongoing collaboration with • Revitalizing the human- The AfESG Secretariat: MIKE and ETIS – in elephant conflict group. • Continued work on the new particular, preparing the first African and Asian Elephant comprehensive overview of • Work with the IUCN Africa Database (AAED). the entire ivory supply chain regional offices supporting for CITES. the CBD programme of work • Finalized publication of an on protected areas. elephant meat study in • The launch of the AAED Central Africa. online platform. • Revamping our website and bringing the African Elephant • Represented IUCN at the • Publication of 50 issues of Library fully online. joint meeting of the CBD Pachyderm since 1983. Liaison Group on Bushmeat • Providing technical and the CITES Central Africa • Collaborating with information to support Bushmeat Working Group. consumer, transiting and decision-making at national, producing nations on the sub-regional and international • Contributed to the 61st ivory flows initiative. levels. meeting of the Standing Committee to CITES. • Finding innovative ways to Challenges engage the Membership with • Provided support to CITES Habitat loss & fragmentation; the Secretariat and each and IUCN for the third phase human-elephant conflict; other. of CITES MIKE. poaching; negative impacts of animals on their habitats. • Secured funding for the Secretariat for 2012. Other challenges are:

• Sadly, lost member Awo • Red List assessment. Nandjui. Appointed ten new • Multiple-species question. members to the Group. • Need for an ‘early warning’ system for illegal killing. • Tracked an increasing • Providing strategic advice concern over elephant on west and central Africa. poaching and the illegal • Funding. trade in ivory.

14 BBBBB

African Rhino Specialist Group

Chair: Dr Michael Knight [email protected] Co-Chair: Mr Benson Okita-Ouma [email protected] Scientific Officer: Dr Richard Emslie [email protected] Michael is affiliated with South African National Parks, South Africa. Ben is with Kenya Wildlife Service, Nairobi and Richard is a private consultant (Ecoscot) in South Africa.

The group has 33 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Provided information at 61st • Establishment of Int’l • Reduce black market value CITES Standing Committee. Working Group for CITES. and demand for rhino horn.

• Participated in inaugural • Continental numbers of • Reduce illegal killing of meeting of Rhino Working white and black rhinos up. rhinos below current levels. Group being set up at SC61. • Red List entries updated. • Encourage the value & • Organised the biennial expansion of rhino numbers AfRSG meeting. • Provision of evidence in and their range. poaching cases, yielding • Updated continental record high sentencing. • Evaluate alternative numbers of white and black strategies to sustainably rhinos. • More cohesion in South secure rhinos into the future. African private rhino owners. • Reviewed the Red List • Increase international entries for all African rhino. • Compatible plans being sharing of information to developed for range states. reduce illegal trade in horn. • Assisted development of strategic rhino conservation • Increase the international plans for Botswana, Kenya, Challenges status of rhino crimes. Zimbabwe and South Africa. • Unprecedented high black • Need for strong, consistent • Provided assistance and market value in horn fuelling penalties for rhino crimes. advice to nations & NGOs. rocketing poaching increase. • Promote the use of a • Participated in the Coalition • Need for greater int’l central DNA rhino database. against Wildlife Trafficking cooperation & awareness in (CAWT) meeting on rhinos. fighting trafficking of horn.

• Minimised illegal rhino • Increased rhino protection Insert related activities. costs yielding reduction in value & demand shrinkage. picture of • More cohesion with South species African private rhino owners. • Objectivity in assessing alternative strategies to • Co-edited Pachyderm. sustainable conservation.

15 Afrotheria Specialist Group

Chair: Galen B. Rathbun [email protected] I am based at the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. PJ Stephenson is the Newsletter Editor and is based at WWF International in Gland, Switzerland. The group has 33 specialists in 13 countries worldwide, including coordinators for hyraxes, aardvark, tenrecs, golden moles, and sengis or elephant-shrews. See www.afrotheria.net for details.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Supported efforts to protect • Discovery of a new species Our goals to conserve the 5 habitat of Juliana's golden of giant sengi (see lower afrothere groups and habitat mole in South Africa. right image). have not changed since our start in 2001: • Encouraged forest • Supported successful conservation in the funding of important • To provide sound scientific Udzungwa Mountains of taxonomic study of golden advice to conservationists, Tanzania, home to a newly moles. governments, and other described sengi. interested groups. • Developed and maintained • Endorsed successful a popular web site and • To raise public awareness. funding of field work from the newsletter. Chicago Zoological Society. • To develop research and • Produced a popular article conservation programmes. • Sponsored and participated on tenrecs. in a symposium on • When the above goals are Afrotheria in Swaziland. met, broader IUCN Challenges conservation objectives will • Raised awareness of the be advanced. need to protect afrotheres • Continue to increase and their forest habitats in awareness of the little known NE coastal Kenya. smaller afrotheres.

• Produced the yearly issue • Develop support among of “Afrotherian specialists and conservation Conservation”, the specialist organizations to assemble a group's newsletter. comprehensive conservation Insert plan for the Red Listed smaller afrotheres. picture of species

16 Amphibian Specialist Group

Co-Chairs: Dr. Jim Collins [email protected] Dr. Claude Gascon [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Dr. Ariadne Angulo [email protected] Maintaining a central hub in the USA supported by several organisations including the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Global Wildlife Conservation and Conservation International, the ASG consists of over 700 members operating in more than 40 countries.

Visit www.amphibians.org for more information.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Worked with local partners • The Search for Lost Frogs, • Continue with the creation to establish 14 new a campaign spearheaded by and implementation of protected areas covering the ASG, dispatched 33 National and Regional Action 22,000 hectares and home expeditions and 126 Plans. to 55 threatened or endemic researchers in 21 countries species, in three Continents. to find some of the world’s • Further our partnership rarest amphibians – some with the Amphibian Survival • ASG Seed Grants to not seen this century. Over Alliance to amplify our projects in six countries. 15 species rediscoveries conservation impact. have been made to date, • Training courses run in generating 650 news articles • Develop more efficient Colombia and Haiti. in 20 Countries and over a lines of communication with billion potential viewers. our members to improve • Partnered with colleagues regional support. in India and Colombia to launch the Lost! Amphibians • Expand the Seed Grant of India and Lost Frogs of program. Colombia campaigns. Challenges • Habitat loss impacts 90% • Obtain funds to update the • Partnered with Save our of threatened amphibian amphibian assessment Species & Nokia to create species but organizations fail database by 2014. the first IUCN app – the to include amphibians in Fantastic World of Frogs. conservation planning. Bornean Rainbow Toad Ansonia latidisca , a species that had not been seen since the 1920’s, rediscovered • 12 National & Regional • Knowledge of during the Action Plans were created Chytridiomycosis has Search for Lost Frogs. and implemented. improved, but the disease cannot yet be mitigated in • A suite of communication the wild. tools launched or updated. • Red List requirements and • 53 assessments published limited resources inhibit on the Red List. (re)assessments of species.

17

Anoline Lizard Specialist Group

Co-Chairs: D. Luke Mahler [email protected] María del Rosario Castañeda [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Gregory Mayer [email protected] We are based in the United States and work throughout the New World tropics. We are affiliated with the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University (USA), the University of California at Davis (USA), the Smithsonian Institution (USA), and the University of Wisconsin at Parkside (USA).

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • We are a brand new The establishment of group • Conduct IUCN Red List Specialist Group, proposed, Steering Committee and assessments for all anoline approved and inaugurated in initial membership with good lizards (fewer than 25% have 2011. representation across been assessed). expertise and geographic • Steering Committee fields means we are ready • Develop species established including broad for action! conservation strategies for expertise in Anolis spp. threatened and near biology and reptile threatened anoline lizards. conservation. Work with governments and NGOs to implement these. • Selected inaugural members representing all • Solicit funding and/or major lineages and regions sponsorship for anoline of occurrence of anoline lizard conservation activities. lizards. • Raise awareness of Challenges anoline lizard conservation • The biggest conservation issues with (1) the public, (2) challenges are habitat conservation organizations, destruction, invasive (3) international regulatory species, rapidly changing bodies (e.g., CITES). climate, high demand from the pet trade and wide species distribution

• Lack of recognition that these species are threatened.

• Lack of understanding of the importance of anoles within communities. 18 Anteater, Sloth and Armadillo Specialist Group

Chair: Mariella Superina, [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Agustín M. Abba, [email protected]

Mariella Superina is based in Mendoza, Argentina and works with armadillos. She is affiliated with IMBECU, CCT CONICET Mendoza, Argentina. Agustín M. Abba is based in La Plata, Argentina and studies armadillos. He is affiliated with Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, CONICET, Argentina The group has 20 members. 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • We concluded and • We have been dedicated to • Hold regional workshops to published the latest Red List the conservation of develop a Sloth Action Plan. Assessment of all Xenarthra. xenarthrans for 30 years. • Initiate Action Plans for • We identified Xenarthra • Our newsletter Edentata, anteaters and armadillos. specialists in most range initiated in 1994, is sent to countries to involve them in nearly 400 readers. • Collaborate with national Specialist Group activities. and regional Red List • Our website assessments of xenarthrans • We initiated development www.xenarthrans.org, in different range countries. of a Sloth Action Plan. available in 3 languages, is widely used as a reference. • Support the development • We published a new issue and implementation of of our newsletter Edentata. • For the first time, our regional and local policies for Specialist Group will develop conservation of xenarthrans. • We translated our website action plans for xenarthrans. into Spanish and Portuguese • Organize Group activities and use social media to Challenges within scientific meetings. improve communication with researchers and the public. • Many species are still • Obtain funding for the insufficiently known to Xenarthra Conservation • We were co-organizers of realistically assess their Fund, for field conservation. the First International conservation status. Symposium on Sloth Conservation. • The regional conservation status of several species • We presented our Group’s may be more critical than work at national and their international status. international congresses. • Laws protecting • We act as consultants to xenarthrans exist in many governmental and non- range countries, but are not governmental organizations. always enforced.

19 Antelope Specialist Group

Co-Chairs: Philippe Chardonnet [email protected] David Mallon [email protected] RLA: David Mallon Philippe Chardonnet is based in Paris, France and is Director of IGF (International Foundation for Wildlife Management). David Mallon David Mallon is Associate Lecturer in the Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

The group has 75 members. Philippe Chardonnet 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Co-organised with ZSL the • Arabian Oryx downlisted to • Coordinate work on key first global antelope Vulnerable. species and key antelope symposium in London, areas. November 2011. • Hirola conservation strategy workshop held by • Develop strategic plans for • Established African Buffalo Kenya Wildlife Service. all key species. Interest Group within Antelope Specialist Group • Giant sable successfully • Make regular updates of (ASG). translocated. Red List assessments.

• Published two issues of • Goitered gazelles released • Update the country profiles Gnusletter. in two areas of former range and the African Antelope in Azerbaijan. Database 1998. • Produced ASG data resource CD. • Improved knowledge of the Sahelo-saharan antelopes. • Liaised with CITES and CMS on antelope issues. Challenges

• Worked on key species • Challenges for antelopes: and key areas for antelopes. Continuing population declines in most species • Updated species files and (except in private Protected Red List assessments. Areas, i.e. wildlife ranches, and a few public PAs), loss • Submitted a proposal and degradation of habitat, (accepted) for an event on increasing fragmentation due Insert “resilience of antelopes” at to growing human population the 2012 IUCN World and associated resource picture of Conservation Congress. needs and overharvesting. species

• Challenges for the group:

Lack of funds. Wild free-ranging Central African Giant Eland

20 Arctic Plant Specialist Group Chair: Stephen Talbot [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Mora Aronsson [email protected] The Arctic Plants SG functions in a dual role as both IUCN SG and Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Flora Group (CFG), an 8 nation intergovernmental botanical working group under the Arctic Council. We focus on botanical issues dealing with species and ecosystems in circumpolar Arctic and boreal regions. The CAFF International Secretariat is based in Akureyri, Iceland; the CFG chair works for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Anchorage, Alaska), the lead CAFF agency for the United States. The flora group is comprised of 13 international members. 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Held international • Initiated development of an • Produce Circumboreal Conservation of Arctic Flora Arctic Plant Portal for Arctic Vegetation Map (CBVM) to and Fauna (CAFF) XIII plants. provide a common legend workshop on rare Arctic and language for boreal plants and Circumboreal • Published a Circumboreal ecosystems; identify and map Vegetation Mapping (CBVM) Vegetation Mapping regions of diversity, rareness, in Iceland. (CBVM) Concept Paper and value. The CBVM will (CAFF Proceedings Series provide a framework for • Monitored GLORIA (Global Report No. 3). conservation of boreal Observation Research biodiversity. Initiative in Alpine • Published an International Environments) sites in Arctic Vegetation Database • Produce International Arctic Selawik National Wildlife (IAVD) Concept Paper Vegetation Database (IAVD), Refuge, Alaska; two other (CAFF Proceedings Series a panarctic ecological CAFF Arctic States joined the Report No. 5). information system for GLORIA effort: Iceland and research, nature Faroe Islands. Vegetation and conservation, education, and temperature data collected at Challenges policy making. GLORIA sites will be used to discern trends in species • Immensity of the Arctic and • Greater cooperation with diversity and assess and Boreal regions. IUCN, communicating IUCN predict losses in biodiversity concerns to CAFF and Senior and other threats to fragile • Paucity of information on Arctic Officials. alpine ecosystems under rare plant distribution in the Arctic. accelerating climate change pressures. • High cost of data

acquisition. Insert pictu • Vladivostok 2012 Workshop: East Asian Flora and its Role • Rapidly changing northern re of in the Formation of the ecosystems. World’s Vegetation (special species session on the CBVM) • Funding for the CBVM and IAVD. www.geobotanica.ru/symposium

21 Asian Elephant Specialist Group

Co-Chairs: Ajay Desai [email protected] Simon Hedges [email protected]

RLA: Simon Hedges We are based in India (Desai) and the UK (Hedges) and both work Ajay Desai throughout Asia. Desai is an independent consultant but works frequently with WWF; Hedges works for the US-based Wildlife Conservation Society. The group has 92 members. Simon Hedges 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Continued to publish our • Began workshop • Complete IUCN Asian journal, Gajah. preparation to help Elephant Conservation Indonesia update its Strategy (using the new • Provided new health Elephant Action Plan. IUCN Species Conservation protocols and a bibliography Planning Guidelines). on elephant tuberculosis on • Included Asian elephant our website. data in first iteration of the • Help the Indonesian joint African/ Asian Elephant government update its • Listed Sumatran elephants Database (with AfESG). Elephant Action Plan. as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. • Identified possible donor to • Facilitate and promote the support a project officer. inclusion of additional data in • Contributed to the first joint the joint African / Asian AsESG/AfESG/MIKE/ETIS/ • Helped prepare for E:50 Elephant Database. WCMC report to the CITES (Elephant 50) Congress. Standing Committee of: • Continue to help the CITES “Status Of Elephant MIKE and ETIS Programs Populations, Levels Of Illegal Challenges and thus influence policy. Killing And The Trade In • For AsESG, the lack of any Ivory” (thus helping influence • Appoint salaried Program staff, so everything has to be policy). Officer to improve done on a voluntary basis. communication/coordination.

• Participated in the E:8 • For Asian elephants, it is: (Elephant 8) meeting (part of habitat loss, fragmentation, the preparations for the E:50 and degradation; human- or Elephant 50 Congress) in elephant conflict; illegal India (thus helping influence killing; and the genetic and policy). demographic problems faced

by small isolated • Participated in the review populations. of the CITES/ MIKE and ETIS programs (thus helping influence policy).

22 Australasian Marsupial and Monotreme Specialist Group Chair: Prof Chris Johnson [email protected] RLA Focal Point: to be confirmed

Dr. Chris Johnson is affiliated with the School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia. Dr. Clare Hawkins works in the Biodiversity Conservation Branch, Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. The group has 25 members, spread throughout Australia and New Guinea. 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The Australasian Marsupial • Work by the Australian • Review of conservation and Monotreme Specialist Wildlife Conservancy status of mammals in the Group was re-formed in (represented by two northern tropics of Australia, 2011, after a long hiatus. members of the Specialist to formally establish the Group) has established a extent of recent declines and • Members of the group work series of large reserves motivate coordinated action in government agencies across the tropical north, for recovery. responsible for species with removal of introduced management in Australia, herbivores, changed fire • Conduct continent-wide NGOs active in land regimes, and recovery of top analysis of cost- management and restoration predator (dingo) populations. effectiveness for as well as academic These changes have been prioritisation of conservation institutions. followed by recovery of action to prevent loss of mammals in some (but not marsupial and monotreme • We have not yet had a full all) sites. biodiversity. meeting, but many members from northern Australia participated in an Australian Challenges Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis • Many marsupials are in workshop on mammal rapid decline across northern declines in northern Australia. This is unexpected, Australia. This clarified because these landscapes spatial and temporal patterns are largely intact. We urgently of change, identified life- need to understand the history and ecological causes and implement correlates of decline, and effective management. narrowed the hypotheses of cause. • The decline of the Tasmanian devil may be causing declines of other species: we need to understand and manage this.

23 Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group Chair: Dr James Burton [email protected]

I am based in Oxford, UK and work in species and protected area management and population genetics. I am currently focusing on Anoa and Banteng genetics in Indonesia. I am affiliated with Earthwatch Institute.

The group has 50 expert members, from all range countries.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The Regional Conservation • Saola in the news: a story • Publish the Anoa and Strategy for Wild Cattle and about a captured Saola Banteng National Action Buffaloes in South-east Asia released by the Specialist Plans in Indonesia with in- was published in 2011. This Group through the IUCN- country partners – significant was developed with the SSC generated the biggest contributions to national participation of 11 range media response of any IUCN policies and CBD Target 2.1. states so it should influence story in 2011, thus helping to many national policies as raise saola's profile. • Continue implementation of well as contributing to CBD above plans with in-country Target 2.1. • Saola has been selected partners, including as the flagship species of environmental education for • A South Asia regional the European Association of local communities and meeting of experts provided Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) training in law enforcement recommendations on the Annual Fundraising for park rangers. ‘Status of Wild Cattle in Campaign ‘South-East Asian South Asia’. Mammals 2011-12’. • Conservation research: working with partners to gain • Capacity building on small Challenges a greater understanding of population management Asian wild cattle skills: Over 40 Indonesian • Ensuring Asian wild cattle conservation needs, e.g. conservation professionals conservation is well conservation genetics of the participated in a 4-day embedded into national Banteng. Studbook and Population biodiversity agendas; this is Management Training a good way to gain greater Workshop, CBSG, AZA, finances for their protection. EAZA. This will lead to better management of 16 species • Capacity development to in Indonesia - contributing to enhance protected area CBD Target 2.1. manager skills, to limit habitat degradation and reduce hunting. Female Banteng, Thailand © WCS

24 Bat Specialist Group

Co-Chairs: Rodrigo Medellin [email protected] Paul Racey [email protected] RLA Focal Point:Tony Hutson [email protected] Rodrigo Medellin is Senior Professor of Ecology at the Institute of Ecology, Rodrigo Medellin Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City. Paul Racey is Regius Professor of Natural History (Emeritus), University of Aberdeen and Visiting Professor at the University of Exeter in Cornwall, UK. Tony Hutson was formerly Senior Conservation Officer at the Bat Conservation Trust and is now a consultant.

Paul Racey The group has 135 members in 94 countries. 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Latin American network for • New priority areas for bat • Expand BatLife Europe & Bat Conservation extends to conservation identified in RELCOM. 14 countries. Mexico - some declared. • Initiate bat conservation • BatLife Europe launched, • Delisting of a federally where it is non-existent. trustees & members invited. endangered Mexican bat • RELCOM symposium during initiated (Leptonycteris 16th International Bat Research • Revision of Old World Fruit yerbabuanae pictured Conference in Costa Rica. Bat Action Plan gathering below). momentum. • Establish North American Bat • Supported successful Conservation Alliance. • Effects of White Nose capacity building initiatives in Syndrome (WNS - caused South (CCINSA) and South • Publish Revised Old World by fungus Geomyces East (SEABCRU) Asia. Fruit Bat Action Plan. destructans) in N. America. • Establish demonstration • Surveying for presence of projects for sustainable harvesting of bat guano and G.destructans in Europe & Challenges bats as bushmeat. raising awareness about its potential effects. • Severe depletion of populations by WNS . • Delist forest-feeding fruit bats as vermin in India’s wildlife

• Integrative approach to bat legislation. conservation being forged in • Increasing use of Old Canada, US and Mexico. World bats as bushmeat.

• Supporting Eurobats • Capacity building for bat initiative ‘Year of the Bat’ conservation in Africa, parts 2011-2012. of South Asia and all of central Asia. • Indian government ignores request to delist forest • Providing objective public feeding fruit bats as vermin. information on the role of bats as disease vectors

25

Bear Specialist Group Co-Chairs: Dave Garshelis [email protected] Bruce McLellan [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Rob Steinmetz Dave is based in USA , Bruce in Canada, Rob in Thailand. We work primarily in North America and Asia. Dave is affiliated with Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, Bruce with British Columbia Ministry of Dave Garshelis Bruce McLellan Forests and Range. Rob is with WWF-Thailand. The group has 180 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Compiled list of threats and • Increased training courses, • Finalize range maps for the conservation measures; workshops, awareness Asian bears. ranked severity of threats campaigns,and development • Conservation Action Plan and efficacy of conservation of conservation action plans. for 4 species of bears in efforts for each species of • Increased publication of India bear on each continent. articles on bear conservation • Find representatives for 7 • Critically reviewed status in our newsletter (avg. 6 per of the 65 range countries for and conservation of quarterly issue). which we do not have Eurasian bears. • Added 40 new members in members. 4 years. • Raise funds to support • Confirmed presence of more training, surveys, bears in Iraq and detected • Two members recognized research, and local presence in Syria; by national governments for conservation efforts. documented loss of 2 of 3 outstanding conservation • Enhance collaboration with species in Bangladesh and achievements. other conservation loss of last native bear in organizations and industry. Pyrenees. Challenges • Increase information flow to • Increased information on governments about status • Bears face significant bears in central Asia. and threats to bears, and challenges from commercial recommended conservation poaching, loss of forested • Formed a team of experts actions. to address burgeoning habitat, small disjunct human-bear conflicts. populations, and conflicts with people stemming from • Species and topical expert damage to crops and teams are each engaged in depredation of livestock. a conservation project of • Our biggest challenge is to their choosing. gain sufficient influence to • Designed a new logo that persuade governments and reflects diversity of bears. industry to reduce these impacts.

26 Bird Red List Authority RLA Focal Point: Stuart Butchart, BirdLife International

BirdLife International is the designated Red List Authority for birds. A global Partnership of 117 national NGOs working in over 150 countries worldwide, its global secretariat is based in Cambridge UK.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Over 150 species • Red List assessments carried out • Complete 2012 reassessed for the 2011 Red by BirdLife define the list of comprehensive Red List Critically Endangered birds and List. the actions needed for them. update, and continue to These provide the scientific basis reassess all bird species • All 10,000 bird species of BirdLife’s Preventing Extinctions every 4-5 years. currently being reassessed Programme, which is taking action for the 2012 Red List. for over 60 CR species through • Take action for as many appointing Species Guardians to implement the action, supported CR and EN species as • 2012 comprehensive by Species Champions to provide possible, supported by updated will provide 6th the resources. broader scale policy work to datapoint for Red List Index • Over 11,000 Important Bird improve the conservation for birds, feeding into several Areas – key sites for conservation status of all bird species. of the world’s birds –identified CBD 2020 targets and globally, and being monitored and UNMDG indicators. conserved by the BirdLife • Safeguard the world’s Partnership and others Important Bird Areas

• Estimate the costs of Challenges downlisting all the world’s birds to non-threatened • Climate change presents status. an increasingly important

threat that requires concerted policy action to tackle.

• Birds are perceived as well-funded, but require urgent resources for their conservation.

Taita Thrush © [email protected]

27 SG logo to go here. Size to b no taller than the IUCN logo

Bison Specialist Group Co-Chairs: Keith Aune [email protected] / Wanda Olech [email protected]

RLA Focal Points: America: Cormack Gates [email protected] / Europe: Wanda Olech Keith Aune is based in Bozeman, Montana, U.S.A. He is affiliated with the North American Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society. Wanda Olech is based in Warsaw, Poland and work for the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. She chairs the European Bison Conservation Center, and is also affiliated with the European Bison Friends Society (www.smz.waw.pl). The Bison SG (BSG) has about 64 members: 40 (American) and 24 (Europe). 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals American: American: American: • The 2010 status review and • We distributed 500 copies of our • We are developing new goals conservation guidelines was status review and conservation for the reformed American printed and distributed guidelines, which prompted many BSG following our success in throughout North America. agencies and NGO’s to implement completing the status review. • A new BSG chair was establi- restoration and recovery of the We are conducting a member shed as Dr. Cormack Gates was American bison. Site based renewal and recruitment replaced by Keith Aune. restoration projects are now process to engage new • Members of the BSG have underway in Mexico, U.S. and members and retire those who engaged in multiple bison resto- Canada. The IUCN status review and are no longer able to serve on ration projects in North America guidelines informed those species the BSG. and the species is on track conservation efforts. toward ecological recovery. European: European: • Bison restoration initiatives in • We are the most proud of new herds • Increase the population size North America are now based on of E. bison. The reintroduction and save its genetic diversity the best available science and project in the E .Carpathians is • In captive herds, improvement seek to ecologically restore this developing wonderfully. Populations of the welfare of animals. keystone herbivore to enhance of the species is increasing steadily • The return of free roaming E. the integrity of America’s and more than 80% of herds are bison to western Europe grasslands. actively involved in our conservation • Improvement of EBCC European: programme. structure. • The aim of the joint programme for wisent conservation in Europe The BSG is scheduling a (EBCC) is to preserve the gene summer meeting to identify the pool of the species and improve Challenges • The recovery of the American activities and future role of the its management. It was initiated group. and implemented in 2010. The bison is challenged by conflicting network now consists of a main legal status and confused public office and 10 regional centres. perceptions about this species. • Our annual conference in 2011 Throughout its historic range gathered more than 130 people bison are typically perceived as from the whole of Europe. an extinct ancient relic or domes- • The fourth volume of the tic livestock. This confusion European Bison Conservation hinders social and political Newsletter was released last acceptance of conservation year. efforts to restore bison as wildlife. • Continuation of reintroduction • Improving the legal status of projects (Carpathians, Russia, European bison, as well as West Poland) and new management practices especially perspectives in Denmark, in ex situ conservation. Our Germany and Spain. conservation program aims to • We have prepared an application improve the cooperation and for Life+ fund to support information exchange provided by international activities. the EBCC.

28 Boa and Python Specialist Group

Chair: Tomás Waller [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Mark Auliya [email protected] Executive Officer: Guillermo Puccio [email protected] Affiliated with Fundación Biodiversidad – Argentina and based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The group has 51 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • BPSG was established in The BPSG is very recent. • Species Action Planning. August 2011; since then Within a few months a core most of our activities were group of experts, both • Complete Red List related to its consolidation. geographically and Assessment. thematically well • Appointment of core group represented, has been • Literature database and Newsletter of members. brought together. This can

be considered a successful • Conservation-oriented • Appointment of a Red List starting point. research/action on priority taxa. Authority Focal Point. • Assess status and propose • Determination of species management solutions for included in BPSG remit. species affected by significant trade. • Development of Group's corporate image (Web Page, • Identify and address urgent Logo, etc.) and promotion. taxonomic-trade related issues.

Challenges • Monitor invasive pathways • Monitoring of Red List • Mobilisation of members & and develop innovative Assessment initiatives fundraising for projects. approaches to prevent further currently underway. expansions • Enhance conservation • Monitoring of the current status (CBD Targets 11 & processes/issues taking 12). place in relation with the significant trade in SE Asian • Ensure trade is sustainable pythons (CBD Target 4 & following Addis Abeba & 18). Malawi principles (CBD Targets 4 & 18).

• Prevention of species becoming invasive (CBD Target 9). 29 Bryophyte Specialist Group Chair & RLA Focal Point: Tomas Hallingbäck [email protected]

Based in Uppsala. I am affiliated with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Species Information Centre, responsible for the red listing of bryophytes in Sweden.

The IUCN group has 25 members worldwide

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • A pilot project on how to We are most proud of: • A conference on Bryophyte make a new Red List for the Conservation – Follow up European bryophytes has • The inclusion of on the 2010 Biodiversity been realized (towards CBD bryophytes on the European Targets, will be held in Target 2). Union Annex II (species of Budapest (Hungary) 18-21 community interest requiring April 2012. More info • A report has been delivered areas of conservation). http://eccb_bryo8.nhmus.hu/ from that project. If we are • The production of an successful in raising funding Ethical Code of collecting • A Round Table discussion we shall be able to make a and also Harvesting on how to harmonize the thorough revision of the Guidelines. Red Lists of Russia and European Bryophyte Red other countries in North List starting 2013 (towards Europe will be held in Russia CBD Target 2). in June 2012.

• The IUCN group has also • An assessment of the developed a project in South conservation status of Pacific in cooperation with Challenges species in Central America is the IUCN Oceania Red List in line and will commence as Project. • Assessment of the soon as funding is granted. conservation status of as many bryophyte species, as possible

• Increasing capacity in the resource-poor field of bryology.

• How to increase public awareness and knowledge of bryophytes, which is already low

30 Bumblebee Specialist Group Chair: Paul Williams, [email protected] Deputy Chair: Sarina Jepsen, [email protected] Programme Officer: Ed Spevak, [email protected]

We are based in the UK and the USA and we are working internationally. We are affiliated with the Natural History Museum in London, and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and Saint Louis Zoo in the USA.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The IUCN Bumblebee • The BBSG is still in the • The primary initial goal of Specialist Group (BBSG) early stages of development. this group is to accomplish a was formed during in early We hope to report on status assessment of the 2011. The group is in the successes in the near future. c.250 species of process of inviting members bumblebees worldwide using and coordinating a the Red List Categories and worldwide status Criteria assessment of bumble bees. • Once accomplished, • 11 individuals from 9 species that are considered Geographic Regions have imperiled (EW, CR, EN, VU, agreed to serve as Regional NT) can be added to nations’ Coordinators for the BBSG and states’ respective threatened and endangered • Membership lists from 5 species lists and prioritized regions have been identified for conservation action and members are currently being invited Challenges

• Historic abundance and • Focal points for red listing, distribution data is lacking for wildlife health, and trade many species have been appointed

• For many species, the • A Scientific Advisor was taxonomy has not been appointed resolved

• A Conservation Genetics • Members and Regional subcommittee was formed Coordinators are busy, and

they are being asked to • A website for this group contribute without has been developed compensation

Photo: Bombus kashmirensis © Paul Williams

31

Bustard Specialist Group Chair: Nigel Collar [email protected]

I am based in Cambridge, UK, and work at BirdLife International.

The group, which is has just very recently been revived, has no members as at January 2012.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The group was inactive in • Lack of activity in the group • Highest priority must go to 2011 and had no chairman means that it has had no the study and recovery of until the start of 2012. successes in recent years. the 2 CR and 1 EN species that occur in the Indian subcontinent (& Cambodia). • The effects of Arab hunting on Sahelian bustards are in need of study and reversal. • A model of sustainable hunting by Arab falconers urgently needs to be developed and adopted. • These goals will link into the CBD targets on reducing biodiversity loss (preventing species extinction, improving status), maintaining Challenges ecosystem integrity, promoting sustainable use, • Intensification of agriculture and mobilising financial and in Europe and Asia technical resources into less • Degradation of grasslands developed states. by increasing livestock • Other factors causing desertification • Expansion of powerlines through bustard habitats • Excessive hunting by Arab falconers and local people • Generally increasing levels of human disturbance

Buff-crested Bustard (Andy Swash)

32 Butterfly Specialist Group

Chair: Scott Hoffman Black, [email protected]

We have a thirteen member steering committee with a broad geographic distribution. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in the USA is managing this effort.

Thirteen individuals, from seven geographic regions, have agreed to serve on an initial steering committee.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The IUCN Butterfly • The BSG is just gearing up. • The next step will be for the Specialist Group (BSG) was We have had initial success steering committee to formed in late 2010. The with response to the survey develop a needs- and group has formed an initial of butterfly needs and opportunity-based plan that steering committee. identifying people who want will allow us to direct to be engaged. resources to areas with the • We have identified over greatest need and highest 150 people who are potential for our efforts to interested in being involved make a meaningful impact. in the BSG. • Develop communication • As an initial task of this strategies to ensure that all group, the Xerces Society partners are included and and several members of the engaged. now-identified steering committee developed a • We need to raise funds for survey of butterfly managing this effort and for conservation needs. projects identified through Challenges our planning. • There are over 18,000 Over 161 people from 39 species of butterflies world counties have filled out the wide and in many of areas survey. (For the full survey with the highest diversity we go to: lack basic information on http://www.xerces.org/iucn- historic abundance, ssc-butterfly-specialist- distribution and even group/) taxonomy.

• So far we have been

unable to capitalize on

funding for the coordination

of this Specialist Group.

Photo: Leona’s Little Blue @ Xerces Society

33 Cactus and Succulent Plant Specialist Group Chair: Héctor M. Hernández [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Wolfgang Stuppy HMH is based in Mexico City and works at the Instituto de Biología, National University of Mexico. Wolfgang Stuppy works for the Millenium Seed Bank, at the Royal Botanic Gadens, Kew, UK.

The group has 38 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The Global Cactus • During the last two years, • A great deal of information Assessment is virtually several group members has been produced on the concluded, although a small were engaged on the conservation status of Global proportion of the species are , an cactus species, both at Cactus Assessment still to be assessed. important project aimed at taxonomic and regional assessing the conservation • Several regional levels. The following step is status of the entire cactus workshops were organized to convert this important family. in North, Central and South body of knowledge into real America with the conservation action. participation of several group members and regional • We need to increase experts to assessed the awareness among the majority of cactus species. general public about the Bárbara Goettsch was factors affecting the survival project coordinator. of succulent plant species and the integrity of their habitat. Challenges

• The Global Cactus Assessment confirmed the critical conservation status of a significant proportion of cactus species, especially in North America. Our biggest challenge is to bring this knowledge to the attention of local governments, policy Insert makers, and the general picture of public. species

34 Canid Specialist Group

Chair: Prof. Claudio Sillero [email protected]

I am based at Tubney House and work for the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, UK. My position is funded by the Born Free Foundation

The group has 68 members. www.canids.org

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The most prolific (and • In 1995 we established the • Our priority is fine-tuning of satisfying) role of our SG Ethiopian Wolf Conservation our global network of canid has been networking people Programme, in partnership experts using a working with similar interests in canid with the Ethiopian group approach. conservation. government, the University of Oxford and donors, to • We will promote the • The most frustrating has protect the rarest of all wild formulation and been our inability to raise canids. implementation of strategic financial resources to plans for key canid species. support important projects. • Our 800+ electronic mailing list (Canids-L), website, and • We would like to see more • We completed a peer-reviewed online journal bottom-up initiatives and conservation strategy for (Canid News) have proven dynamism amongst the SG Ethiopian wolves, and to be very popular and membership. implementing a national useful. action plan for the species. • We will seek a better synergy with other carnivore • With the Cat SG we are Challenges specialist groups, to deliver developing joint regional more efficient conservation conservation strategies for • Many wild canids actions benefiting multiple African wild dogs and antagonise with human carnivore species. cheetahs. interests, often resulting in persecution. Our challenge • We have a better is to increase tolerance and understanding of the mitigate conflict. conservation needs of Saharan foxes. • Canids are susceptible to diseases. Effective • We established an vaccination approaches are Amazonian canids working needed to protect small group. populations from rabies and canine distemper.

35 Caprinae Specialist Group Chair: Marco Festa-Bianchet [email protected] Deputy chair & RLA focal point: Rich Harris [email protected] Marco is based in Québec and works in Canada, Italy and Australia. Rich is based in Montana and works on mountain ungulates and bears in North America and Asia The group has 39 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Workshop on Conservation • Conservation Trophy • Increased use of Trophy Hunting in China. Hunting of Markhor in Conservation Trophy hunting Pakistan. to maintain mountain • Assistance in workshop on ecosystems. Conservation Trophy • Policies separating Hunting in Central Asia. domestic sheep from bighorn • Better understanding of the sheep to prevent disease potential evolutionary effects • Research on disease transmission. of selective hunting. transmission from livestock to mountain ungulates. • Better understanding of the • Continued research on taxonomy of mountain population dynamics, • Research on selective ungulates. evolutionary ecology, effects of trophy hunting. taxonomy and disease prevention. • Clarifying taxonomy for conservation.

Challenges • Increasing habitat degradation and disease transmission from livestock.

• Expanding agricultural, recreational and industrial footprint in mountain ecosystems. Insert

• Habitat deterioration due to picture of global change. species

• Persisting taxonomic confusion.

36 Cat Specialist Group Co-Chairs: Christine Breitenmoser-Würsten & Urs Breitenmoser

We are based in Muri, Switzerland, and work in many different countries. We are affiliated with KORA, Switzerland.

The group has 201 members from 57 countries.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Regional Red List • Increased knowledge on • Facilitate development and assessment of the cats on status and conservation implementation of the Arabian Peninsula. needs for many of the cat Conservation Strategies and species in Borneo and in Iran. Action Plans for threatened • Regional Conservation species / populations. Strategy for the leopard in • Driving the implementation the Caucasus ecoregion of the Regional Conservation • Assess the status and implementation workshop. Strategy for the leopard in the conservation needs of cats in Caucasus. South Asia. • Conservation monitoring • Maintenance of a high course for the leopard, co- • Initiate cat conservation profile for the Cat SG through predators and prey in the projects in NW Africa, Middle products such as Cat News, Caucasus ecoregion. East and Central Asia. the website and the Digital

Cat Library. • Recruit new members from • First Borneo Carnivore under-represented regions. Symposium, Kota Kinabualu, Sabah, Malyasia. • Review of felid taxonomy. Challenges • WWF Spain involvement in • Develop capacity via the Cat The world’s focus is on the Iberian lynx recovery Conservation Course and in- charismatic big cats and program evaluation. country training where spectacular projects. needed. • Assessment of status and Half of all cat projects conservation needs of cats concern Panthera species in Iran. (lion, tiger, jaguar, snow leopard and leopard), but we • Assessment of leopard have very limited information reintroduction in Sochi area, about the distribution, trends Russia. and conservation needs of the remaining 32 cat • Balkan lynx recovery prog- species. ramme extension to Kosovo & Montenegro initiated. Photo: Naein DoE

37 Caucasus Plant Red List Authority

RLA Focal Point: Prof. Dr. George Nakhutsrishvili [email protected]

I am based and work in Tbilisi, Georgia. I am affiliated with Institute of Botany, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia.

The group has 43 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The project Coordination • Publication of “The Red List • Gap analysis with respect and Development of Plant of Endemic Plants of the to the threatened taxa Red list Assessments for the Caucasus Region” that will presence on the protected Caucasus Biodiversity contain a comprehensive areas and continuation of the Hotspot resulted in the first overview of the distribution process of identification of comprehensive list of plants and conservation status of the Important Plant Areas endemic to the Caucasus endemic plant species of the started in Armenia and region (c. 2.950 Caucasus region (species Georgia are planned for species/subspecies) with Red occurring in 1-3 countries of 2012. List assessments for c. 1,200 the Hotspot) based on current taxa. “The Red List of knowledge. • IPA process responds to Endemic Plants of the Target 5 of the Global Caucasus Region” is being • Plant Conservation Strategy Strategy for Plant prepared for publication in for the Caucasus will also be Conservation. 2012 at Missouri Botanical published. Garden Press. Assessments of c. 800 taxa were submitted to the IUCN Red List Unit. Challenges

• Conservation assessment of • We had no serious plants endemic to the challenges in 2011. Caucasus hotspot, supports target 2 of the CBD Global • Infrastructure and land Strategy for Plant development throughout the Conservation. region is the major challenge to the threatened Caucasus endemic plant taxa not yet protected at species or habitat level.

Iris iberica Hoffm Credit: Sh. Sikharulidze

38 Conservation Breeding Specialist Group

Chair: Onnie Byers [email protected] The Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) enables species conservation planning by integrating the disciplines, stakeholders and support networks relevant to specific wildlife conservation problems. A key component of CBSG’s work is successful linking of the efforts and resources of the zoo and aquarium community, and related intensive population management expertise, to SSC priorities. Through this integration, expert facilitation, and science-based planning, CBSG aims to increase the effectiveness of species conservation efforts worldwide. CBSG currently has 340 members in 47 countries. 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Bob Lacy stepped down as • Over 30 years support and • Assisting taxonomic groups Chair after 8 years valuable increasing productivity. with their Species and dedicated service. Conservation Planning • Providing conservation needs as requested. • Involved in 22 workshops in planning processes and tools 11 countries, including: for use by SSC and others. • Promoting & implementing − Western Ghats Reptile a “One Plan” approach to Red List Workshop. • Collaboration with taxonomic species conservation − Western Chimpanzee Specialist Groups including planning, integrating Population Habitat Primate, Hippo, Cat, etc. intensively managed populations with wild. Viability Assessment • Instigating the Disease Risk (PHVA)for Sierra Leone. Assessment initiative – first • Broadening our network to − Costa Rican Reptiles collaboration with the Wildlife include experts (including Conservation Health, Invasive Species, taxonomic) from across Assessment and Reintroduction Groups. population management. Management Plan. • Advancing contribution to: • Led international initiative - achieve CBD targets 12 & on intensive management Challenges 19 through species of populations for • Integrating and maximizing conservation plan work. conservation. the effectiveness of - achieve target 9 through CBSG’s most valuable projects as test cases for • Advanced the use of virtual resource - our nine CBSG meta-model tools. tools for conservation. Regional Networks.

• Contributed to the Species • Increasing collaborative Conservation Planning activities within SSC and Subcommittee and led Tool with other Commissions, in Development Group. keeping with IUCN’s “One Programme Approach”. • Mapped group activities to CBD targets and identified • Dedicating time to describe ability to assist the SSC in and share our experiences achieving key targets. and results with the SSC community.

39 Central Africa Plant Red List Authority

Chair: David Kenfack, Ph.D. I am based in Boston and work in at the Arnold Arboretum of the Harvard University. I am affiliated with the Centre for Tropical Forest Science of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, in USA.

The Central Africa Red List Authority (CARLA) has 16 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Onana J.M. & Cheek • Elaboration of the first Red • Red listing of coastal M.(2011). Red Data book of Data book for plants for species in Central Africa: the flowering Plants of Central Africa training, evaluation, and Cameroon: IUCN Global environmental impact Assessments. assessments

• Central Africa Red Data The project will work with Book for plants was governments to promote produced this year. 815 the usage of red listed species are listed as species in EIA work. As a threatened under IUCN result, endangered Categories and Criteria, species will be recognised most assessed for the first and protected during time. Numerous species development, using the occur beyond Cameroon and highest level scientific so the assessments are also analysis available. relevant to Nigeria, Gabon, and as far as Guinea and Challenges east to Congo and Rwanda- Burundi. • Scarcity of funds to conduct Red List assessment workshops

• RLA members are very busy and have little time to dedicate to Red Listing

• Data Deficiency for most of the plant species in the region

• Lack of funds to collect additional research on Gaertnera letouzeyi S. T. Malcomber targeted species Endemic Rubiaceae from Cameroon

40 Cetacean Specialist Group Chair: Randall Reeves Deputy Chair: Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara RLA Focal Point: William F. Perrin Reeves is based in Canada, Notarbartolo di Sciara in Italy, Perrin in United States. Regional Coordinators: Brian Smith, Asia (now based in California); Nick Gales, Oceania (based in Hobart, Australia); Enrique Crespo, Latin America (based in Puerto Madryn, Argentina). The group has 109 members; www.iucn-csg.org/

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Red List work to update • Cancellation of a large-scale • Continue pursuing initiatives assessments and ensure petrochemical land on bycatch reduction (focus consistency with taxonomic reclamation project in western on artisanal gillnet fisheries). changes and new Taiwan to protect habitat of a information. local population of Indo- • Continue work on both Pacific humpback dolphins design and effectiveness of • Close involvement of (thanks to efforts of John Marine (and Freshwater!) members in international Wang and others). Protected Areas. scientific committees (e.g. IWC, ACCOBAMS, CMS, • Continued progress towards • Consolidate and expand eliminating gillnets from the efforts to engage with oil & CITES, IUCN Western Gray northern Gulf of California gas industry to better under- Whale Advisory Panel). (Mexico) to reduce vaquita stand and mitigate the risks to

bycatch (thanks to efforts of cetacean populations. • Close involvement of Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho and members in Marine others). • Consolidate and expand Protected Areas initiatives in efforts to address threats to collaboration with NGOs and freshwater cetacean habitats, government agencies. Challenges including dam construction (e.g. Mekong, Brahmaputra, • Lack of stable base funding • Reviewed CMS and WWF Xingu rivers) and extractive to support ‘secretariat’ work cetacean planning activities (e.g. mining, by chair, deputy chair and documents (at their request). commercial fishing). regional coordinators.

• Organised/implemented independent panel review of • Lack of up-to-date Action research on Okhotsk Sea Plan (last one ‘expired’ in belugas; assessed 2010). sustainabilityof offtake for captive display. • Biggest challenge may be diversity and complexity of • Collaborated with WWF- threats to both cetaceans Cambodia on Mekong River and their habitat (bycatch, dolphin conservation work. noise, chemical pollution).

41 Chameleon Specialist Group

Chair: Dr Richard Jenkins [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Dr Krystal Tolley [email protected] Richard is based in Madagascar working for Bangor University and the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, UK. Krystal works for the South African National Biodiversity Institute in Cape Town.

The group was formed in 2010 and has nine members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • 99% of Malagasy • Establishment of the SG in • Ensure conservation status chameleons included on the 2010! of all chameleon species is IUCN Red List. assessed on the IUCN Red • Co-hosting workshop with List. • Developed a Species the government of Conservation Strategy for Madagascar, CI and • Promote in situ conservation the Critically Endangered Madagasikara Voakajy to efforts for chameleon species Belalanda Chameleon in assess the Red List status of at the highest risk of Madagascar. 74 chameleon species. extinction.

• Publishing a study in the • Influence policy decisions at • Attended 25th CITES Journal of Ecotourism all levels for the conservation Animals Committee meeting. showing that chameleons are and sustainable use of

ranked by Madagascar chameleons. • Members from Madagascar ecotourists as second only to and South Africa met and lemurs! • Continue to support the th exchanged views at the 10 implementation of CITES Conference of the Appendixes I and II. Herpetological Association of Challenges Africa. • Focus on Aichi Target 12 • Bridging the gap between through identifying threatened conservation science and • A survey initiated by the species and promoting their conservation action. group, and conducted by conservation. TRAFFIC, exposed concerning levels of illegal • We are a small group and sales of Malagasy most members are more chameleons in Thailand. actively involved in research than conservation.

• We need to expand the group to include members with expertise on captive chameleons and species from central-west Africa.

42 Chinese Plant Specialist Group

Chair & RLA Focal Point: Hai-Ning QIN [email protected] I am based in Beijing, China and work in Institute of Botany. I am affiliated with Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

The group has 47 members. One of the major works that most members have taken part in over the past four years has been the red listing of the Chinese flora, which will be complete early this year.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Updating the China Plants • Ca. 300 botanical experts • Focus on the further of Catalogue (CNPC). The countrywide involved in the activities on the threatened CNPC provides an updated catalogue (CNPC) and Red species of our Red Listing. checklist of China’s higher Listing to guarantee project Including carry out the field plants and sets a national quality. This success is due investigation to some key standard. It is one to the SG’s organization and species of DD categories, component of Species 2000 the key role of its members. and setting up a monitoring China Node and can be network/mechanism for accessed via internet • Close communication with threatened species (http://www.sp2000.cn/joacn/ IUCN/SSC community and )and by delivered CD. other professional • We will continue to give organizations, to learn from suggestions and advice to • “Red List of China their experiences, to master decision makers on plants Plants“ is a four-year project the topics current status and diversity priority areas and supported by the Ministry of apply to my own project. priority taxa. We will use Environmental Protection. some key species as a Ca. 30,000 spp are model to demonstrate to the assessed using Red List Challenges public what is ideal Categories and Criteria. conservation and Among these, more than • It is still very difficult to get sustainable utilization. 3,600 spp. are listed as funding for the Specialist threatened, each with a full Group. This results in few explanation. opportunities to undertake group activities. • Numerous presentations and lectures made by • Some species are members at domestic and becoming increasingly international meetings and threatened due to the broad workshops dealing with cultivation of Eucalyptus spp. priority areas of plant and Hevea brasilliensis in conservation, and on the tropical and subtropical CBD COP 10 and new regions in south and GSPC, etc. southwest China. Camellia nitidissima

43 Chytrid, Zygomycete, Downy Mildew and Slime Mould Specialist Group

Chair & RLA Focal Point: Mayra Caridad Camino Vilaró [email protected]

I am based in Cuba and work internationally. I am affiliated with National Botanical Garden (Havana University), Boyeros, C.P. 19230, Ciudad Habana, Cuba.

The group has eight members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals The Fungi, as an • Establishment of the • Increase membership of independent group, are International Society for the Myxomycetes with an relatively young in the IUCN Fungal Conservation to emphasis on Chytrids, (Nov. 2009) and the main promote conservation Zygomycetes and Downy action was directed to among different specialists Mildews specialists. provide tools for mycologists and regions.

and to increase awareness • Establishment of the Latin • Increase the number of on their conservation with American Mycological preliminarily Red List interested and disinterested Association and election of evaluated species for the people. a Fungal Conservation Myxomycetes (Slime Committee. Moulds). • Participation in the 1st Fungal Conservation • Raising the profile of • Prepare a proposal for a Symposium at Latin fungal conservation at global strategy to govern American Mycological different mycological fungal conservation and its Congress with two meetings. activities during a defined presentations. future period. Challenges • Publication of a Myxomycetes species in • Organization of SG “Species of Day”. members into their three different taxonomic groups. • Organization and participation in workshop • Achieve the recognition with Cuban mycologists on and acceptance the fungi as Lamproderma ovoideum the application of IUCN part of biodiversity and criteria in fungi. organisms that need to be conserved. • Participation in Project “Climate Change: Proactive measures to conserve Caribbean Fungal by Alain Michaud Biodiversity”.

44 Climate Change Task Force

Co-Chairs: Dr James Watson [email protected] Professor Stephen Williams [email protected] James is the Lead of the Climate Adaptation Team based at the Wildlife Conservation Society (New York, USA). Steve is the Director of the James Watson Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change at James Cook University (Townsville, Australia).

The taskforce was formed in December 2011. A steering committee comprising around 15 members is currently being assembled. Stephen Williams

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The Task Force started in • Climate Change Unit • Design a strategy to help December 2011 with the two development of a bespoke the SSC respond to climate Chairs accepting positions. climate change vulnerability change impacts. assessment framework. • The co-chairs are in the • Develop the ongoing work process of creating a • Successful application of on species’ vulnerability to steering committee for the this framework to the world’s climate change into IUCN taskforce which will meet in birds, amphibians and guidelines to inform March 2012 to determine a corals. conservation actions. long-term work plan. • Ongoing applications of • Develop an IUCN Best • IUCN’s Climate Change this framework to human- Practices on Species Unit is working on an utilised East African species, Vulnerability Assessment ongoing literature review and a range of new taxa in and Adaptation for use by investigating evidence of the West Africa. the IUCN membership. various mechanisms by which climate change is • Keep under constant impacting on species. Challenges review the overall IUCN Program of Work on climate • The Climate Change Unit • While the Taskforce has change, with a view to and Task Force is only recently been ensuring that biodiversity contributing to the IUCN established, we see that a concerns remain central. Guidelines on key challenge is to ensure Reintroduction. coordination of climate change responses between SSC Specialist Groups, SSC Partner Organizations and other IUCN program areas.

45 Conifer Specialist Group Chair: Aljos Farjon RLA Focal Point: Philip Thomas Secretary: Martin Gardner The Chair is based in the United Kingdom at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, where he is an Honorary Research Associate; the two other officers are based in the UK at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, where they run the Conifer Conservation Programme. The group has 40 members in 6 continents.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Re-assessment globally of • Second Red Listing of • Recommendations for in all 615 species of conifers. conifers completed end situ and ex situ conservation 2011. of Critically Endangered • A second assessment Species on the Red List of since 1998 is aimed a\t • In situ and ex situ conifers. providing data for the Red conservation of rare and List Index. threatened conifers initiated • Comprehensive distribution in China, Vietnam and Chile. mapping of all species, • This is an index indicating presented in an Atlas of the trends in conservation • Assistance with surveys in World’s Conifers. status. other parts of the world. • Providing baseline data for • Conifers will be the first conservation of conifers. group of plants providing data for the Red List Index.

• The Red List as well as the Red List index are tools Challenges IUCN uses to influence policy. • Engaging more members of the group to actively participate in our work.

• Deforestation resulting in habitat loss and exploitation beyond sustainability.

46 Coral Specialist Group Chair: David Obura [email protected]

I am based in Mombasa, Kenya and work on Western Indian Ocean coral reef research and conservation. I am affiliated with CORDIO East Africa.

The group has 18 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Proposals developed in • The group has been • Prioritization and updates of collaboration with Zoological established, but without Data Deficient species by Society of London in support coordination / core support region. of the EDGE corals we have not yet been able to programme, but not build up a programme of • Develop pilot regional conservation plans for coral successful. activities. species.

• Discussions with potential • Within the Western Indian • Incorporate coral reefs into partners on developing Ocean establishment of a global observatories and regional conservation plans regional biodiversity reporting systems. for coral species. hypothesis with corals as the focal taxonomic group, • Incorporate climate • Developing linkages with generating interest in change/ocean acidification into GEOBON in: a) identification regional conservation the Red List (RL) process for of Essential Biodiversity planning. corals. Variables; and b) an EU • Incorporate ongoing grant proposal to incorporate taxonomic revisions into RL coral reef biodiversity Challenges process for corals. • The complementary observations and challenges of fundraising and observatories into • Expand/diversify membership identifying focal areas where convention processes. within the Coral Specialist the group provides something Group. that existing work/institutions • The above work is framed on coral reefs do not. under Aichi Target 10 • Leveraging work using (ecosystems). existing projects/programmes in an appropriate way from the group’s members. • Corals are threatened by climate change and overexploitation/habitat change driven by local and global population and economic growth.

47 Cormorant Specialist Group Chair: Mennobart van Eerden [email protected]

Co-chair: Rosemarie Parz-Gollner Web master: Stefano Volponi CRG Bulletin and newsletter: Stef van Rijn and Jean-Yves Paquet The Chair and Co-chair are based in Lelystad, The Netherlands and Vienna, Austria respectively. The Chair is affiliated with the Centre of Water Management in Lelystad, The Netherlands. The group has over 500 members, most of them in Europe, Asia and North America. 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Contribution to the final report • Since 1985 regular meetings • Organisation of a Pan- of the EU project INTERCAFE have brought together all European breeding count of aiming at resolving the available technical and Great Cormorant in 2012 perceived conflict between scientific information and • Organisation of a Pan- Great Cormorants, fishes and thereby have stimulated European winter count of fisheries by: 1) a Pan- fundamental and applied Great Cormorant in January European review about research on Great 2013, both in collaboration ecology of Cormorants and Cormorants in Europe. with CorMan water systems; and 2) a • The coordination of one of • Extend the network of Cormorant Manual trying to the largest and long-term cormorant and shag workers compile all existing information colour ring program on a wild in other parts of the world, about Cormorant-fisheries living bird species, providing focusing on the rare and research. valuable information about vulnerable species of • Publication of the migratory movements and Phalacrocoracidae starting in Proceedings of the Villeneuve population dynamics over 2012 with a management plan meeting including publication more than 30 years. on King Shag in New Zealand of the first two Pan-European Cormorant counts. • Organisation of the 8th Challenges International meeting on • To continue to serve policy Cormorants in Medemblik, The makers with a balanced view Netherlands with 55 about preservation of a group participants from 23 countries of conflicting species in (24-27 November 2011). combination with adequate • Start of collaboration into the conflict-handling using an new joint EU-project CorMan. integrated approach. • Significant contribution to • To extend the work of the policy regarding integrated group to other (rare or management of conflicting vulnerable) species of species by providing valuable cormorants and shags, by data and information about comparing their status and water systems crucial to the ecological requirements, and preservation of freshwater and aiming at improving their coastal ecosystems. conservation status.

48 Crane Specialist Group Chair: James Harris [email protected] Insert Vice Chair: George Archibald [email protected] picture of I live for most of the year in Harbin, China and work mainly in East Asia. the Chair George is based in Wisconsin, USA and travels worldwide; we are affiliated with the International Crane Foundation in USA.. The Crane SG has a steering committee with 10 members.

The Crane Specialist Group has 270 members from 55 countries

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • We began work on • Water management plans, • Develop network pro- developing the Crane developed in part with our moting solutions to crane Conservation Plan, help, have been adopted, collisions with powerlines completing a threat matrix funded and implemented at (CBD targets 2, 4, & 12). for all 15 crane species three National Nature (CBD targets 11,12,14, & Reserves in northeast China. • Promote integration of 19). crane/biodiversity conser- • The Significant Trade vation into agricultural • We prepared a report Review, conducted under landscapes, through assessing impacts on CITES for the two African workshops, publications, & waterbirds of severe flooding crowned cranes, will demonstrations (CBD in summer 2010 at Poyang continue with a full review targets 2, 4, 5, & 7). Lake in China, including food process for all but four scarcity and abnormal range countries. • Complete the Crane foraging behaviour of the Conservation Plan (CBD Siberian Crane – sent to targets 11,12, 14 & 19). decision makers at provincial and national levels in China Challenges • Reduce impacts of trade on as part of a long-term effort African cranes through focus to promote ecosystem For the Crane SG: on both supply and demand management (CBD targets •Promoting broad partici- (CBD targets 1, 12). 1, 2, 4, 5, 14, & 19). pation for publications and meetings given the number • We developed plans and and scattered distribution of funding to initiate watershed group members. management planning for the Giltchin River in Amur For cranes: Insert Region, as a model for far • Safeguarding wetland and eastern Russia (CBD targets grassland habitats. picture of 1, 2, 4, 5, 7,14, & 19). • Maintaining or restoring species natural hydrological cycles essential for sustaining crane habitats. Mike Endres/Little Wing Photo

49 SG logo to go here. Size to be no taller than the IUCN logo

Crocodile Specialist Group Chair: Prof. Grahame Webb [email protected] Deputy Chairs: Dr. Dietrich Jelden [email protected] Dr. Alejandro Larriera [email protected] RLA Focal Point: James Perran Ross [email protected]

We are based in Australia, with 450 members from 52 countries active in crocodilian conservation, management, research and sustainable use.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Regional species meeting • Completion of CSG Action • Reintroduction of C. (C. Siamensis), Bangkok, Plans for all 23 species. Siamensis into the wild in Thailand, April 2011. Thailand, Cambodia & • Introduction of the CSG Vietnam. • International Crocodile Student Research Workshop, Kuching, Assistance Scheme in 2009 • Reintroduction of A. Sarawak, June 2011. has resulted in 37 grants of Sinensis into the wild in $US1,000 each to date. China. • Quarterly CSG Newsletter. • Achieving some form of • Our work has long been sustainable protection for focussed on improved Lake Mesangat, East management and Kalimantan, Indonesia. sustainable use of commercially valuable • Demonstrating that use crocodilian species (targets and trade, if correctly 1,2,4,6,11,12,19), including managed, can be effective representations to CITES. Challenges tools for providing benefits to both crocodilians and local • The Crocodile SG (CSG) • Financial sustainability. people. also fosters the protection of depleted species and • Encouraging countries habitats where appropriate. which trade in crocodilian skins and products to comply with CITES.

• Human-Crocodile Conflict Insert (HCC) & resistance to reintroductions. picture of species • Assisting CSG members to obtain the resources needed to conserve crocodilians.

50

Crop Wild Relative Specialist Group

Co-Chairs: Ehsan Dulloo and Nigel Maxted [email protected] / [email protected]

We are based in Europe but work globally. We are affiliated with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy and the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

The group has 33 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals

UN Strategic Plan Target 13 • Publication of 591 CWR • Establishment of Global “The status of crop and livestock species. Network of In Situ CWR genetic diversity in agricultural Genetic Reserves. ecosystems and of wild relatives has been improved.” • Systematic ex situ conservation of global priority • First annotated global CWR diversity. checklist of priority CWR taxa. • Production of CWR checklist • Develop strategies for for Armenia, Bolivia, China, gathering, documenting and Madagascar, Sri Lanka, disseminating information on Uzbekistan and more. CWR.

• Gap analysis of 30 major crop • Promote their integrated gene pools and development of conservation and sustainable conservation strategies. use. • Red listing of 591 European CWR species. • Increase awareness of CWR • Publication of CWR manual for Challenges species among government, in situ conservation. institutions, decision-makers • Make the agro-biodiversity and and general public . • Meeting of 110 CWR biodiversity conservation link. conservationists in Palanga, • Develop means of genetic Lithuania to develop national diversity threat assessment. and regional conservation strategies. • Promote CWR sustainable use.

51 Cuban Plant Specialist Group

Chair: Dr. Angela T. Leiva Sanchez Insert Vice-Chair: Dr. Rosalina Berazain Iturralde picture of Chair-Assistant: Dr. Luis R. Gonzalez Torres

the Chair We are based in Cuba and work in Havana city. We are affiliated with the National Botanic Garden, University of Havana, Cuba.

The group has 30 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The National Strategy for • Coccothrinax crinita • Conclude the assessment Plant Conservation 2011 – subsp. crinita (Arecaceae). of the conservation situation 2020. This strategy was 852 individuals were of the Cuban flora. designed by the CPSG reintroduced into the wild in considering the Global the last four years. • Update the National Red Strategy and the CBD List of Plants. targets. The final draft was • Melocactus actinacanthus approved in our 2011 Annual (Cactaceae). 34 individuals • Elaborate the National Red Meeting and submitted to were reintroduced in the wild. Book of Plants. the authorities for the final approval. • Red List of the Vascular Flora of Pinar del Rio • National Workshop on Province. Edited by the late invasive plants in Cuba. Dr. A. Urquiola and other The National List of invasive colleagues. and potentially invasive plants in Cuba and a theoretical and ethical Challenges framework for studying and managing invasive plants in • For the CPSG: Raise our country was presented funds for improving to the CPSG and other connectivity, for facilitating experts for validation. networking and active conservation, and for raising public awareness. • The Action Plan for

Biodiversity Conservation • in Cuba 2011-2015. The For Cuban plants Action Plan was approved conservation: to stop taking into account the habitat degradation and National Strategy for Plant fragmentation. Conservation.

52 Cup-fungus, Truffle and Ally Specialist Group

Chair & RLA Focal Point: David Minter [email protected]

I am based in the UK and work in Whitby, North Yorkshire. I am affiliated with CAB International (formerly the International Mycological Institute), Egham, Surrey, UK.

The group has 10 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Participation in fungal • Conservation status • To develop capacity for the conservation workshops at evaluations of 1500 conservation of fungi the Latin American ascomycetes prepared for Mycological Congress IUCN’s Sampled Red List • To promote understanding (Costa Rica) and the Index project. that fungi are different from Congress of European animals and plants, and Mycologists (Greece). • Wording of Global Strategy need equal protection.

for Plant Conservation • Fungal conservation altered to make clear that • To raise the profile of fungi, promoted at the SUBSSTA fungi are distinct and also and integrate them in all meeting in Montreal, with a require consideration. CBD reporting.

recommendation about • To develop the Species health and protection of fungi •Project on conservation of desert truffles supported by Information System to permit made to the CBD. assessment of all fungi. Mohamed bin Zayed

• Fungal conservation Species Conservation Fund. • To understand better what promoted at the International threats exist for fungi. Conservation Biology Congress (New Zealand), Challenges • To explore how to conserve with “Fungi – the orphans of • Lack of awareness of the endangered parasitic fungi, Rio” T-shirts being importance of fungi, not only and establish policy on that distributed. among the general public, issue.

• Fungal Conservation, the but also, too often, among scientists and policy makers. publication of the International Society for • Too little new information Fungal Conservation, about when and where launched. species occur, and poor Insert accessibility of existing information. picture of species • Far too few resources available for fungal conservation.

53 Cycad Specialist Group Chair & RLA Focal Point: Prof John Donaldson [email protected]

I am based in Cape Town, South Africa, and am affiliated with the South African National Biodiversity Institute

The group currently has 29 members in 12 countries

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Convened the 9th • Completed, legally-binding • Continue to update World International Cycad species management plan for List (GSPC target 1). Congress in China (Dec the South African Albany 2011). Cycad. • Finalise Red List assessments for new • A community project for species (20-40 taxa). • Published the 3-yearly update of the World List of Cycas debaoensis in China, has stabilised the population. • Strengthen work of the cycads, contributing to ehtnobotany subgroup Target 1 of the GSPC. Now taken over by the Guangxi Provincial Forestry looking at livelihoods associated with cycads •Completed the 2010 Global dept, who have established a restoration project. (CBD target 14). Cycad Assessment (GSPC

Target 2). • >50% of cycads in • Establish a database of cycads in genebanks. population based ex situ • Established an genebanks . ethnobotany subgroup to • Work with other agencies promote sustainable use to limit pathways for spread with initial projects in India Challenges of pests and diseases and Honduras (CBD Target 14). • Large proportion of threatened taxa all requiring • Established a subgroup to urgent action. develop a network of population monitoring sites • Multiple threats, including to inform decisions relating global trade, traditional use, to conservation (CBD Target habitat loss, invasive pests 12). and disease.

• Invasive pests are causing rapid changes in once stable populations, especially on islands.

54 Deer Specialist Group

Co-Chairs: Dr. Susana González / Dr. William J. McShea RLA Focal Point - New World Species: Dr. Patricia Black RLA Focal Point – Old World Species: Dr. Will Duckworth Susana is based in Montevideo, Uruguay (Genética de la Conservación- IIBCE), while William is based in Virginia USA (Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute).

The group has 120 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Symposium on Advances in • Involving both government • To resolve the systematics Information & Conservation and NGO agencies in deer of several deer taxa of Argentine Deer. Mariano species research, assessment including the Old Merino & Patricia Black and conservation issues . World Dama mesopotamica coordinators. and the new World genus • Our small grant program Mazama • Symposium Conservation funded by MBZ Conservation of Deer in Mexico. Fund. • To encourage research on Coordinator Sonia Gallina. wild musk deer populations • Nomination of Arerunguá in and other Asian species. Uruguay as a Conservation • Workshop on Pampas deer Priority Area based on the Conservation & Management • Publication of a popular occurrence of Pampas deer. in Uruguay. Coordinator guide “Deer: the answer

Susana González. •Neotropical Cervidology book guide“ by Johns Hopkins

published. Press in 2012 . • Symposium on Conservation of Pampas deer in private lands. Coordinated by Susana Challenges González. Achieve viable Neotropical

• Newsletter and the List deer populations in the server. future.

• DSG Workshop at 7IDBC- Chile. Coordinators Susana González and Bill McShea.

55 Diver/Loon Specialist Group Chair: Joseph Kerekes [email protected] Insert An Emeritus Research Scientist in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. I am picture of affiliated with Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada. the Chair The group has 45 core members (professionals). They are connected to >2000 citizen loon enthusiasts who are engaged in various conservation activities in North America and Europe.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Our affiliates are involved • Self sustaining volunteer • Introduction of effective organizations for the protection and in the monitoring of loon preservation of common loon lead and mercury control populations either at the populations in USA (14 states where legislation. state or local level. loons breed), in Canada and Scandinavia. • Research on contaminants • Research activities • Introduction of lead legislations, USA. • Increase efforts of public include: • Improvement of the loon’s life history awareness on preservation • banding of individual with the use of banding of loon breeding habitats birds • Preservation of breeding loon against “development” populations in a large number of • following their lakes in an area of expanding human pressures. movements development (housing, recreation). • Improve the • determining their site • Establishment of funding to support communication among our fidelity graduate level students to study loons. groups using the internet. • longevity • Identification of the common loon, • Organize loon • Determination of effects of based on mercury body burden conferences/workshops to research, as an indicator species of toxic substances on loon ecological risk. maintain communication populations in different and improve knowledge and geographical areas. Challenges techniques among • We organise loon participants. • The under populated North, conferences/workshops, beyond the reach of volunteer • Develop new management often jointly with other organizations is affected by large techniques. waterbird groups industrial developments (e.g. large mining projects, oil/sand recovery • The results of our research projects on an enormous scale). activities help decision Very little is known of the status of makers to make Gavide in these areas and our monitoring effort is extremely weak. regulations on CBD targets • Effects of climate change, toxic to improve the status and chemicals (PBDE, etc) and oil spills sustain threatened on populations species. • Increased recreational use of lakes • Disruption of food webs, oceans/lakes • Causes of the apparent decline of loon populations in the North Sea.

56 Dragonfly Specialist Group Chair: Viola Clausnitzer [email protected] Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Goerlitz, Germany RLA Focal Points: Frank Suhling [email protected] / Vincent Kalkman [email protected]

The Dragonfly Specialist Group has 40 members from all over the world.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Ongoing assessments in • Assessment and mapping • Complete global dragonfly South East Asia of all African dragonflies, assessment point locality database (far • Start of assessments in • Elimination of DD status of New Zealand, Australia, over 90,000 entries by now) species Arabia • Representative global • Establishing dragonflies • Publication of results from assessment of dragonflies as indicator organism for the pan-Africa freshwater within the RLI project ecosystem health assessment • Awarded “Highly cited (“guardians of the • Participation of members Author 2008-2011” for the watershed”) in tropical at various meetings (global paper: “Odonata enter the areas biodiversity crisis debate: and regional scale), e.g. • Focused conservation The first global assessment LIFE meeting in England, actions for Critically of an insect group” by IPBES meetings in Bonn Endangered species and Nairobi, IUCN/SSC Biological Conservation workshops in England and the USA Challenges • Generating knowledge on global and regional • Raising funds for global dragonfly diversity and the dragonfly assessment threat status according to • Research funding for the IUCN Red List species specific assessments (e.g. DD species) Conservation challenges: • Water over-extraction (particularly islands and arid regions) • Invasive species • Deforestation

57 Duck Specialist Group

Chair: Richard Hearn (WWT) [email protected]

The Duck SG is coordinated from the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), Slimbridge, UK, as part of the IUCN-SSC/Wetlands International Waterbird Network.

The group has 391 members from 55 countries.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Initiated production of a • Re-invigoration of the • Complete European European Seaduck Group after long period of Seaduck Conservation Plan. Conservation Plan under inactivity, including merger AEWA, and supported with Seaduck SG, gain of • Support Waterbird review of Red List status of institutional support, Population Estimates 5. Common and Velvet updating of membership list, Scoters, Long-tailed Duck and the collation of member • A successful 3rd Pan- and Greater Scaup. expertise. European Duck Symposium, and plans in place for 4th • This and other seaduck • Representation of all SGs PEDS in 2015 and duck conservation work links in the WI waterbird network conference in Asia. directly to Aichi targets 4, 5, on the African-Eurasian 12 and 19. Waterbird Monitoring • Support development of Partnership, to oversee IWC IWC and other monitoring. • 4th International Seaduck development. Conference organised by • Develop DSG membership, Sea Duck Joint Venture. particularly outside Europe, Challenges and communication, • 2nd meeting of the Nordic particularly a website that Waterbirds and Climate • For the group: continued includes best practice Change network and development of network, and information and tools. workshop on Baltic Sea core committee and regional seaducks and their food. coordinators, and secure funds to support priority • Supported organisation of activities. 3rd Pan-European Duck Symposium to take place in • For ducks: implementation Czech Republic in April of effective monitoring of 2012. status for all species, and systems to ensure • Collated DSG input to WI sustainable harvest of quarry species. Conservation Status Report Photo: James Lees to AEWA.

58 East African Plant Red List Authority

Chair: Quentin Luke Insert picture of I am based in Nairobi and work in Tropical Africa. I am affiliated with Royal Botanic Gardens, KEW. I work at the National Museums of Kenya. the Chair The group has 15 members from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, DRC plus expatriate members from UK & US

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Red Listing workshop in • Since inception we have • Expand the group. October 2011 at which over held 5 workshops and 200 taxa were assessed assessed over 1000 taxa • Find secure funding both from the EArc and EACF for workshops and field • Funding secured through hotspot of Kenya and activities. Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ) Tanzania. We have Fund for workshop in 2012 developed a process that all • Improve the Red List members are comfortable system so as to minimise the with and we are now delay between assessments beginning to include taxa and listing. from the rest of Eastern Africa. • Increase awareness in the region on threatened plants.

• Ensure that this leads to action and policy changes within member countries Challenges e.g., the inclusion of ALL threatened species on the • Funding schedules of the new Kenyan Wildlife Act. • Increasing World and host government’s concern for threatened plants to the same level as that for Megafauna Insert picture of species

59 Equid Specialist Group Chair and RLA Focal Point: Patricia D. Moehlman [email protected], [email protected]

I am based in Tanzania and work in most wild equid range states I am affiliated with EcoHealth Alliance, USA.

The group has 67 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Continued training for • Mongolia: Strategic • Improving Red List status : nationals in range states. Conservation Planning Przewalski’s horse gone

workshop for Przewalski’s from CR to EN. Mountain • National action plans: horse and Asiatic wild ass. zebra from EN to VU. Ethiopia: three wild equids; Mongolia: two wild equids. • Eritrea: Strategic • Financial support for MScs and PhDs in range states. Conservation Planning • Community workshop and workshop for the African wild • Development & funding of demarcation of the Allegeghi ass. wildlife reserve in Ethiopia. MSc program in wildlife

ecology in Eritrea. • Developing human • Develop guidelines for the

potential in range states. translocation/reintroduction of Eritrean program for training • Members’ research and wild equids. MSc students with a focus conservation on all seven on African wild ass and the species of wild equids. • Conference on wild equids. Denkelia ecosystem. PhD training for an Ethiopian • Continuing Red List

wildlife scientist. assessment & re Challenges • Tracking status & trends assessments. • Education and action plans of all equid species. have a positive influence on • Influence policy in terms of biodiversity and ecosystem • Mining & agricultural needed conservation actions. conservation. projects threaten access to critical resources. •Local resource users are full participants in national • Competition with action plans livestock. Need to involve local resource users in the • Improved ecosystem protection & management functioning has the potential of wild equid populations. to enhance biodiversity and improve local livelihoods. • Protected areas need support.

60

Flamingo Specialist Group Chair: Rebecca Lee (WWT), [email protected]

Western Hemisphere Coordinator: Felicity Arengo (AMNH) Eastern Hemisphere Coordinator: Arnaud Béchet (Tour du Valat) Ex situ Coord (Europe): Catherine King (Weltvogelpark Walsrode) Ex situ Coord (North America): Laurie Conrad (Sea World) The FSG is coordinated from the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), Slimbridge, UK, as part of the IUCN-SSC/Wetlands International Waterbird Network and works globally across the range of all flamingo species. The group has 305 members from 57 countries. Objectives Success Stories Future Goals • Developing and maintaining • Organising a global • Finalisation of a CMS an active network of in situ meeting in 1998 in Miami. Action Plan for the High and ex situ flamingo • Establishing a Andes Flamingos. specialists. communication mechanism • Implementation of the • Stimulating and supporting for all members and regular International Single information exchange. production of a bulletin. Species Action Plan for the • Encouraging development • Developing a large Lesser Flamingo, including and implementation of membership base covering the development of conservation action plans. all species and range National Action Plans for South Africa and Botswana. • Promoting innovative countries. conservation approaches for • Production of the • Development of an online people and flamingos in the International Single reporting system for context of climate change. Species Action Plan for the breeding and ringing events • Providing information and Lesser Flamingo. • The FSG will continue to advice in support of the • Raising funds to establish work towards the programmes of Wetlands a Small Grants Fund. achievement of SSC and Wetlands International International, IUCN-SSC, and others. objectives within the Challenges context of the conservation of flamingos worldwide 2011 Update • For the group: maintaining communication and raising • Publication of Flamingo 18, funds to sustain the Small the FSG annual bulletin. Grants Fund. • Production of a dedicated • For flamingos: the main

FSG website: challenge is habitat loss/ www.flamingo-sg.org degradation. Other • Establishment of a Small challenges include egg Grants Fund. removal at colonies and human disturbance at • Recruitment of two new breeding and feeding sites. Rocha© Omar ex situ coordinators.

61 Freshwater Conservation Sub-Committee Chair: Topiltzin Contreras MacBeath [email protected]

I am based in Mexico and work in freshwater fishes. I am affiliated with the Biological Research Centre of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos.

The group has 15 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Most of the work to date • In a short time we have • Identify key stakeholders. has been related to planning. managed to formally incorporate freshwater • Establish an advisory • June 21 and 22 we held a species conservation into group related to the CBD Strategic Planning Meeting several SSC workgroups. targets. at the University of 1. Priority setting for species Queretaro in Mexico, that conservation – led by Jon • Develop an adaptive resulted in an action plan Paul & Kathrin Rodríguez. communications strategy. that outlined the main 2. Bycatch group with Marine activities of the group. Conservation and • Publish our strategic plan. Some of these activities are: Invertebrate Conservation 1. Coordination of Sub-Committees. • Develop a funding strategy. freshwater species 3. WCPA-SSC Joint Task conservation activities Force on Biodiversi​ty and • Develop a collaborative through SSC, to highlight Protected Areas. network with Specialist emerging patterns and Groups related to freshwater ensure that issues don’t species and issues. fall through the cracks. Challenges 2. Make SSC recommendations based •To become a collaborative on this coordination. organization that is 3. Representation of recognized as an authority in freshwater species issues related to freshwater conservation issues for biodiversity conservation. SSC. •To achieve a significant • Nov. 28 to Dec. 2, we improvement in the participated in the GEO- conservation status of CIEHLYC Water Cycle freshwater biodiversity at a Capacity Building Workshop global level, by means of held in Cartegena, providing and sharing Colombia. information for better decision making.

62 Freshwater Crab and Crayfish Specialist Group

Chair: Neil Cumberlidge [email protected] RLA Focal Points: Keith Crandall [email protected] / Darren C. J. Yeo [email protected] Neil Cumberlidge is based in the USA and is affiliated with Northern Michigan University, Michigan and works on freshwater crabs in Africa. Keith Crandall is based in the USA and is affiliated with Brigham Young University, Utah and works on freshwater crayfish around the world. Darren Yeo is based in Singapore and is affiliated with the National University of Singapore and works on freshwater crabs in Asia. The group has 23 members. 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Arranged for the design of the • Co-organizer of a • To arrange for first-time Red logo for the FCCSG which is now international conference on the List assessments of all of the new in use. Freshwater Decapods in Frankfurt, species of freshwater crabs and • Appointed Red List Authority 2010; keynote address at the crayfish which have been Focal Points for the FCCSG conference on Freshwater described since the last global • Completed and distribution Decapod Conservation: Recent assessments of these two groups. maps for many of the assessed Progress And Future Challenges species of freshwater crabs, now to be published in the conference • To complete distribution available on the IUCN Red List proceedings (2011). maps for the remainder of the website. • Initiation of a new assessed species of freshwater • Compiled a list of all of the new initiative to use the newly crabs and make them available on species of freshwater crabs published world species list of the the IUCN Red List website. described since the last global Red freshwater shrimps for a global Listing in 2009 with the aim of Red List assessment of this • To work with the IUCN SSC making conservation assessments species. Invertebrate Conservation Sub- for these taxa. • A Project has Committee on Strategic • Prepared an IUCN report on been identified and funding has Conservation Planning to develop the conservation status of the been secured for this assessment. a Species Conservation Strategy freshwater crabs of the Indo- for one or more threatened Burma region that is currently in species of crayfish and freshwater the process of completion crabs. • Met with the Chair of the Challenges Invertebrate Conservation Sub- Although freshwater crabs and Committee to discuss future plans crayfish are large and conspicuous for the FCCSG. macro-invertebrates in freshwater • Began initial discussions within ecosystems around the world, and the FCCSG to identify suitable although many species are threatened species or groups of ecologically and commercially species of crayfish and freshwater important, the group includes a lot crabs that could be the focus of a of inconspicuous and Species Conservation Strategy uncharismatic species. • The work of the FCCSG makes allows the inclusion of This makes it difficult to generate invertebrates in the Red List interest outside of the field for their (which has long been dominated conservation. by vertebrates) and contributes large numbers of species to the CBD targets.

63 Freshwater Fish Specialist Group

FFSG formed as IUCN/Wetlands International (WI) partnership, 2004

Chair: Gordon McGregor Reid [email protected] RLA Focal Point & Programme Office: Katalin Csatadi ([email protected]) Based in UK and hosted by Chester Zoo (North of England Zoological Society). The FFSG global network of ca 200 expert participants in 16 regions including Europe, Indonesia, Malaysia & Philippines, Meso-America, Middle East / SW Asia, Southern Asia, South America, Oceania, China and five African sectors. The FFSG includes several Special Advisors on issues including cave fishes, migratory species, reintroductions, ex-situ conservation, taxonomy, biodiversity, gene-banking and sustainability. 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals Numerous projects funded to • Recruited new Programme • • FFSG Vision is Freshwater Officer for January 2012 date with cumulative value more Fishes sustained in their natural • Organised peer reviewed than EUR 100.000 environments publication of papers and • Financial and other support for • FFSG Mission is to achieve workshop contributions to the 2010 formation of IUCN-SSC Fresh- conservation and sustainable use joint meeting between the FFSG water Biodiversity Subcommittee, of indigenous freshwater fishes and the international aquarium via Mexican workshop 2011 and their habitats through gene- community (WAZA) • Facilitation of 2011 Red Listing rating and disseminating sound • Planned/ organised 2012 Workshop for New Zealand fishes scientific knowledge; creating meeting ‘Global Challenges in and other freshwater biodiversity, widespread awareness of their Caring for and Conserving via generous grant from BioFresh values; and influencing decision- Freshwater Fishes’ (inset above) Organisation making processes at all levels held in liaison with World Fisheries • Further growth of network (40 – • We work together in areas Congress (Edinburgh, May 2012) 200 participants) and recruitment including strategy and policy • Contributed to IUCN-SSC of key geographical and thematic development, provision of publication: The Diversity of Life in specialists technical information and advice, African Freshwaters: Under Water, • Establishment of FFSG Eel training and education, biodiversity Under Threat Specialist Subgroup in partnership assessments and Red Listing • Participated in WI strategy with commercial interests • IUCN Red List indicates ca 43% development workshop, of 15.000 FW fishes Threatened Netherlands 2011; and WI • More than 91 documented Symposium, Edinburgh 2011 Challenges Extinctions. UN forecasts 20% of • Liaison with/support for IUCN • Biggest challenge is forging practical, FW fishes extinct in next 30 years Freshwater Biodiversity Unit and global strategy for FW fish conservation (ca 2400 species). IUCN groups including Salmonid, in face of limited scientific data on • FFSG works to help monitor and Sturgeon, Sharks and Rays, Sus- thousands of species, rapidly declining counter negative impacts as per tainable Use, and Alien Species FW fisheries worldwide, extinctions, and CBD targets 2010-2012 • Assisted with FW Red List a lack of political will and resources to assessment South Asia address this • FFSG concerned with conserving • Assisted in preparation of several aquatic environment worldwide, IUCN policy and strategy maintaining fish biodiversity and documents including on impact of ensuring sustainable fisheries in relation dams on Chinese FW fishes to people and water resource use • Funded, translated and distribu- • FW fishes face many threats: ted Global Aquarium Strategy for overfishing, deforestation, natural Conservation (WAZA 2010 - 11) system modification (dams/agriculture), • Co-funded (with WI) FW fish pilot pollution (domestic / industrial), invasive project for publication in species, unsustainable aquaculture and climate change Conservation Evidence series Mekong Giant Catfish (Pangasianodon (Cambridge University) gigas) Critically Endangered

64 Galapagos Plant Specialist Group

Chair & RLA Focal Point: Dr Alan Tye [email protected]

I am affiliated with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, based at its headquarters in Samoa and working in islands throughout the Pacific.

The group has 11 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The group has focused on • The complete endemic • Assist the Charles Darwin red listing, given that two vascular flora was red listed Research Station and institutions in Galapagos in the period up to 2007. Galapagos National Park to (Charles Darwin Research expand programmes of Station and Galapagos • A comprehensive research research and conservation National Park) are charged and management for Galapagos endemic with carrying out research programme for Galapagos plants. and conservation of the threatened plants has been native flora. However, the designed, based on • Begin (mid-2012) a group has concluded that objective priorities complete revision of the Red there is room for expansion determined through red List of Galapagos endemic of work on threatened listing. plants. Galapagos plants and has been exploring ways to achieve this. The group is also planning a re-evaluation of the Red List status of the entire endemic vascular Challenges flora. • Limited finance • All of the group’s work is linked to the policies of the • Small membership Ecuadorian Government as expressed through the • The main challenge is how management plans of the to increase attention and Galapagos competent resources from relevant authorities, especially the authorities and donors for Galapagos National Park. Galapagos plant This work thus assists conservation. Ecuador to fulfil its obligations under the CBD.

65 Galliformes SG Co-Chairs: Peter Garson [email protected] / Ilse Storch [email protected] Peter was Chair of the Pheasant SG until 2008 and works at Newcastle University, UK. Ilse was Chair of the Grouse SG until 2008 and works at Freiburg University, Germany, still leading the grouse group within the GSG. The Galliformes SG has c.250 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • This SG is an • Our large network provides • Require institutional core amalgamation of five advise on project plans, support for our leadership to previous ones, thus bringing arranging bespoke training become more proactive in all the 286 Galliformes and help with publications. catalysing projects that species and the people who make a difference to our know about them from all • Our link with the World threatened species. over the world, under one Pheasant Assoc enables roof. them to use our network to • To find incentives for our buildpartnerships to grouse experts to help • We publish two newsletters implement projects on some others with field techniques, bi-annually (Grouse News of our most threatened data analysis & publications. and G@llinformed), including species, such as Djibouti project reports, technical Francolin (CR) and • Finalise our system for pieces and alerts to recent Edwards’s Pheasant (EN). prioritising projects - literature. strategic, regional or species focused, to improve • Members continue to targeting of resources. develop projects on Challenges threatened species, • To become more adept at including green peafowl (EN) • Galliformes habitats are facilitating the conversion of in India, Cheer pheasant being disrupted and many scientific findings into (VU) in Nepal, and Horned species are also over- conservation action. Curassow (EN) in Bolivia. hunted, so 73 species (26%) are threatened (CR, EN, VU).

• The key is to integrate Insert Galliformes conservation with human requirements: picture of especially in relation to specie forestry, farming , bushmeat Cabot’s Tragopan exploitation and tourism.

66 Global Tree Specialist Group Chair: Sara Oldfield Vice-Chair / RLA Focal Point: Dr Adrian Newton Secretary: Douglas Gibbs Sara is the Secretary General of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), based in London. BGCI provides the Secretariat for the Group and is a member of the Red List Partnership. Adrian is based at Bournemouth University, UK.

The group has 85 members from 35 countries.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Publication of: Publication of Red Lists on: • 2011 GTSG Meeting in • Rhododendrons China. The Red List of • Mexican Cloud Forest Rhododendrons • Development of Red Lists Trees on Montane Trees, The Red List Mexican Cloud • Maples Betulaceae, Theaceae. Forest Trees • Trees of Central Asia • Fundraising for a 10 year Global Surveys of ex situ Global Surveys of ex situ plan to Red List all the collections of collections of: world’s trees in support of Rhododendrons • Rhododendrons GSPC Target 2 and the Aichi Targets more broadly as well • Maples as UNFCC and REDD+. Progress on developing The • Oaks Red List of trees of montane forests of the northern Andes • North American Collections

This work primarily supports Targets 2 & 8 of the GSPC. Challenges • How to prioritise and fund conservation assessments and action when a potential 50,000 species are threatened in light of existing threats and future climate change impacts.

• Meeting the documentation standards required for inclusion in the IUCN Red List.

67 Goose Specialist Group Chair: Barwolt S. Ebbinge [email protected]

Board: A.D. Fox (DK), T. Heinicke (D), ), K. E. Litvin (RUS), I. Tombre (N), J. Madsen (DK), J. Mooij (D), B. Voslamber (NL)

We are based in Europe and work in Eurasia. The Chair is affiliated with Alterra Wageningen University in the Netherlands. The group has 600 members and a website www.geese.org/gsg

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • To facilitate data entry by • March 2011: 13th Meeting of • Brent Goose meeting in the GSG. It was attended by 140 volunteer observers a special participants from 18 different website has been created : France, January 2013 countries. As part of this meeting a www.geese.org. Now more than special symposium on the impact 1,600,000 observations of • Goose meeting in China, of growing biofuels on feeding individually marked geese have autumn 2014 been stored in a spatial Oracle- opportunities for geese was held. • May 2011: the 12th issue of our database, collected by over 5,000 electronic goose bulletin appeared observers.Through the database • November 2011: the 13th issue the observers get immediate feed- of our electronic goose bulletin back on the whereabouts of the appeared marked birds they report • December 2011: the GSG • Revival of Goose Bulletin. An board attended a Meeting editorial team led by Johan Mooij organized by Russian Ministry of has revived the Goose Bulletin Natural Resources in Hannover appearing twice per year discussing the possibilities for • Our membership has increased Russia to join the African-Eurasian to 600 members migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA)

Influence on politics: Challenges • Finding financial resources for • After the meeting in Kalmykia, future GSG-meetings the Kalmykian government • Restoration of Lesser White- implemented special rules to fronted Goose in Europe improve the protection of migratory • Better information on status of geese, viz. total ban on spring Red-breasted Geese (Branta hunting and creating special ruficollis) by concerted research temporary hunting-free zones effort in Russia, Kazakhstan, during autumn migration. Ukraine , Romania and Bulgaria • Stop the alarming decline in Taiga Bean Geese (Anser fabalis fabalis) in Russia and Scandinavia • Improving cooperation between hunters and conservationists to protect goose populations • Promote population dynamic studies for better management of geese at the population level

68 Grasshopper Specialist Group

Chair: Dr. Axel Hochkirch [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Baudewijn Odé [email protected] I work as a senior scientist at Trier University (Trier, Germany). My research covers all aspects of biodiversity research, including conservation biology, ecology, behavioural biology, taxonomy, evolution and phylogenetics. The Grasshopper Specialist Group has currently 49 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • European Red Listing of • Roberto Battiston • The Red List assessment Orthoptera (ERO), rediscovered Apteromantis of European Orthoptera is coordinated by Baudewijn aptera in Morocco. He was planned to be finished until Odé, Roy Kleukers and Luc funded by the Mohammed 2015. Willemse; 17 pre- Bin Zayed Species assessments completed; Conservation Fund and • Orthoptera are useful currently assessments of all accompanied by a film team. indicators to identify Canarian Orthoptera; Red hotspots of biological Listing workshop planned for diversity. Their geographic spring 2012. ranges are usually even smaller than in plants. In the • South African Red-Listing Cape Floral Region (South Initiative (SARLI), Africa), we want to test how coordinated by Corinna Orthoptera diversity is Bazelet; currently collection covered by the existing records are geo-referenced. reserves.

• Prionotropis hystrix Challenges • Cover tropical regions in rhodanica project, our Red List assessments. A coordinated by Antoine • Data deficiency in many first candidate area might be Foucart and Laurent Tatin; regions, particularly in East Africa, where a lot of the complete population will species-rich areas data exist. be mapped in 2012; habitat (Mediterranean hotspots, destruction by the French South Africa). army must be feared • Rapid change in • IUCN World Conservation anthropogenic land use. Congress: Klaus Riede Stopping the loss of natural organizes a session called habitats will be a challenge “Bioacoustics for species particularly in the tropics. monitoring - a new tool for Red List assessment?”

69 Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group Co-Chairs Yvonne Sadovy [email protected] Matthew Craig [email protected]

The Co-Chairs are based in Hong Kong (University of Hong Kong) and the United States. The Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group was formed in 1998 and has 40 members living in 20 countries across the globe. Membership includes biologists, fishery managers, taxonomists, conservation workers in governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and tertiary institutions.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Production of • Completion of IUCN Red List • Continue working with comprehensive field and assessments for all wrasses* Napoleon fish in relation to market guide to groupers and groupers (c. 700 species). its CITES Appendix II listing of the world (162 species) • Engagement for sustainable with major importing and co-published by NISC and international trade in Napoleon exporting countries to reduce IUCN. fish in relation to its 2004 CITES IUU and follow up on NDF • Follow-up field survey for Appendix II listing. work in SE Asia. Napoleon fish (Cheilinus • Grouper and Wrasse SG newsletter/website. undulatus) abundance in • Increase and strengthen • Management-related initiatives Indonesia (CITES related protection of spawning with threatened groupers, e.g. work – Non-Detriment aggregations of Finding [NDF]). Nassau and goliath Epinephelus striatus and E. itajara. commercially exploited • Publication in ‘Fish & • Management and monitoring groupers. Fisheries’ journal on IUCN of grouper spawning Red List assessments and aggregations. • Improve public awareness conservation status of regarding threats to groupers globally. This commercially important stressed the need for Challenges species from management and overexploitation and • Lack of or ineffective sustainable use practices, implications for food security fishery management to ensure persistence of and livelihoods of lack of • General misperception that populations and that management. fisheries and livelihoods marine fishes (especially depend on them. commercial species such as the groupers) cannot go extinct or be seriously. threatened by exploitation • Illegal, unmonitored and unregulated trade (IUU). * with IUCN SSC Marine • Non-implementation of Biodiversity Unit CITES Appendix II by China (Mainland) for commercial marine fishes.

70 Hawaii Plant Specialist Group Chair & RLA Focal Point: Marie M. Bruegmann

I am (we are) based and work in Hawaii, USA. I am affiliated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The group has 92 members from 28 different organizations or individuals.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The Plant Extinction • PEP has trained botanists • Share the PEP concept Prevention (PEP) program on Guam to initiate a Guam with other island groups for continues to grow, and now PEP program. protecting their rarest has 13 staff and offices on 5 species. islands. This program • In 2011, PEP monitored focuses on plants with fewer 103 of 201 PEP species, • Determine how to expand than 50 individuals in the collected from 49 species, protection to additional at wild, to store genetic surveyed 34 species, risk species. material, protect remaining managed threats around 48 plants, survey for additional species, and reintroduced 24 individuals, and reintroduce species. into protected areas. PEP has made great strides in • In total, 85% of the PEP accomplishing CBD target species have some material 12. in genetic storage.

• Through the State of Hawaii, HPSG is using PEP Challenges as a prototype to develop a shared Statewide database • Adequate secure funding to of rare plant information with maintain the PEP Program. the conservation community. • Additional funding for the • A meeting of the HPSG non-PEP but still at risk was held in December 2011. species. Members discussed data- sharing issues related to the • Integrating rare plant Statewide Rare Plant protection needs with Database and various landscape-level conservation conservation programs that actions. are being planned or are ongoing.

71 Hawkfish and Sandperch Red List Authority RLA Focal Point: Dr. Terry J. Donaldson Insert [email protected] picture of The RLA is based at the University of Guam Marine Laboratory, UOG the Chair Station, Mangilao, Guam 96921 USA.

The RLA has five members but will be expanded to address regional issues.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Review of species in the • Contribution of chapters to • Collection of fishery data families Cirrhitidae a new book series on (commercial , ornamental, (hawkfishes) and Western Indian Ocean fishes and incidental commercial Pinguipedidae that will increase knowledge and sport fishing) to (sandperches) to determine of biodiversity and understand levels of gaps in taxonomic, conservation status of exploitation. biogeographic and hawkfishes and taxonomic knowledge. sandperches. • Increase understanding of changes in habitat and • Surveys (field and • Contribution towards adaptation to those changes literature) of geographic and understanding of as a consequence of climate ecological distributions of phylogenetic and change effects that affect most species of hawkfishes phylogeographic viability of hawkfishes and and shallow-water dwelling relationships of hawkfishes sandperches in reef sandperches. that will set basis for a full- systems. scale assessment of family. • Delivery of paper on • Red List Assessment of all climate change effects and hawkfish species. reef fishes, including coral- Challenges dwelling hawkfishes, at a • Red List Assessment of • Paucity of data on poorly- special symposium held at most shallow water known hawkfish and the 22nd Pacific Science sandperch species. sandperch species, Congress, Kuala Lumpur. particularly deeper-dwelling • Outputs of both the review sandperches. and survey efforts will, with • Paucity of data on fisheries the addition of exploitation of hawkfishes and and climate change data, be sandpexploitation erches. Insert used in determinations of conservation status and • Limited understanding of picture of threats that can illustrate conservation threats posed species threats to and corresponding to some species by ocean effects upon reef systems as warming and acidification. a whole.

72

Heron Specialist Group Chair: Jim Kushlan [email protected]

The Heron Specialist Group, Heron Conservation, is based in Florida, USA

The group has 107 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Revision of website and • Conservation of White- • Revision of status accounts other electronic media, bellied Heron was enhanced for all species. www.heronconservation.org. by successful rearing of captive young & publication • Further development of • Engagement with of a book on species by Journal of Heron Biology & conservation planning for Bhutan Royal Society for Conservation. White-bellied Heron. Protection of Nature. • Continued engagement in • Engagement in • The Madagascar Pond conservation of priority Conservation Plan for Heron International Working species. Madagascar Pond Heron. Group is working towards a 2018 goal of ensuring a • Continued engagement in • Status assessment of favorable conservation heron conservation in priority White-eared Night Heron. status of the Madagascar areas. Pond Heron. • Inauguration of the Journal • Continued identification of of Heron Biology & important areas for herons. Conservation. Challenges

• Establishment of Global • Increasing capacity for Heron Count Data Base. heron conservation.

• Funding conservation projects for priority species.

• Increasing communication among heron conservation and technical assistance.

• Habitat loss & alteration continues to be primary conservation issue for herons worldwide.

73 Hippo Specialist Group

Chair: Dr. Rebecca Lewison [email protected] Subgroup Chair: Dr. Chris Ransom [email protected] Within the hippo specialist group, we have 2 subgroups that focus on common hippos and pygmy hippos, respectively. Dr. Lewison is an Associate Professor at San Diego State University. Dr. Ransom is Programme Manager of West and North Africa Conservation Programme at Zoological Society of London. The Hippo Specialist group currently has 40 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The Pygmy Hippo • Development of a • Continue to build group subgroup convened a multinational conservation membership. Pygmy Hippo Conservation plan for pygmy hippos. Strategy Workshop, • Implementation of the Monrovia, Liberia • Dramatic increase in Pygmy Hippo conservation •22-24 November 2010. research and field surveys plan. for pygmy hippos . • Based on that workshop, a • Development of an Pygmy Hippo Conservation • Growing level of updated common hippo Plan has been developed (e- coordination and cooperation conservation plan. copies available for among field projects. distribution). This multi- • Strong partnerships are national plan outlines • Continued integration of needed between IUCN and ongoing and future research research and conservation land management agencies and conservation needs for efforts. to provide guidance and this Endangered species. technical expertise to promote hippo conservation. • The Hippo Group is also a Challenges partner on a recently-funded NSF proposal that focuses • Fund acquisition for hippo on characterizing and research and conservation quantifying the ecological continues to be challenging. role and importance of common hippos to • Need for regional grasslands and river conservation efforts systems. continues to be a priority.

• Coordination with TRAFFIC and other bodies to ensure sustainable use of extant hippo populations.

74 Hyaena Specialist Group Chair: Kay E. Holekamp [email protected]

I am based at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, U.S.A., but conduct research on spotted and striped hyenas in Kenya. Other members of this specialist group work throughout Africa and also in Asia.

The Hyaena Specialist Group currently has 28 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Improving public image of • Cole Burton (HSG • Reducing human-hyaena hyaenid species by working member) and colleagues conflict in Ethiopia and with media. begin documenting hyaena elsewhere in Africa and Asia. abundances in western • Building predator-proof Africa. • Working with local demonstration corrals made communities in rural Africa to of inexpensive local • Collaboration with Kenya improve husbandry to materials in rural African Wildlife Service Training minimize livestock killing. communities. Institute to educate future wildlife managers about • Developing the spotted • Gathering data on hyaenids. hyena as an “ecosystem hyaenids in western Africa. sentinel” in African • Media coverage, educating ecosystems; can behavioral • Working with Kenya public about hyaenas and or endocrine stress Wildlife Service and other their conservation. indicators that predict health management agencies to of spotted hyena populations train a new generation of also be used to predict managers focusing on Challenges health of populations of conservation of hyaenids sympatric carnivores and and other large African • Negative public attitudes herbivores? carnivores. toward members of the hyaena family. • Collecting data on densities and distributions of striped • Reduction of livestock hyaenas throughout Africa killing by brown, striped and and central Asia. spotted hyenas.

• Habitat reduction due to land-use change and war.

Visit our educational website at http://www.hyaenidae.org/

75 Iguana Specialist Group Co-Chairs: Dr. Glenn Gerber [email protected] / Dr. Miguel García [email protected]

RLA Focal Point (& Programme Officer): Tandora Grant Glenn Gerber Dr. Gerber and Ms. Grant are based in California (USA) and work for the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. Dr. Garcia is based in Puerto Rico (Caribbean) and works for the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. Miguel García The group has 85 members from 23 countries. 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Iguana Specialist Group • Action Plan published for • Hold 2012 ISG meeting in (ISG) annual meeting in West Indian Iguana species. Mexico with SRP workshop Guatemala & SRP workshop for local taxa. for Ctenosaura palearis. • SRP workshops held and published for 17 species. • Recruit new ISG members • ISG Website redesigned for poorly represented taxa. and updated. • Successful population supplementation or • Implement large-scale • Iguana husbandry manual reintroduction programs for invasive species eradication produced in Spanish. eight species using captive programs. breeding, headstarting, • Red List Assessments and/or translocation. • Complete revisions of Red updated for 10 taxa. List Assessments for all • CITES protection received taxa. • First version of Iguanas of for four Ctenosaura species. the World Checklist • Further development of published. ISG website with additional Challenges resources. • Drafts circulating of • Protecting critical habitat Conservation Action Plans and combating threats such • Obtain funding for a paid for Lesser Antillean Green as invasive species, habitat ISG position to increase our Iguana and Jamaican destruction, illegal collection. capacity. Iguana. • Balancing land-use needs of humans and iguanas.

• Funding our conservation programmes and building capacity of range country authorities.

• Meeting increasing needs with a volunteer-based group

76

Indian Subcontinent Plant Specialist Group Chair & RLA Focal Point: Dr. M. Ahmedullah

Regional Officers: Dr. S. R. Yadav (W. Ghats hotspot); Dr. A. K. Goel (North India) Country Representatives: Dr. Deepthi Yakandawala (Sri Lanka); Ms. Rebecca Pradhan (Bhutan); Dr. M.M. Rahman (Bangladesh) I am based in Ghaziabad and work in Noida. I am affiliated with Botanic Garden of Indian Republic (Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India), Noida, India. The group has 29 members 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Strategic planning process • Red Listing of 2000 Conservation of threatened initiated for species endemic plants completed. plants of the Indian conservation over the next • Action plan of Top 50 subcontinent with decade keeping the Aichi Endangered Plants finalized. stakeholder involvement by: Biodiversity Targets in view. This includes working out the • Recovery programmes for • Red Listing of modalities for monitoring 8 endangered plants, approximately 5,600 rare plant populations vis-à- including 2 that are listed endemic plants, recovery vis the climate change under the CITES programmes of prioritised scenario. appendices, completed. endangered plants, and ensuring inclusion of more • Participated in the process • Advocated expansion of candidate plant species in for the development of a the scope of Wildlife national/state legislations Red Listing programme in Protection Act to include 13 and negative lists for the Ministry of Environment threatened plant species. according protection; & Forests, Government of India; a pilot project to be • Sensitizing policy makers undertaken by IUCN Global Challenges and biodiversity managers to Species Programme, IUCN • Monitoring of about 5,600 the urgent need for including country office, New Delhi, endemic plants of the Indian ‘plant conservation areas’ for and other network partners subcontinent; collection of demarcating/notifying is on the anvil. field data across a vast protected areas, etc.

geographic spread, with • The ISPSG activities diverse ecosystems/ directly or indirectly address inaccessible forest areas, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets remains an exciting 1, 11 and 12. The outputs of challenge. the ISPSG activities influence development of • Involving local/marginalised management plans at local communities, whose level and policy formulation livelihoods depend on at national level. forests, in plant conservation programmes.

77 Invasive Species Specialist Group Chair: Piero Genovesi [email protected]

I am based in Italy, and work in Rome. I am a Senior Scientist with ISPRA – Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research.

The group has 197 members from 40 countries and 1,085 subscribers of the Aliens List – the mailing list of the ISSG.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Published one issue of • Since year 2000, ISSG has • Increase search and other Aliens the ISSG newsletter. worked at promoting the functionality of the Global development of a European Invasive Species Database. • The Convention on policy on invasive species. Establish interlinks with the Biological Diversity and Also following these efforts, IUCN Red List of Threatened IUCN signed a in 2011 the European Species and other global Memorandum of Commission has finally related databases. Cooperation acknowledging decided to produce a the support of ISSG to the European legislation on the • With a mandate of the implementation of the CBD issue and has committed to Convention on Biological Strategic Plan 2011–2020. present a draft Directive by Diversity, develop a Global the end of 2012. Register of Invasive Species • Worked with IUCN Reintroduction Specialist • Identify priority species and Group at revising the key pathways as a Guidelines on conservation contribution to Aichi Target 9 translocations. of the CBD on the control of Challenges invasive species. • Initiated developing a Code of Conduct on Zoos and • Raise awareness on the • Support EU in developing Invasive Species and a impact of invasive species. the European legislation on Code of Conduct on Hunting invasive species. and Invasive Species • Development of global regulatory approaches to • Working with the WCPA prevent and mitigate impacts initiated the development of of invasions. Guidelines on invasive species in protected areas. • Development of a global early warning and rapid • Contributed to publishing response tool on invasions. the IUCN book on Island invasives: eradication and management.

78 Invertebrate Conservation Sub-Committee Chair : Michael Samways Insert [email protected] picture of I am based in Stellenbosch, South Africa and work at Stellenbosch the Chair University. I am with the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology at Stellenbosch University.

The Sub-Committee is composed of the Focal Point of the Terrestrial and Freshwater Invertebrate Red List Authority, 10 SG Chairs/Deputy Chairs, and 1 Regional FP.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Formation of the new • African Freshwater • Continued global Bumblebee SG, under Assessment and assessment of various chairing of the Paul conservation management invertebrate taxa, including Williams and Sarina recommendations for dragonflies. Jepson to address the Dragonflies, Molluscs and global bumblebee decline. Freshwater Crabs and • Prioritization and Crayfish. encouragement of new SGs, • Full prioritization of with Hoverflies now a invertebrate groups for • Completion of priority.

conservation focus, assessments of European Saproxylic beetles, and of • Development of methods spearheaded by Justin for prioritization of taxa to be Gerlach, under the aegis Dragonflies. used in area assessments of TIRLA. • Great restoration success for their biodiversity worth. stories in southern Africa • Development of a globally and Seychelles. • Further assessment of the applicable strategy for functional value of invertebrate conservation invertebrates in various using a set of operational Challenges contexts, so as the align with scales from species to the 2020 targets on landscape. •Finding time and funds to maintenance of ecosystem undertake re-assessments. services while maintaining • The Butterfly SG, ecological integrity. Dragonfly SG, Freshwater • Convincing all walks of life Crab and Crayfish, as to the importance of Grasshopper SG, Mollusc invertebrates for maintaining SG and South Asian the world intact as we know Invertebrate SG have it. made great progress in influencing policy. • Assess and conserve such a diversity of taxa – but there are ways forward using both The Ceres Streamjack – one of the world’s landscape and species most threatened invertebrates – only known from one precarious pond in South Africa approaches.

79 Korean Plant Specialist Group Chair: Dr Yong-Shik KIM [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Dr Chin-Sung CHANG [email protected]

We are affiliated with College of Natural Resources, Yeungnam University and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea The KPSG has 34 members including academic institutions, botanic gardens and arboreta and plant diversity research institutions.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • With the support of the • KPSG members participated • First edition of the Red IUCN Red List Unit, a Red in the Red List assessment List of Korean plants will List Assessment Workshop in hosted by the Korea national be published in Korea was held with Arboretum. collaboration with the 26 participants from relevant Korea National Arboretum. conservation sectors • Red List Assessment Training including government Workshop collaboration with • Organise Red List agencies and NGOs. the Korea National Arboretum. training workshops for This workshop was a timely, young field biologists. important event for the • The KPSG members have conservation of plant in participated with the Korean • Plant re-introduction Korea. National Committee (KNC) for workshop in collaboration red listing of Korea. The KNC with the Korea National • The Korea National started the work in 2011. Arboretum to be held in Arboretum in collaboration the mid-October 2012. with the Korean Plant Specialist Group assessed • Manuals on germplasm the Korean endemic plants. Challenges collection and re- introduction and • A collaboration between the • We need to integrate and monitoring techniques of Korean Association of form collaboration between threatened plant species Botanical Gardens and fragmented conservation to be published. Arboreta led to the national sectors into a main, target- Global Strategy for Plant oriented conservation body Conservation guidelines at working for the conservation the end of 2011. These of targeted in Korea. guidelines will be Insert applied both to monitor the implementation picture of of the GSPC and to improve species the management quality of the botanic gardens and arboreta in Korea Abies koreana Wilson

80 SG logo to go here. Size to be no taller than the IUCN logo

Lagomorph Specialist Group Chair: Andrew T. Smith, [email protected] Insert I am based at Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, picture of Arizona. I work on pikas in the intermontane west in the United States and the Chair on the Tibetan Plateau. The Lagomorph Specialist Group (LSG) has 60 members distributed throughout the world where lagomorphs occur.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • First comprehensive survey • 2011 was the Year of the • Updated action plan in of Sylvilagus mansuetus – Rabbit in the Chinese book format “Lagomorphs: the San Jose Brush Rabbit calendar, and we circulated The Pikas, Rabbits and leading to a dramatic change a press release highlighting Hares of the World”. in its Red List category from the plight of endangered NT to CR. lagomorphs that was picked • Stop needless control up by 1,400 media outlets. efforts directed at common • Major review paper native lagomorphs. highlighting the folly of • Continued strong effort to controlling common native recover the Riverine Rabbit • Reverse negative lagomorphs (Plateau Pikas in the Karoo of South Africa population trends in Ochotona curzoniae and – with enhanced community threatened species of European Rabbits involvement, environmental lagomorph.

Oryctolagus cuniculus) in education and habitat • Increase understanding of their native range. restoration. the role played by disease in • Several manuscripts population dynamics. documenting range shifts in • Increased understanding of the Great Basin of the Challenges how climate change may American pika that may be affect populations and their due to climate change. • As always, funding and communications for our distribution. wide-spread group.

• Overcoming the perception that all rabbits are common and not in need of conservation intervention, Insert when a high percentage are among the most endangered picture of of all mammals. species

81 Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe Chair: Prof. Luigi Boitani [email protected]

Based in Rome, Italy, at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”.

The group has 25 members distributed across Europe, including scientists, wildlife managers and members of NGOs.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Maintained our network of • Successful networking of • Identify priority carnivore experts so that we can large carnivore experts from conservation issues in always deliver authoritative across Europe. Europe. and relevant information. • Bringing the best available • Continue to advocate for • Worked to develop science and experience into the implementation of best pragmatic and science- the policy arena for national practice guidelines. based interpretations of pan- governments, the European European legislation that Union & Council of Europe. • Update status reports for simultaneously take local European carnivores. situations and transboundary • Developing good practice concerns into account. guidelines for a range of • Help EU countries to move management issues and from national toward • Advocated for the promoting population-based population-based implementation of best management plans. transboundary management practice guidelines and plans. policy support documents at the European level that have Challenges been developed earlier by the LCIE. • The greatest challenge for the group is to secure • The LCIE’s work funding for core activities. contributes to the achievement of the CBD’s • One major challenge is targets by working on a adapting pan-European broad range of fronts to legislation to diverse sustainably integrate large situations. Some populations carnivores into the fabric of are critically small and are in the European landscape need of urgent conservation which requires informing and action, while others are very coordinating many policy large and need to be sectors. managed for sustainability.

82 Lichen Specialist Group Chair & RLA Focal Point: Christoph Scheidegger [email protected]

I am based near Zürich and work in Birmensdorf and Berne. I am affiliated with the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.

The group has 17 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals Awareness raising • Arid lichens from the Red • Population dynamics of patch-tracking symbiotic • Brochure “What do you Data Book of Ukraine: studying, conservation and organisms in primeval and know about steppe lichens? managed landscapes Minute world under your perspectives • Conservation biology of feet” (in Ukrainian, 20 pages lichens with photographs; supported by Rufford SGF) • Restoration of microbial soil crusts in steppe zones • Book „The change in and semi-desert ecotopes biodiversity in Switzerland • Include algal symbionts! since 1900 - has the lowest point been reached?“ (in German and French) Co- authored book published under the umbrella of the Swiss Academy of Sciences. Lichens are included in chapters about forests, Challenges agriculture and urban areas. • More lichen species to be Fund raising Red Listed • Biodiversity and Livelihood development in Land-use • Promote research in lichen gradients in an Era of conservation biology Climate Change in the Himalayas, Nepal (Swiss • Capacity building in lichen National Science conservation Foundation; includes WP on lichen conservation biology) • Ways of enlichenment • Swiss project on (Trevor Goward) conservation biology and management of Bactrospora • Searching sponsors for Lobaria pulmonaria dryina lichen conservation projects!

83 Macaronesian Island Plant Specialist Group Chair: Ángel Bañares Baudet. [email protected]

RLA Focal Point: Manuel V. Marrero Gómez. We are affiliated with Direction General for Protection of Nature (Canary Islands Government), Spain.

The group has nine members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Several members involved • Updating Biodiversity in the preparation and • Increase knowledge on the National Inventory (Plants) updating of the Red Book of conservation biology of Spanish Flora endangered plants. • Evolution of risk levels in http://www.marm.es/es/biodiversidad/te mas/inventarios-nacionales/inventario- • Promote cooperation the Spanish flora. First especies-terrestres/inventario-nacional- application of the Red List de- between the various states Index as one indicator of biodiversidad/atlas_libro_rojo_flora_vas in the region (Portugal, cular.aspx Focal Points of CBD to Spain and Cabo Verde).

evaluate the progress towards Countdown 2010. • Preparation of the top Presented in the V Congress Macaronesian Island Plants http://intranet.iucn.org/webfiles/ftp/public of Plants Conservation /ForumEvents/E0740/Final%20Docume Biology, Menorca, Spain, nt/740_Poster_TOP%2050%20de%20la 2011. %20flora%20Amenazada%20de%20los %20Archipielagos%20Macaronesicos.p df

Success Stories (cont.)

• Contribution to the European Red List of Vascular Plants http://www.iucn.org/es/recursos/publi caciones/busqueda_de_una_publica cion/?8709/European-Red-List-of- vascular-plants

Bencomia exstipulata (Rosaceae) a short endemic from the Canary Islands high mountains

84 Madagascar Plant Specialist Group Chair: Charlotte Rajeriarison Insert [email protected] picture of RLA Focal Point: Bakolimalala Rakouth [email protected] the Chair Subcomittee members : Hary Jeannoda, Roger Edmond, Solo Rapanarivo, Sylvie Andriambololonera, Elisabeth Rabakonandrianina, Harison Rabarison, Miadana Faramalala, Voahangy Raharimalala.

We are based in the Botanic Department of the Science Faculty at the University of Antananarivo – Madagascar. The group has 45 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals

• Catalogue of some • Database on endemic • All endemic malagasy species threatened medicinal and food plant will be assessed for the Red List plants in Madagascar species was published on 2010 and including IPA • Hold a CAMP Program on threatened and useful plants • Red List of malagasy information endemic • 11 species of Dalbergia and • GSPC : Developement of vascular plants species the National Strategy of 9 species of Diospyros were included in Appendix III Plants Conservation with all Keys stakeholders. CITES on 2011

• New site location for

Sobennikoffia poissoniana

• Organised the 19th AETFAT

conference in Antananarivo

Challenges

• Introducing precious woods

in Appendix II CITES

• Malagasy threatened Schizolaena charlottae succulent species to include in Appendix II CITES

• Working with CITES to produce guides for custom officers: guides are currently available for palm seeds and orchids. Xylooaena perrieri

85

Marine Conservation Sub-Committee Co-Chairs: Claudio Campagna [email protected] / Yvonne Sadovy [email protected]

We are based in Argentina and Hong Kong and work globally

through Marine Conservation Sub-Committee (MCSC) members.

We have 13 members plus experts and IUCN staff who bring specific skills and experience.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Syntheses conducted of • Identified priority marine • Develop a bycatch initiative information available on the conservation species issues to highlight heavy impact of IUCN Red List on marine within IUCN and partners. unregulated bycatch on fishes and invertebrates marine taxa and need for taken as bycatch, for • Production of book ‘Adrift: documentation. bycatch initiative. Tales of Ocean Fragility’ to bring marine conservation • Facilitate access to species • Produced ‘Marine Species stories to the public – information for marine News’ newsletter # 3 released at IUCN Congress. protected area initiatives.

• Scientific publication on • Promote conservation • Continued to support impact of Gulf of Mexico oil outcomes from fish Red List establishment of marine spill on marine species. assessments. Specialist Groups/ RLAs following IUCN Species • Initiation of ‘Marine Species • Encourage documentation Programme’s Marine News’ newsletters. of trade data in Red List Biodiversity Unit red list fish assessments for exploited assessment initiatives. marine species. Challenges • Identification, with Global • Promote protection of Marine and Polar • Lack of overall awareness marine wildlife spectacles.

and documentation of Programme, of Regional • Increase representation of threats to most marine taxa, Fishery Management IUCN in fishery forums. Organization representation most notably invertebrates by IUCN in relation to and fishes, from both exploited marine species. directed and incidental catch and from other anthropogenic activities.

• Overexploitation and lack of effective management for marine species.

86 Marine Turtle Specialist Group Co-Chairs: Rod Mast [email protected] Nicolas Pilcher [email protected] Programme Officer: Brian Hutchinson [email protected] Red List Focal Point: Milani Chaloupka [email protected] Rod is Vice President at Conservation International in the USA and Nicolas Pilcher travels extensively across Africa, Europe and the Americas. Nick heads up the Marine Research Foundation in Sabah, Malaysia and works across numerous countries in the Indo-Pacific.

Rod Mast The group has 229 members in 79 countries and territories. 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Published “Global • Built global database of • Complete Red List Conservation Priorities for marine turtle distribution and Assessments for all 58 Marine Turtles” in PLoS abundance (SWOT project). marine turtle subpopulations, ONE. Ranks all populations plus revised global (Regional Management • Developed consensus on assessments for all species. Units) by risk and threat Regional Management Units resulting in a blueprint for for all marine turtle species • Use “Global Conservation global sea turtle research and published in PLoS ONE. Priorities” to engage and conservation. • Developed approach to governments and funding

priority setting and published agencies in directing • Led global media campaign resources to priority targets. on “Most Threatened in PLoS ONE.

Populations” reaching • Improved cohesion and • Addressing key threats for millions of people. collaboration among a sea turtles such as

• Developed new framework previously disparate group. • bycatch; for marine turtle Red List • direct take; Assessments that will • habitat loss; include subpopulation Challenges • climate change. assessments. • Engaging our far-flung • Regional Vice Chairs and membership in group efforts. members continue to play an important role in regional • Conducting exhaustive initiatives. global Red List Assessments which require substantial • Continued support of State volunteer contributions of of the World’s Sea Turtles data and time. (SWOT) Program. Published final global species • Addressing complex distribution map in 2011 in threats such as fisheries SWOT Report, Vol. 6. bycatch, coastal

development and illegal • Launched new blog-style trade. website www.iucn-mtsg.org

87 Mascarene Plant Specialist Group

Chair: F. B. Vincent Florens [email protected] University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius;

RLA Focal Point: Claudia Baider [email protected] Mauritius Herbarium, Réduit, Mauritius;

The group has 26 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Red Listing of the ebonies • Mascarenes: Successful • Influence choice of new of the Mascarenes as part of completion of the first inter- protected areas in Mauritius the assessment for the island species management Western Indian Ocean plans for shared species • Assist in implementation Islands (Four Plans Directeur de and achievement of targets Conservation). of the Global Strategy for

Plant Conservation

• Mauritius: Ecosystem

approach to conservation led • Increase collaboration on

to `reappearance` of two plant conservation issues

species thought extinct (Biol between Reunion and

Invasions 13: 2641-2646). Mauritius and intra-island

• Supported seed banking of • Call for increased nearly 55% of threatened international help for • Field surveys revealed native Mauritian species protection and in-situ plants from seven native or conservation of Mascarenes endemic species thought to plants have gone extinct over a Challenges

century or two ago. New

individuals of Critically • Region still has some of Threatened species most threatened flora on discovered (e.g. Pandanus Earth pseudomontanus from 2 to 68 plants, and Elaeocarpus • Much progress required to bojeri from 3 to 10 plants) foster collaboration between stakeholders of plant • First successful conservation in the region propagation of two other species having less than 10 • A general decline in known plants Government support for conservation is apparent on one of the islands

88 Medicinal Plant Specialist Group Chair: Danna J Leaman [email protected]

I am based in Ottawa, Canada and work internationally as a consultant in ethnobotany and plant conservation. I am affiliated with the Canadian Museum of Nature as a research associate, and am a founding member of the FairWild Foundation Board of Trustees.

The Medicinal Plant Specialist Group has 90 members in 40 countries, with regional subgroups formed in South Asia and Latin America.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Sustainable use • Implementation of the Red List assessments and risk/resilience analysis tool FairWild Standard in conservation planning for designed and implemented certification and national medicinal plants as an through the FairWild regulatory systems in China, essential foundation for Foundation, and MPSG India, Caucasus, Lebanon. contributions to, inter alia: contributions to FairWild Standard implementation • Adoption of FairWild • sustainable use Aichi and and technical development principles and criteria as a Global Plant Conservation (www.FairWild.org). basis for developing CITES Strategy targets.

non-detriment findings (NDF) • UN Indicator of biodiversity • Contributions to Global for plants. for food and medicine. Strategy for Plant Conservation working group • EU funding for regional assessment of 500 • World Health Organization on sustainable and equitable commitments to use targets (11-13). European medicinal plant species 2012-2013. conservation of medicinal plants. • IUCN partnership with World Health Organization, Challenges • further implementation of WWF, TRAFFIC revision of • Capacity and funding for sustainable wild Guidelines on Conservation assessment and collection/benefit sharing/fair of Medicinal Plants. conservation action for more trade through the FairWild than 27,000 species. Standard. • Expansion of Global List of Medicinal Plants from ca •Collaboration on 15,000 to > 27,000 well- conservation / sustainable documented taxa, applied to use amongst wide-ranging identifying medicinal plants interests in medicinal plant in regional and taxonomic use (commerce, health, etc). plant Red List assessments (e.g., African Freshwater). • Developing and financing alternative production • Ongoing publication of systems when wild collection newsletter (http://mpsg.org). cannot be sustainable. Wild collection of Origanum syriacum in Lebanon

89 MIPSG GSPIM

Mediterranean Island Plant Specialist Group Chair & RLA Focal Point: Bertrand de Montmollin [email protected]

I am based in Switzerland and work in an environmental consultancy. I am also Chair of the IUCN Swiss national committee and member of the IUCN/SSC Plant Conservation Subcommittee1 The group has 36 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals Calendula maritima is listed • Implementation of the 5 • Red listing of 30 of the as „Critically Endangered‟ . objectives and the 16 targets most threatened endemic This bright yellow flower is of the Global Strategy for plants. found in only five small sites Plant Conservation, with • Co-authors of “Important in East Sicily, growing on the focus on : Plant Areas of the south and decaying remnants of - Target 5 : at least 75% of east Mediterranean region – nitrogen-rich sea grass that the most important areas for Priority sites for is washed ashore plant diversity protected and conservation” with Plantlife . Last year, this species was managed. and WWF. chosen as the official symbol -Target 7 : at least 75% of • SG meeting in Menorca of the province of Trapani threatened plant species (Workshop Project LIFE and in situ and ex situ conserved in situ. Reneix). conservation measures have • Preparation of plant micro- been implemented with the • Extension of the reserves projects in Crete, support of Institut Klorane Mediterranean Island Plant Sicily and Cyprus. SG to a Mediterranean Plant • Identifying Plant Hotspots SG covering the whole in the Natura 2000 network Mediterranean terrestrial in Greece. Challenges ecosystem. • Advocating for plant • Implementation of field conservation issues at conservation projects for governmental and regional Critically endangered level in several Mediterranean plants. Mediterranean countries. • Education and raising awareness of public and stakeholders at national and local levels. Insert • Better coordination with the many public and private picture of organisations working for species conservation in the Mediterranean.

90 Mollusc Specialist Group Chair: Mary Seddon [email protected] Insert I am based in Devon (UK). I took early retirement from National Museum of Wales in 2009. picture of Key Members: Project Co-ordinators 2010-11: Howard Peters (Cone the Chir Assessment), Louise Alcock (Cephalopoda), Eike Neubert (European Landsnails), Frank Köhler (Indoburma FW), Prem Budha (Eastern Himalaya FW), N.A. Aravind (Western Ghats FW), Robert Cowie (Tentacle Newsletter), Dirk van Damme, Dan Graf, Chris Appleton (Pan-Africa FW) The group has currently has 78 members plus over 100 contributors to ongoing assessments and newsletter articles

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Completion of Pan-African • Big vote of thanks for • Finalising assessments for Project on Freshwater Howard Peters who brought Oceania, Indoburma, Molluscs. 23% of Freshwater together shell dealers with Cephalopoda, New Zealand, species threatened. scientists for the Conus and Arabian Peninsula. • Completion of European workshop – really effective • New assessment projects Project on Status of Non- combination! in South America and Japan. Marine Molluscs. 43% of • Adding nearly 2000 species • Moving onto conservation Freshwater species assessments in last 4 years, actions in EU, Africa and threatened, 20% land-snails thanks to: MSG members Asia. threatened. and contributors; IUCN FBU • Find funding to survey for • Completion of Eastern & RL units for EU, African Data Deficient species. Himalayas project, 1% and Asian project: Nadia, • Working out how to use the Threatened, 36% DD. Monika and Ben and the legislation in Europe to • Indoburma project midpoint ZSL SRLI team of interns on benefit Freshwater Molluscs. 32% Threatened, 21% DD. the Freshwater SRLI and • A programme of small • Cephalopoda project Cephalopoda Assessments. conservation projects to aid midpoint >30% species done CR range restricted species. • Conference sessions on Threatened Species in Challenges Europe, Vitoria, Spain. • Trying to document to the • First marine mollusc levels required by Red List assessment workshops on • Keeping up with Taxonomic Conus species and Reef- changes for Red List. building Molluscs. • Motivating people to • Report for EU on updating undertake assessments for the protected species lists little or no financial reward. and emphasising the need to • Achieving conservation implement the Water actions for a animal normally Framework Directive. considered to be a pest. • Issues of our Newsletter • Effective communication Tentacle (2011/2012) can be strategies for getting data we downloaded from our web- produce used in EIA’s. site.

91

Mushroom, Bracket and Puffball Specialist Group Chair & RLA Focal Point : Gregory M. Mueller Insert [email protected] picture of I am based in the USA and work internationally. I am affiliated with the the Chair Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois, USA 60022.

The group currently has 14 members, but there are plans to expand.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals The SG focused attention on • Latin American Mycological • Continue to raise increasing the voice of fungi Association established a awareness – aimed at in conservation conversations Fungal Conservation mycologists and other and action and on providing Committee to facilitate work biologists, land managers, tools for mycologists to use to throughout the region. and policy makers. document the conservation • Increased discussions and status of fungi using IUCN • Facilitate discussions programing focused on guidelines among mycologists to conservation at Latin focus research on topics st American, North American, • Organized the 1 fungal that inform conservation and European Mycological conservation symposium assessment and Congresses held at a Latin American management

Mycological Congress. • International Society for • Add species to the global Fungal Conservation • Led workshop on red listing Red List. Initial target established at European Mycological species have been Congress identified; need to convene Challenges a working group to • Participated in discussions undertake the global on proposed plan to • Building awareness and assessments. develop an annotated / acceptance that fungi can illustrated checklist of the be, and need to be, macrofungi of North included in conservation America. conversations and action.

• Published “Applying IUCN • Increasing knowledge on red-listing criteria for the biology of these fungi Insert assessing and reporting on to better monitor and the conservation status of assess their conservation picture of fungal species" in Fungal status and to develop species Ecology 4: 147-162 (2011) management plans.

92 North American Plant Red List Authority RLA Focal Point: Bruce E. Young [email protected] This RLA is based at NatureServe, an organization that works to provide the scientific basis for conservation action throughout the Western Hemisphere. This RLA is closely associated with the Plant Conservation Alliance, a Washington, DC, based group of government and nonprofit agencies that work together on North American plant conservation issues more generally.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Co-hosted Red Listing • NatureServe and partners • Update older NatureServe workshop for assessing have assessed nearly all conservation status south-eastern U.S. and North American plants for assessments and convert as Caribbean cacti. This activity conservation status, and many as possible to Red List succeeded in these assessments have format. NatureServe has producing/reviewing Red List been incorporated into used its status assessment assessments for 108 cactus numerous U.S. and methodology to evaluate species. Canadian government 32,000 North American agency policies. plants. The methodology is • Assessed the vulnerability largely interoperable with the to climate change of 117 • A report by NatureServe Red List. species of south-western (Hidden in Plain Sight) is U.S. cacti. inspiring the addition of • Increase the detail of plants to U.S. State Wildlife distribution maps available • Cactus assessments are Action Plans. for North American plants. influencing government decisions on species to use • Contribute NatureServe in seed banking and Challenges assessments to global restoration efforts, as well as compilation in support of where to site alternative • Many government Target 2 of the Global energy projects in desert agencies undervalue plants Strategy for Plant regions. in their conservation Conservation. initiatives. • All assessments contribute to Target 2 of the Global • Small distributions, habitat Strategy for Plant loss, climate change, and Conservation. invasive species are the greatest threats to North American plants.

• IUCN has limited capacity Pediocactus bradyi, a threatened to provide SIS support for North American cactus. Photo by non-priority species groups. J. Spence.

93 New World Marsupial Specialist Group Chair: Dr. David Flores [email protected] Insert I am based in Argentina and work in Buenos Aires. I am affiliated with the picture of Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, Buenos Aires, Argentina. the Chair The group has 19 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Update of the taxonomy • We identified and geo- • Our future goals include and distribution of the New referenced more than 500 the formulation of an Action World Marsupials. Several localities for marsupials in Plan for the New World papers published by Argentina, which allowed for Marsupials. members of the group, were the determination of useful for the update about marsupial conservation • Continuing with the the distribution, systematic priority areas, taking into taxonomic update of the and ecology of several account the area occupied, New World Marsupials, we species. At this stage, it is the threat to the habitat, also aim for the ecological crucial for us to know the taxonomic singularity, characterization of several taxonomic identity as well as inclusion in protected areas species, which lack relevant the areas and environment and potential areas of data for conservation occupied by different cryptic occurrence. This analysis strategies (evaluated as species in several genera will be extended to the rest Data Deficient in the Red (e.g. Thylamys, Marmosa, of the Neotropics. List). Monodelphis). In this sense, all new taxonomic arrangements and new Challenges described species were included in the last update of • Generation of an action the Red List. plan focused on endemic and taxonomically singular species.

• Include in the conservation efforts of Latin American countries (several with Insert endemic marsupial species or environments), the picture of consideration of the species marsupial fauna when planning protected areas.

94 Orchid Specialist Group Chair: Mike Fay [email protected]) Deputy Chair: Kingsley Dixon RLA Focal Point: Hassan Rankou ([email protected]).

We are based in the UK and work at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The group has >130 confirmed members and many other people are associated through the regional and thematic groups

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Three meetings of the • 153 European level red list • Increase the number of group (in Czech Republic, assessments for orchids (44 orchid Red List assessments Australia and Singapore). of which are also global) on the IUCN Red List. were included on the IUCN • Presentations on the OSG Red List in late 2011 – a • Increase coordination of were presented at the Fourth 20% increase in global dissemination of information International Orchid assessments. about activities of group Conservation Congress and members – we will be the World Orchid amazed at how much is Conference. going on!

• The OSG webpages were relaunched on the IUCN • Investigate means of website facilitating research in (http://www.iucn.org/orchid). support of conservation.

• The OSG Newsletter was • Continue contributing to relaunched, and three issues CBD targets and other were produced by the end of Challenges agreed goals to support the year. orchid conservation. • How can we increase the

• The East Asian and rate of Red List Southeast Asian Regional assessments incorporated Groups fused to form the into the IUCN Red List to Asian Group of OSG. reflect work already done at national and regional levels? • Several meetings of regional and thematic groups •How can work in some of also took place. the regional teams be reinvigorated? • The group feeds into several policy areas, • Deforestation, climate including CITES, and into change and illegal collecting several CBD targets. are thought to be the major threats to orchids

95 Otter Specialist Group Chair: Dr Nicole Duplaix, Deputy Chair: Arno Gutleb www.iucnosg.org The Chair is based in the USA (Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA).

The Deputy Chair is based in Luxembourg. The group has 230 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals We mourn the passing of • Proud of working as an SG • Focused effort on the Jim Conroy in April 2011, since 1974 encouraging an conservation of four Asian previous Chair of the Otter active open forum to otter species and fostering Specialist Group (OSG). His exchange ideas, views, and collaborative partnerships in leadership and enthusiasm information between our the region. for otter conservation will be members and collaborators. • Determine the impacts of sorely missed by all of us. th • XI International Otter illegal trade in Southeast • Updated Red List. Colloquium in Pavia, Italy – Asia– project with TRAFFIC. attended by 116 members • Examination of illegal trade and students from 28 • Examine the threat of in otters. countries. climate change on otters, especially in desert and • Updating the current status • Regular publication of our coastal areas. and distribution of otter journal IUCN/SCC Otter species, particularly in Specialist Group Bulletin. • Seek funding to support Africa, South Asia and South otter research in poorly America. known areas and habitats.

• Established funds to Challenges • Expansion of OSG regional support student projects and The conservation of the four task forces to look at specific OSG overhead costs. Asian otter species is the top issues and develop targeted priority of the OSG since action plans. • Completion of proceedings 2008. It created the Asian of previous two colloquia. Otter Task Force. Its first

• Organized training objective is to find and train workshops on otter the next generation otter reintroduction in Europe and researchers and Asian Otter Conservation in conservationists in Asia. The Cambodia and Vietnam. second is to increase the effective protection of Asian • Co-organizer of the First otters. Both objectives Borneo Carnivore require funding which has Symposium (June 2011). been elusive.

96 Palm Specialist Group

Insert Chair & RLA Focal Point: William J. Baker [email protected] picture of the Chair I am Head of Palm Research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the UK

The group has 41 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Assessment of all 195 • Tahina spectabilis, a • An online global palm flora. Madagascar palm species. gigantic fan palm from W GSPC target 1. 75% of species are Madagascar described as threatened, of which 28% new to science in 2008 and • A Global Palm Assessment. are Critically Endangered, with only ca. 20 surviving GSPC target 2. far more than the average adults, secured ex situ for plants. GSPC target 2. through legal • Regional assessments in commercialisation of seed Bolivia, Thailand and • Regional assessment of and benefits shared with Venezuela. Paraguay’s 23 species local villagers who now completed. 30% of species protect the site. • Implement targeted are threatened, one of which conservation projects on the is Critically Endangered. ground (e.g. Medemia argun GSPC target 2. in Egypt and Sudan, Masoala peninsula palms in • Benchmark conservation Madagascar). GSPC target genetic studies of four highly 7; CBD target 12. endangered palms Challenges completed (Lemurophoenix halleuxii, Lepidorrhachis • Lack of resources to mooreana, Tahina support palm conservation spectabilis, Voanioala activities, such as red listing gerardii). GSPC target 7, or on-the-ground actions. CBD target 12. • Palms are under pressure • Consortium of palm experts from targeted extraction in NW South America because they provide vital established and funded services (e.g. food, shelter) through EU to study and to humans. Development of promote sustainability of wild best practices and palm harvest. GSPC target community management 7, 9, 12, 13, 14; CBD target plans are required to curb 1, 4, 12, 13, 18 these threats. Tahina spectabilis

97 Peccary Specialist Group

Chairs: Mariana Altrichter & Harald Beck RLA Focal Point: Mariana Altrichter [email protected] / [email protected] Mariana is affiliated with Prescott College, AZ, USA. Her research primarily focuses on peccary ecology and conservation in Costa Rica and Argentina. Harald works at the Biology Department, Towson University, Towson, MD, USA. His interest includes peccary ecology and conservation in the Amazon. The Peccary Specialist Group has 40 members 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The Peccary Sub-group • Several group members • Enhance group’s activity became an independent coauthored the Tayassuidae and fundraise.

Peccary Specialist Group. chapter in The Handbook of • Media outreach and raising the Mammals of the World • Two new chairs were public awareness. Volume 2, which is now nominated. published. • Promote collaboration with

policy makers and other • Over 30 researchers • Group members reviewed SSC groups. compiled and published the evidence of a newly white-lipped peccary wide- described peccary species. • Coordinate research efforts range status assessment. However, our genetic and to increase understanding of peccary biology and • Contributions to the morphological analyses conservation and the effects newsletter SUIFORM rejected that claim. of climate change. SOUNDINGS, including useful updates and research • Construct a comprehensive articles. Species Conservation Planning. • Updated the Peccary Red Challenges List assessment for all three • Support CBD targets by Neotropical species. • Expanding the specialist identifying and reducing group to include more human’s negative impacts in • The updated collared colleagues from Latin the Neotropics. peccary Red List species America. assessment was uploaded onto the IUCN home page. • Due to large species ranges, obtaining assessment data is very challenging.

• Accurately assessing the effects of rapid human development & population increases.

98 Pelican Specialist Group Chair: Dr Giorgos Catsadorakis [email protected]

I am based in Volos, central Greece and work partly in Athens, Evros Delta (NE Greece) and Prespa (NW Greece). I am affiliated with the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) and WWF Greece, and I am a founding member of the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS).

The group has 14 members and new members are currently being recruited

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • There has been a minimum The biggest success story of • To at least triple the exchange of information the Pelican SG is the number of group members. between members and impressive 10-fold increase individuals outside the group of the Prespa colony in • To establish closer related to specific issues for Greece over the last 25 exchange of information Dalmatian and Great White years, following between people working in Pelicans. implementation of focused Asia, Europe and Africa. conservation measures. • The initiation of a project for the Dalmatian Pelican in Turkey and in Greece.

Challenges • Increase the number of group members. • Increasing the degree of contact and information exchange between members. • Reverse declining trends in many small colonies. • Have a more clear picture of population sizes of all colonies especially at less known sites. • Gather all data together to have a good annual global picture. 99 Pinniped Specialist Group Chair: Dr. Kit M. Kovacs [email protected]

I am based in Tromsø (Norway) and work in Polar Regions on seals and whales. I am affiliated with The Norwegian Polar Institute and University Studies on Svalbard (Norway).

The group has 15 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • “THREATS” were a key • The Endangered Pinnipeds • PSG is currently planning theme in 2011. The Pinniped Workshop was a huge an “awareness campaign” Specialist Group (PSG) (and success that increased that will reach the public, friends) prepared a review awareness regarding working scientists and policy paper that is in press in pinniped conservation issues makers regarding Marine Mammal Science within the scientific marine endangered pinnipeds. assessing primary and mammalogy community. secondary threats to • PSG will lead a Plenary pinnipeds (Kovacs et al. • New breeding colonies of Session at the SMM 2012). Med monk seals have been meetings in 2013. discovered in two countries • PSG worked actively with and beach breeding has • PSG is writing an Action the IUCN’s species of the been re-established in at Plan to help target needed day campaign. least one locale! research on pinnipeds.

• PSG worked actively with • PSG will update accounts IUCN in their climate change for all sub-species within campaign. Challenges 2012.

• The PGS hosted an • The biggest challenges Endangered Pinnipeds faced by the PSG are Workshop in Tampa, FL in financing work on Red Listed late November 2011. (and Data Deficient species) and getting compliance from • PSG membership was signatories on international modified to improve conservation agreements. international coverage. • The biggest conservation challenges for pinnipeds are: climate change, fisheries interactions and over exploitation (and illegal harvests).

100 Plant Conservation Sub-Committee Chair: Prof John Donaldson [email protected]

I am based in Cape Town, South Africa, and am affiliated with the South African National Biodiversity Institute.

The subcommittee has 15 members, comprising 10 specialist group chairs and 5 representatives from major botanical institutions.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Continue to improve profile • Prioritization of plant Red • Establishment of a Red List Authority for Brazilian plants, of plants in IUCN/SSC. List Assessments (assists one of the richest areas in the Target 2 of the GSPC/CBD • Promote Red Listing of world for plants. and the MDG). priority taxa such as

• Re-establishment of a legumes. • Stimulated a review of the carnivorous plant specialist minimum data requirements • Strengthen links with for IUCN Red List group. partnership leading the assessments (GSPC • Approval of revised 10 year implementation of the Target2). targets for the GSPC (2010). GSPC.

• Coordinated inputs from • SSC approval for a plant • Strengthen the link to plant groups into the conservation award in honour specialist groups to increase mapping standards process. participation in IUCN/SSC. of David Given.

• Participated in meetings to • Significant increase in plant • Continue strategic review implement the Global Red Listing. of plant Red Lists. Strategy for Plant Conservation (CBD priority).

• Participated in the SOS Challenges working group to increase • Dispersed plant network awareness of future with limited resources. opportunities for including plant groups. • Low response rates from • Promoted funding proposal plant network to IUCN - Useful Wild Plant Species. issues.

• Coordinated plant inputs • Difficulties in raising funds into IUCN/SSC initiatives for plant conservation (scientific collecting priorities. guidelines, reintroductions, management plans).

101 Polar Bear Specialist Group

Chair: Dag Vongraven [email protected] Based in Tromsø, Norway, and work as a senior adviser in Norwegian Polar Institute in the Section for Polar Environmental Management. RLA Focal Point: Professor Øystein Wiig, Works at the Natural History Museum of the University of Oslo, Norway.

The group has 25 members, 15 appointed by the five nations (three from each of Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia and USA) and 10 by the Chair.

Website: http://pbsg.npolar.no

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Spawned from the • The group has dealt with • To continue to compile and negotiations towards a issues related to harvest communicate “best available finalised agreement on the quotas in declining and science” to the benefit of conservation of polar bears, threatened subpopulations of circumpolar polar bear signed in 1973. polar bears. conservation.

• Agreement has been a • Serves formally as • Serve the Parties to the major force in facilitating the scientific advisers to the 1973 Agreement the best implementation of sound Parties to the 1973 way possible as independent management practices and Agreement on the scientific advisers, with the sustainable harvest regimes conservation of polar bears, intention to fulfil the of polar bears worldwide. and attended as such at the intentions of the Agreement.

• The group has successfully MoP in Iqaluit in October

followed up parts of the 2011.

agreement for the conservation of polar bears in the period 1973-2009, a period when the Parties to Challenges the Agreement were • To mitigate the conflict inactive. between traditional Inuit knowledge and science as basis for quotas in areas where there is harvest.

• To help conserve the species in light of the imminent threats to critical habitat by climate warming through compilation and a clear and strong communication of the latest knowledge.

102 Primate Specialist Group Chair: Russell A. Mittermeier [email protected] Deputy Chair: Anthony B. Rylands [email protected]

RLA Focal Points: Great Apes – Elizabeth Williamson; Neotropics – Cecilia Kierulff, Liza Veiga, Fabiano Melo, Mauricio Talebi; S Asia – Sally Walker, Sanjay Molur; South-east Asia – Ben Rawson, Christian Roos; West Africa – W. Scott McGraw; Madagascar – Christoph Schwitzer We are based at Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia. The group has 411 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • A.P.E.S. has expanded to • SSC A.P.E.S. Database was • As has been the case since include A.P.E.S. Mapper, developed by Section on Great the earliest days of the PSG, Apes of the PSG Max Planck A.P.E.S. Wiki, and we are our goal continues to be to Institute, modelled upon AfESG collaborating with UNEP- maintain the current diversity African Elephant Database. WCMC, ESRI & JGI to develop of the Order Primates. We a single platform online “Apes • Action plans published for Portal”, to go live April 2012. have not lost a single species Eastern Chimpanzee, Nigeria- or subspecies in the past Cameroon Chimpanzee, and the • Organized conservation century, an enviable record Northern and Southern Muriquis. workshop for bonobos (Pan since all other groups of paniscus) in D. R of Congo. mammals with more than 30 • Participated in conservation species have lost at least one. planning for Grauer’s gorillas • Publication of the Lemur Field (G. beringei graueri) in eastern Guide 3rd ed. and the Field • This ties in clearly with CBD Democratic Republic of Congo. Guide and Natural History of Target 12, and in order to the Primates of West Africa - J. continue to maintain primate • Participated in conservation F. Oates. diversity, we will also need to workshop for western play a major role in Target 11, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes increasing protected area verus) in Sierra Leone. Challenges coverage in the highest priority • Continued destruction of areas for biodiversity in • Publications - newsletters tropical rain forests, habitat for general and primates in Lemur News & Neotropical 90% of all primates. particular. Primates & journal Primate Conservation. • Hunting - especially serious in C and W Africa and SE Asia. • Grants provided from Mohamed bin Zayed Fund, • Funding at scale. We have Margot Marsh Biodiversity the expertise and personnel Foundation, and Primate Action and know what needs to be Fund totalling nearly $1 million. done. Needed is at least an order magnitude more funding • Discoveries of new species: to deploy our group to all the Indri © V. Sorrentino snub-nosed monkey (Burma & priority sites, beginning with China), gibbon (Cambodia) and those for the Top 25 Most mouse lemur (Madagascar). Endangered. Northern muriqui © F. Tabacow

103 Red List Committee Chair: Jeff McNeely [email protected] Insert The Red List Committee (RLC) has 23 members: Resit Akcakaya; Ariadne picture of Angulo; Bruce Beehler; Luigi Boitani; Tom Brooks; Stuart Butchart; Viola the Chair Clausnitzer; Ben Collen; Richard Edwards; Piero Genovesi; Barbara Goettsch; Gene Helfman; Craig Hilton-Taylor; Mike Hoffmann; Tom Lacher; David Mallon; Sara Oldfield; Alan Paton; Jane Smart; Simon Stuart; Jean-Christophe Vie; and Amanda Vincent.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Made progress in preparing • The Red List remains • Finalize the IUCN Red List a Strategic Plan for the firmly embedded as a key Strategy for 2012-2020. IUCN Red List “to provide indicator for measuring information and analyses on progress towards • Maintain and enhance the the status, trends and achievement of the quality of Red List data, threats to species to inform Convention on Biological expand taxonomic coverage, and catalyze action for Diversity Aichi Biodiversity and do reassessments for biodiversity conservation.” Targets. monitoring trends in risk of extinction (Red List Index). • The Red List Technical • The number of species on Working Group (RLTWG) the Red List continues to • Develop taxonomic initiated a review of the grow at a fairly rapid rate standards for the Red List. minimum supporting and has now reached documentation requirements approximately 62,000 • Propose functional for species on the Red List. species. advancements to the Species Information Service. • Discussions with GEF on how to make the Red List Challenges • Promote use of Red List to more relevant to GEF, support policy and action. primarily at national level. • Need to more effectively link national Red Lists with • Support national efforts for • A public event at the US the global Red List (being Red List to inform NBSAPs. National Zoo on Public addressed by the National Policy and the IUCN Red Red List Working Group). List was attended by 150 participants from key Red • Need to accelerate List partners and users. assessments to meet growing demands for • Agreed new Terms and species-based information. Conditions of Use for Red List data & co-development • Require partnerships to of a policy for commercial translate information into use of data. other languages.

104 Re-introduction Specialist Group

Chair: Frederic Launay [email protected] Program Officer: Pritpal Soorae [email protected]

We are based in Abu Dhabi, UAE and are affiliated with the Environment Agency-ABU DHABI which is located in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The group has 200 members including the Chair, Program Officer & Section Chairs.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Embarked on a project to • The group has published 3 • Increased interaction with update the existing RSG Re- issues of Global Re- membership and the various introduction Guidelines introduction Perspectives in sections of the group. which were drafted in 1995 2008, 2010 and 2011. They and printed and distributed in can be downloaded at: • Ensure the new and 1998. There is a task force http://www.iucnsscrsg.org/rs updated guidelines are developing these new g_book.php . distributed widely and guidelines for Conservation ensure adequate feedback is Translocations in conjunction • In late 2011 (publication obtained on their use and with the Invasive Species date Feb 2012) the edited use this to improve any Specialist Group. These volume: Reintroduction future versions. guidelines will eventually Biology: Integrating Science become official IUCN Policy. and Management, was • Our North American & published by RSG members. Caribbean Section has a • RSG members co- See: ww.wiley.com/buy/978- new Chair and is working on convened a very successful 1-4443-6156-8 . improving this region as it symposium entitled: has a large number of re- Conservation Translocations: Challenges introduction projects. from Reintroduction to Assisted Colonisation at the • We are a disciplinary group • Improve interaction 25th International whilst the majority of groups between the RSG and other Conference on Conservation are taxon-based so this SSC Specialist Groups. Biology held in Auckland in interaction is a major December 2011. challenge.

• Being a voluntary network, some sections of the group - taxon or geographical - may be less active than others.

• Maintaining and keeping a large membership base motivated and productive.

105 Rust and Smut Specialist Group

Chair & RLA Focal Point: Cvetomir M. Denchev [email protected] I am based in Bulgaria and work in Sofia. I am affiliated with the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria. The main goals of that group are as follows: (i) organization of global conservation of so-called “microscopic fungi”, placed in basidiomycetes, and (ii) estimation of species conservation status. The group has 8 members. 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Various difficulties in Publication of “Smut fungi in • Conservation biology of assessing the status of Africa – a checklist” (Vánky rust and smut fungi. smut and rust fungi were et al. 2011) with information discussed; some of them about taxonomy and • Preparation of a described in “Estimating distribution of the smut fungi preliminary, global checklist the threat status of smut in Africa and adjacent islands of threatened rusts and fungi” in Mycologia Bal- (427 species in 47 genera). It smut fungi. canica 7: 9-15 (2010). reflects the great, but incompletely known • Published “Smut fungi in biodiversity of Africa. Africa – a checklist” (Myco- logia Balcanica 8: 1-77 (2011).

• Published “Tilletiales, Uro- cystidales, Entorrhizales, Doassansiales, Entyloma- tales, Georgefischeriales” Challenges in Flora Fungorum Sinico- rum, vol. 39 (Guo L. 2011). • Building awareness that microscopic fungi also • Published “A call for a need to be included in renewed and pan- conservation documents European strategic effort and actions. on the taxonomy of rust fungi (Uredinales)” (Helfer • Promote research in rust et al. 2011, Mycologia and smut conservation biology. Insert Balcanica 8: 79-81). picture of species

106 Salmonid Specialist Group

Chair: Peter S. Rand [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Steven Weiss steven.weiss@uni- graz.at I am based in Portland, Oregon, USA and work in the US, Canada, Russia and Japan. I am affiliated with The Wild Salmon Center, Portland, Oregon, USA. The group has 15 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • We completed amendment • Along with our key Russian • IUCN RL assessments for to the 2008 IUCN RL status partners, we helped all taimen species (Hucho assessment for sockeye establish a new protected and Parahucho spp.) salmon Oncorhynchus area in the Russian Far East • Complete manuscript to nerka. (Koppi River Reserve, in PLoS ONE on sockeye Khabarovsk). The PA salmon assessment, • We held an international contains habitat for Sakhalin emphasizing conservation workshop on taimen fishes taimen (CR) and Siberian implications. (“Conserving the Largest tiger (EN).

Salmon in the World) in • Initiate innovative new Auckland, New Zealand. taimen tagging studies in Russia, Japan and Mongolia. • We wrote a letter to the Austrian Environmental • Complete multi-authored Minister clarifying the status manuscript on the biology of Danube salmon in the Mur and status of taimen. River, a species threatened by extensive hydropower Challenges • Support establishment of development. In the letter • Addressing claims that Red protected areas for we emphasized the List criteria do not apply to salmonids, and promote best commitment of the Austrian anadromous salmon. practices for recreational and Government to the Target 12 commercial salmon fisheries. of the CBD. •Strengthening criteria used in sustainable seafood certifications.

•Understanding the impact of hatcheries (sea ranching practices) on wild salmon.

•Understanding impacts from climate change on subarctic and arctic ecosystems.

107 Sciaenidae Red List Authority Focal Point: Ning Labbish Chao,

Insert [email protected] Co-Focal Point: Min Liu, picture of [email protected] the Chair The Sciaenidae RLA is based in USA, Brazil and China, working globally. Chao is with Bio-Amazonia Conservation International (USA/ Brazil) and National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium (NMMBA), Taiwan. Liu is at Xiamen University, China. The group has 52 members from 27 countries. 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • New sciaenid species were • 264 species (>90%) have • Complete a global discovered after field and been assessed with 99 Sciaenidae specimen museum visits in Argentina, species on the IUCN Red collection, including tissue Brazil, Chile, China and List; 32 Brazilian marine samples, otoliths and Mexico. Sciaenidae are ready for final references for global review, others are under scientific communities. • Taiwan Forestry Bureau's further review for submission. International Conservation • Update taxonomy and Red Fund and Bio-Amazonia • The Global Sciaenidae List categories. Conservation International collection at NMMBA now • Establish collaborations in have supported field work. includes ~110 species, ~500 samples of tissue & otoliths . Australia, Southeast Asia, • Brazilian regional India, Middle East and Sciaenidae assessment has • Collaborating institutes in Africa. been completed under the Brazil, Mexico, USA and • Organize regional auspices of the Ministério do China have been established. workshops and prepare for Meio Ambiente-Instituto the 2nd global Sciaenidae Chico Mendes de Red List re-assessment. Conservação da Challenges Biodiversidade as part of • Lack of effective fisheries • Incorporate Sciaenidae the Brazilian program for management to evaluate conservation into national Aichi Biodiversity Targets. population status, especially for policy artisan fisheries and by-catch. • A Global Sciaenidae Conservation Network • Lack of effective habitat (GSCN) with 52 members conservation for major from 27 countries has been watersheds and coastline established and hosted by developments in many regions. the NMMBA, Taiwan. • Local government restrictions • A review article on global often make collecting Sciaenidae conservation is information and specimens in preparation. Plagioscion squamossisimus difficult for species Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brazil assessments.

108 Seagrass Red List Authority Chair: Frederick T. Short [email protected]

I am based in New Hampshire, USA and work in seagrass ecology worldwide. I am affiliated with the University of New Hampshire and Director of SeagrassNet. The group has 28 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Completion and listing Red • For the first time, all the • Complete mapping of List assessment of all the world’s 72 seagrass species seagrass habitat by species world’s seagrass species. have been systematically worldwide.

reviewed by expert panels • Investigate current status • Publication of a paper of most threatened seagrass presenting the Seagrass for extinction risk assessment and posted on species. Red List process and • Undertake a genetic results: Short, F.T., et al. the IUCN Red List data base. analysis of several 2011. Extinction Risk questioned species. Assessment of the World’s • The awareness of • Identify the role of various Seagrass Species. Biological seagrass species in Conservation 144: 1961- seagrasses as an important species group and crucial countering ocean 1971. acidification. marine habitat has been • Investigate the role of • Working with other elevated. seagrass species in members of the Marine supporting animal diversity Conservation Sub- and food security. Committee (MCSC) created • Increase protection of a review and publication of Challenges seagrass habitats joint species risks due to the • Seagrass species are in particularly areas of high Gulf of Mexico oil spill: the midst of being genetically biodiversity and threatened Campagna, C., et al. 2011. assessed and our and endangered species. Gulf of Mexico oil blowout understanding of various increases risks to globally species groups is in flux as a threatened species. result. BioScience 61:393-397.

• Incorporation of Seagrass • Human impacts in coastal Red List results in a major watersheds worldwide affect publication: Hoffmann, M., seagrass health and extent et al. 2010. The Impact of and severely stress several Conservation on the Status of our most threatened of the World’s Vertebrates. species. Science 330:1503-1509.

109 Seahorse, Pipefish and Stickleback Red List Authority Chair: Dr. Amanda Vincent [email protected]

I am based in Vancouver, Canada and work globally but primarily in Southeast and East Asia. I am affiliated with Project Seahorse, Fisheries Centre, The University of British Columbia, Canada.

The group has 15 members and many contributors.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Red List training at the first • All seahorses under • Set up monitoring sites for Syngnathid Biology Appendix II of CITES, a first seahorse populations International Symposium. for commercially important globally fully marine fishes. • New / revised Red List • Assist Parties to implement assessments. • Some seahorses brought CITES effectively. into CITES Significant Trade • Launched Facebook pages Review process, a first for • Highlight effects of for RLA and professionals marine fishes. indiscriminate fishing gear. working with syngnathids. • CITES recommendation for • Develop web resource for • Review paper on seahorse minimum size limit for all seahorse fisheries and trade conservation and seahorses in exports. management. management. • Catalysed protected areas • Formalise and strengthen • Many papers in a special and stakeholder alliances RLA membership and issue of the Journal of Fish directed at these species. expand RLA training. Biology on syngnathids. • Continue with policy- • Paper on implications for Challenges oriented work to support Red List assessment of CBD Targets 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, using narrative knowledge. • RLA covers about 275 species but very few 12, 15, 18 & 19. • Held Husbandry, professionals know this Management and taxon and even fewer are Conservation of Syngnathids interested in conservation. Symposium. • Two-thirds of species have • Represented marine not been assessed. Half of species on IUCN Red List those assessed are DD. Committee. • CITES Parties lack • Recent work is very policy- capacity to meet obligations. oriented and has directly supported CBD Targets 4, 6, • Taxonomy remains 10, 11, 12, 18 & 19. problematic.

110 Sea Snake Specialist Group Co-Chair: Vimoksalehi Lukoschek [email protected] Co-Chair: Kate Sanders [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Amanda Lane [email protected]

Although based in Australia, our members are scattered around the Kate Sanders globe and work in more than 20 countries. We are not directly affiliated with any particular institution.

The group currently has 30 members living in 14 countries. Vimoksalehi Lukoschek

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The first newsletter was • The first Red List • Collaborations are being circulated in March 2011 with assessments for all 70 sea established with the contributions from 12 snakes (Hydrophiinae spp.) Australian Institute of Marine members, a feature article and all 40 mud snakes Sciences in WA to progress on the poorly known harvest (Homalopsidae spp.) were research into sea snake of sea snakes in Southeast published in 2010. diversity and abundance Asia for the international patterns on WA reefs and reptile skin trade, and listing • Two Australian endemic the reasons for declines at all 20 sea snake publications species listed as Critically Ashmore Reefs. of 2010. A second newsletter Endangered (CR) on the is being prepared for 2012. Red List have also been • Funding is being sought for listed as CR under an investigation of the • An investigation of sea Australia’s EPBC Act and harvest of sea snakes for snake by-catch in Sri Lanka dedicated research is skin trade. This work will aim commenced along north and investigating reasons for to generate basic information west coasts in July 2011. their declines. towards determining Preliminary results indicate sustainable off-take levels: high levels of sea snake Challenges harvest volumes; species mortality in coastal fisheries and populations targeted; with at least six species • We are a relatively new sex and size class severely impacted. group and have only met representation. once – at the Red List • Ongoing research is Assessment Workshop investigating precipitous where we formed. We live all declines of reef-associated around the globe so it has sea snakes on Ashmore been challenging to get Reef in the Timor Sea. momentum going. Dedicated surveys have quantified many ecological • The biggest challenge to and environmental factors sea snake conservation is that might account for these lack of basic data about sea declines but to date the snakes and the threatening causes are unknown. processes impacting them.

111 Shark Specialist Group Co-Chairs: Nicholas Dulvy [email protected] Andrés Domingo [email protected]

Programme Officer: Lucy Harrison [email protected] We are based in Vancouver, Canada (Simon Fraser University) Nicolas Dulvy and Montevideo, Uruguay (Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuático). The group has 171 members in 55 countries split into 12 regional groups based roughly on FAO Ocean Region. Andrés Domingo 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Working to deliver on Aichi • Global Red Listing of 1083 • Determine if shark By 2020 all fish and Target 6: “ species has been completed. management tools (e.g. FAO invertebrate stocks and aquatic Shark Plans, Shark fishing plants are managed and • Creation of the IUCN bans) have reduced extinction harvested sustainably”. Resolution on Shark Finning. risk? • Published 63 Red List assessments – notably for Giant • Creation of the first • Develop Shark Red List & Reef manta ray (VU). Giant chondrichthyan Species Indicators at regional and manta subsequently listed on Conservation Strategy for global scales. Convention on Migratory sawfish. Species. • Develop Species • 10 species listed on CITES . Conservation Strategies for • Published ‘Shark Fins in (in no particular order) Europe’ with European • 8 species listed on CMS. mobulids, guitarfishes, Elasmobranch Association - hammerheads and reef, signs of subsequent move • 19 FAO Shark Plans in place. freshwater, deepwater and toward fins attached policy. oceanic pelagic • Hosted the ‘Securing the chondrichthyans. conservation of Sharks and Challenges Rays’ symposium at the Intl • To implement management • Publish global summary of Marine Conservation Congress, and conservation measures Red List Status and the Victoria, Canada. when species are spread across Shortfall in Conservation of several jurisdictions – sawfishes Chondrichthyans. • Increased impact/influence of are found in 100 countries! Shark SG through social media – Facebook (2700), Twitter • To find the key points for (280) & Youtube (600 views). management intervention for

• Collaborated on Regional Plan threatened species with high for Conservation of Sharks for regional variation in knowledge the Permanent Commission of status and protection

the South Pacific. • To sustain funding • Advised on Red List assessment of Colombian • We have a high proportion of chondrichthyans. Data Deficient species © Andrea Marshall

112 IUCN SSC Sirenia Specialist Group

Sirenia Specialist Group Co-Chairs: Helene Marsh [email protected] Benjamin Morales [email protected] H. Marsh is based at James Cook University Australia B. Morales-Vela – Manatee Project Director, Chetumal, Mexico, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur. Members: Nicole Adimey (US), Kanjana Adulyanukosol (Thailand), Nataly Castelblanco (Mexico), Himansu Das (UAE), Daryl Domning (US), Haydee Dominguez (Dominican Republic), Almeida Guissamulo (Mozambique), Ellen Hines (US), Lucy Keith (West Africa), Sarita Kendall (Colombia) , Donna Kwan (UNEP), Miriam Marmontel (Brazil), John Reynolds (US), Caryn Self-Sullivan (US), Cynthia Taylor (US), Jociery Vergara (Brazil) 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • International Sirenian • Evidence that Florida • Effective conservation of all th Workshop at 19 Biennial manatee population is four species of sirenians Meeting of the Society of increasing and is likely throughout their ranges , Marine Mammalogy. eligible for downlisting. especially in developing range states.

• Increase in the number of • Rezoning of the Great • Increased knowledge of the range states that have Barrier Reef World Heritage distribution and relative signed the CMS Dugong Area in Australia in a manner abundance of the West MOU to 20. that provided significant African manatee and the protection to dugongs. • Publication of first scholarly Amazonian manatee. synthesis of information on • Establishment of Protected the ecology and • Revaluation of the Areas in Mesoamerican conservation status of all conservation all four countries to protect species*. four specie. manatees.

• Regional listing of all major • Regional management plan dugong subpopulations. for Caribbean manatees Challenges published 2010. • Regional workshop to • Most sirenian range states coordinate more effective • West African manatee developing countries. conservation action of the recognised as greatest Amazonian manatee. conservation challenge • Lack of political will to because most range states deliver effective conservation least-developed countries. outcomes.

•Brazil and Mexico updated • Likely adverse impacts of their national manatee action human population increase planes in 2011. and climate change on sub- tropical and tropical coastal *Marsh, H, O’Shea, TJ, Reynolds, JE III. (2011) .The ecology and and riverine habitats. conservation of sirenia: dugongs and manatees. Cambridge University Photo credits: Alselmo d’Affonseca, Press. Tomas Diagne, Many Etpison, USGS

113 Small Carnivore Specialist Group

Chair: Jerry Belant [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Will Duckworth [email protected] Jerry is based in USA and is an associate professor of wildlife ecology at Mississippi State University.

Will is based in UK and is a freelance wildlife surveyor and conservation advisor, mainly working in Southeast Asia. The group has 110 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Co-organized the Borneo • Our collaboration in • Continue providing Carnivore Symposium (with compiling >4,000 carnivore assistance and Cat SG, Otter, SG, and records from across Borneo encouragement of additional Leibniz Institute for Zoo and to develop models for use in on-the-ground conservation Wildlife Research), Kota island-wide conservation actions to benefit small Kinabalu, Malaysia. (CBD planning. carnivore conservation (CBD Goals A, C). Goals A, B, C). • Our journal, Small • Co-organized symposium Carnivore Conservation, has • Expand recruitment, on small carnivores of doubled in size and is now membership, and Central America at 15th entirely peer-reviewed. involvement in Africa. Mesoamerican Society for Biology and Conservation, • Increasing our active • Secure long-term funding Merida, Mexico. (CBD Goals membership from across to enhance SCSG A, C). Latin America. infrastructure and journal production. • Initiated review and updating of small carnivore Challenges species for IUCN Red List (CBD Goal A). • Furthering our understanding of small • Currently assisting the carnivore distributions, assessment of human abundance and impacts, especially cattle conservation needs (CBD grazing, on red panda Goal A). habitat in Nepal (CBD Goals A, B, C, E). • Securing participation and interest in small carnivore conservation relative to more charismatic species.

114 Small Mammal Specialist Group Co-Chairs: Dr Don Wilson [email protected] Dr Richard Young [email protected]

RLA Focal Point: Dr Giovanni Amori [email protected] Don is based at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, USA, and Richard works for the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in the UK. Giovanni works for the Italian National Research Council based at the Sapienza University in Rome, Italy. Don Wilson Richard Young The group has 20 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The SMSG was formed at • Collaborating with ZSL’s • Develop a 5-year strategy the start of 2011 to represent EDGE of Existence for the SMSG. the rodents, eulipotyphlan programme to promote insectivores tree shrews. conservation for 25 small • Expand the Steering mammal species. Committee and engage • A preliminary Steering partner organisations to Committee was formed to • Financial and institutional bring in expertise on key lead the development of the support to develop a SMSG themes. SMSG. This currently website in early 2012. consists of the Co-Chairs, • Initiate a project to promote RLA Focal Point, Dr Sam • Recruited a Regional development of Species Turvey (Zoological Society of Coordinator for the Conservation Strategies for London) acting as Caribbean and secured priority species and regions Conservation Coordinator funding to support regional • Develop a targeted project and Dr Kris Helgen of the membership recruitment and to tackle the high number of Smithsonian Institution as field skills training. Data Deficient small Taxonomy Coordinator. mammal species.

Challenges • Launch an initiative to • Started a global scale • How to structure, grow and promote the photography of analysis of small mammal resource the SMSG in a way poorly-known small mammal distributions and threats to that balances the need to species for which no images identify conservation ensure sufficient expertise is of living individuals exist . priorities for the group. This built within the group with the has enabled us to start efficiencies gained by targeted recruitment of remaining modestly sized. members to coordinate activities in priority regions • With over 2700 species, and for important species. small mammals face a wide variety of threats. But a • Work has begun to recruit pervasive challenge is a lack members in regions where of research and conservation small mammal taxonomic attention on this poorly knowledge needs improving. known group.

115 Snake and Lizard Red List Authority Chair: Phil Bowles [email protected]

Phil is based and works in Washington DC, and is affiliated with the IUCN-Conservation International Biodiversity Assessment Unit.

The group has 13 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Snake and Lizard Red List • Added the results of the • Updating of previously- Authority Chair formally Madagascar Reptile assessed regions, including appointed in February. Assessment to the Red List. the addition of, and amendments to, species • Reviewing Red List • Completed assessments accounts for the Philippines, accounts prepared for for the reptiles of the Madagascar and Mexico. reptiles in Madagascar, Comoros Islands. Southeast Asia, South India • Submission for publication and East Melanesia prior to • Reviewed and submitted in 2012 of recently- publication. assessments for the reptiles completed workshops in of Yemen’s Socotra Southeast Asia, South India • Assisted in preparation of Archipelago. and East Melanesia. RLA-approved species lists for Central America prior to • Review and submission for that assessment project. publication in 2012 of results from forthcoming Global • Organized assessments of Reptile Assessment reptiles of the Comoros. Challenges workshops in the Arabian Peninsula, Central America • These represent the first • Developing a standardised and West Africa (the latter to conservation assessments taxonomic scheme for the be published in 2013). for the major reptile groups world’s eight to nine for these regions, and hence thousand species of lizards serve as a benchmark for and snakes, whilst ensuring evaluating progress towards consistency with existing the 2020 CBD targets. Red List entries.

• Ensuring the incorporation of new discoveries and taxonomic changes into the Red List following Global Reptile Assessment workshops.

116 Snapper, Seabream, Grunt Specialist Group Co-Chair & RLA Focal Point: Dr. Barry Russell [email protected] Co-Chair: Dr. Ken Lindeman [email protected] We are based in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, and Melbourne, Barry Russell Florida, USA. Russell is Curator Emeritus of Fishes, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Lindeman is Professor and Academic Sustainability Director, Florida Institute of Technology. The group has just been elevated from an RLA to a Specialist’s Group. Over 40 new members are being invited from nine global regions. Ken Lindeman 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The SSC elevated the • All lutjanids, haemulids, • Complete Red List former Red List Authority and sparids from the Eastern assessments of 350 (RLA) to a Specialist Group Tropical Pacific have been remaining species. (SG). assessed and a journal • Identify the most∽ • In 2011, the RLA article summarizing their threatened species and conducted assessments of status is in press as part of a evaluate conservation 122 species of W Atlantic review of many regional planning needs. lutjanids, sparids, haemulids families (>1000 species). • At region-specific scales, and centracanthids. • A manuscript is in prep. to determine which actions are • The RLA also globally summarize the assessment needed for the most assessed 143 sparids and findings for all known sparid threatened species and centracanthids. and centracanthid species. ecosystems (e.g., fishery • Establishment of 9 regional • A major scoping trip was regulations, MPA creation workgroups began within the made to India by Dr. Russell and enhancement, habitat new Specialists Group: SW to aid future assessments. protection, alternative Pacific (incl Australia & NZ), livelihoods, etc). NW Pacific, W Pacific (incl • Integration of efforts with Coral Triangle), E Africa & Challenges IUCN WCPA initiatives will Red Sea, South Asia, E • 540 species occur around be pursued, including the Atlantic & Mediterranean, the globe within 9 families. new Global Partnership for Brasil, E Pacific, and • High∽ ecological complexity, Professionalizing Protected Caribbean & N America. spp. can occur in deep reef Area Management. • The new SG developed through freshwater habitats. proposals to work with Many spp. ontogenetically researchers and non- shift across multiple habitats. traditional partners to • Growth- and recruitment- penetrate science-based overfishing are occurring on findings directly into many of the larger species, management, including the but long-term data is sparse. marine targets of the • Some key species form Convention on Biological spawning aggregations. Diversity. • Management infrastructure is often highly limited.

117 SG logo to go here. Size to be no taller than the IUCN logo

South American Camelid Specialist Group

Chair: Dr. Gabriela Lichtenstein [email protected]

RLA Focal Point: Dr. Ricardo Baldi [email protected] GL is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and works in Patagonia and the Puna. She is affiliated with INAPL, UBA and CONICET. RB is affiliated with CENPAT, CONICET and WCS. The group has 29 members from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, USA & Spain.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • To assess conservation • Participated at the XXVIII • GECS had a very important status of vicuñas and Vicuña Convention Ordinary role in the recovery of vicuña from its near extinction and the guanacos at population level. Meeting and provided technical advice for the XV creation of the Vicuña • GECS animal welfare Technical Meeting. Convention (1979). protocols to be implemented in all captures. • Co-organized a workshop • Organized a technical meeting • Create vicuña and guanaco for the creation of a regional that resulted in the demise of pacovicuña breeding projects. national and regional strategy for guanaco management plans. management in Patagonia. • Contributed towards the end of

captive use initiatives. • Help restore, maintain or • Implemented a project in reduce the decline of collaboration with WCS on • Contributed to the prevention populations. priorities for Guanaco of a law proposal that threatened • Protect traditional Conservation in Latin vicuña/guanaco conservation. knowledge, innovations and America. practices.

• Participated in a workshop • Ensure fair and equitable on CITES and CBNRM. Challenges sharing of benefits from the

• To achieve wild camelid use of vicuñas and guanacos. • Provided technical advice to national, provincial and sustainable use initiatives • Collaborate to establish a local fauna authorities in which promote species transparent market for fibre. Argentina. conservation while providing genuine economic incentives • Collaborated with local for local people. producers on establishment • To contribute towards the of equitable distribution of conservation of unexploited benefits derived from vicuña populations. and guanaco shearing. • Conservation challenges: • Scientific work of our poaching and illegal trade; members was made habitat fragmentation and available through a web climate change. page and newsletter. 118 South Asian Invertebrate Specialist Group Co-Chairs: B.A. Daniel and Ather Rafi RLA Focal Point: Sanjay Molur Daniel is based in Coimbatore, India and affiliated with Zoo Outreach Organisation and Ather Rafi is from Islamabad, Pakistan, affiliated with NARC, Islamabad. The group has 26 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Contributed for the • 803 invertebrates • Assess all butterflies of assessment of Eastern (Odonates: 541; Molluscs South Asia. Himalayas freshwater 262) assessed. invertebrates: molluscs and • Follow up conservation Odonates. • Generated funding for education activities of education and awareness of freshwater biodiversity of • Contributed for the the threatened freshwater India for Odonates and assessment of Western biodiversity of Western Molluscs.

Ghats freshwater Ghats. • Organise hands on training invertebrates: molluscs and • Identified partners for on pollinators and pollinator Odontes. future hands-on training education. programmes. • Represented Invertebrate • Strengthen sub network: Conservation Sub- •Freshwater biodiversity Freshwater Invertebrates. Committee and SAsISG at network for south Asia. the Global Entomology • Conference on freshwater Congress, Thailand invertebrates of South Asia.

February 2011. Challenges • E-newsletter providing an update of invertebrate • Membership for SAsISG • Promoting concept of invertebrate conservation at conservation. from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, India and political, layman level. Sri Lanka. • Influence political will • Liaised with other SGs in towards invertebrate promoting the work of conservation. SAsISG. • Update of species/habitat • Designed education plans information. for invertebrate pollinator conservation. • Quality of information.

• Fundraising.

119 Southern African Plant Specialist Group

Chair: Chair Domitilla Raimondo [email protected] RLA: Lize von Staden [email protected] We are based at the South African National Biodiversity Institute in Pretoria South Africa and in the Threatened Species Programme.

The group has 33 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Launched South Africa’s • Sharing lessons and • Raising funds to conduct first Red List website, which training with Brazil to assessments of is currently for plants but will complete assessments of a Mozambican plants be expanded to large flora. MoA with Brazil’s especially those occurring in other taxonomic groups. IUCN RLA developed. regional hot spots of endemism e.g. Maputo • Presented lessons learnt • National website Pondoland region in from assessing a megaflora www.redlist.sanbi.org Southern Mozambique. at the Global Strategy for includes conservation Plant Conservation assessments using the • Organising a 6 month Conference (Missouri, USA, IUCN system for all of South exchange for Southern Africa’s 20 689 recorded 2011). African Portuguese indigenous vascular plant • Submitted paper on how to speaking country botanists taxa. Species accounts complete comprehensive to learn about conducting include distribution, habitat assessments of megaflora. Red List assessments. information and a African botanists will be justification for the listing of a hosted by Brazil’s Centre for species as threatened or Challenges Flora Conservation and the least concern. Rio Botanic Gardens.

• Distribution maps are • Work during 2011 focused included for 7228 taxa and only on South Africa. images are available for over 3000 taxa. • Other Southern African countries do not currently • The South African Plant have resources to conduct Red List was used to Red Listing or related plant determine which species conservation work. need to be listed on the Threatened and Protected Species List on South Africa’s Biodiversity Act. Gladiolus stefaniae © C. Paterson-Jones

120 Species Conservation Planning Sub-Committee Chair: Mark R Stanley Price [email protected]

I am based in the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Dept. Zoology of the University of Oxford, UK and work globally through engaging with Specialist Group Chairs and others. I am also a Conservation Fellow at the Al Ain Zoo, Abu Dhabi. The sub-committee currently has nine members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • First sub-committee • Stimulated development of • Use and test SSC planning meeting in April 2011. planning and/ or provided approach on diverse taxa small resources for planning and geographical reach. • Facilitated use of SSC for: Asian wild buffalo, Strategic Planning for sawfish species, Djibouti • Enlarge membership with Species Conservation biodiversity. persons genuinely interested methods for: pygmy hippo, in species planning issues. Brazilian fresh-water fish, • Mechanism for SSC Djibouti francolin, Trinidad endorsement of sound • Assess experiences from a piping guan, Bactrian camel, species plans approved by wide range of planning to Ethiopian wolf, golden Steering Committee. develop version 2 of SSC mantella frog, and others. planning handbook.

• Collaboration with • Assist more Specialist Conservation Breeding Groups to embark on priority Specialist Group through a species planning. Tools Development Working Group, analysing and Challenges • Demonstrate how we can developing tools for various • Increase awareness of assist Specialist Groups. planning situations. SSC re: good planning and how to assist them. • Small financial assistance availed to: brown howler • Develop planning tools so workshop (Argentina), wild species planning costs less. buffalo (India), golden mantella review, Specialist • Encourage planning for Group mentoring, sawfish neglected taxa and regions. species, Djibouti biodiversity. • Many species need good planning. •Assisted Mediterranean IUCN office with proposal for • Ensure plans implemented species planning capacity accountably and periodic building in North Africa. reviews of impact done.

121 Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill Specialist Group Co-Chairs: Malcolm C Coulter [email protected] Wim Van den Bossche [email protected]

Malcolm Coulter is based in the United States and works especially on Malcolm Coulter species of the new world and Asia. Wim Van den Bossche is based in Belgium and works especially on species of the old world.

The group has 42 members and contact list of more than 300 researchers.

Wim Van den Bossche 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Regional census on Black • Promotion of the • Support and develop stork, White Stork, Oriental species action plans for conservation of Black- Crested Ibis, Black-faced endangered species. faced Spoonbill and Spoonbill.

Oriental Crested Ibis. • Increase sharing of efforts • Oriental Crested Ibis to protect key habitats with • Black Stork colour population increased from 5 ringing programme in to 1500+ in the wild/captivity. other specialist groups and place. It’s been reintroduced to other conservation China, Japan & good organisations. • Inform stakeholders prospects for Korea. and decision-makers on • Increase communication the status and trends of • Black-faced Spoonbills among researchers and storks, ibises and increased from 200-1500+. conservationists working on storks, ibises and spoonbills. spoonbills.

• Oriental White Storks have been reintroduced to Japan. • Identifying status of large scale, transboundary initiatives Challenges for migratory species. • Setting up communication

tools for the group

members.

• Boosting the dynamics of the group.

• Finding support for Insert endangered populations in remote areas. picture of species • Continuous loss of rainforests and wetlands in Southeast Asia

122 Sturgeon Specialist Group Chair: Dr. Mohammad Pourkazemi Deputy Chairs: Dr. Dennis L. Scarmecchia (North America) / Dr. Michail Chebanov (Eurasia) I am based in IRAN and work in International Sturgeon Research Institute. P.O.BOX. 41634- 3464, RASHT-IRAN

Sub Committee: Genetic / Stock assessment / Aquaculture / Ecology and Trade

The group has 62 members . 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Collaboration with CITES, • Completion of sturgeon • Develop Action Plan for World Sturgeon Conservation Red List assessment. Eurasian sturgeon species. Society (WSCS) and Caspian Environment • Providing scientific • Joint effort with CITES for Program ( CEP). consultation to CITES on the amendment of Res. Conf. sustainable management 12.7 on sturgeon and • Collaboration in sturgeon and conservation ofsturgeon Paddlefish Conservation. working group to draft stock Species. assessment methodology • Strengthen the web site and take on more active • Holding Workshop on DNA • Close collaboration with the members. barcoding. World Sturgeon Conservation Society to • Develop pilot project to • Close collaboration with organize sturgeon symposia show the effective tools of Freshwater Specialist Group. and workshops. joint working and local resident involvement. The results of our work helped the Sturgeon range • Organizing a regional base state to follow the main Challenges meeting and exchange the principles to sturgeon stock views on success stories. • Decreasing sturgeon assessment and stocks in mostly in Eurasia. Conservation. • Lack of regional collaboration between countries.

•Lack of conservation action plan for species at the regional or basin level.

•Increasing public awareness for Eurasian critically endangered sturgeon species.

123 Swan Specialist Group Chair: John Oyvind Albertsen [email protected]

I am based in Norway and work as a biologist in my own company, ShiZen. I am affiliated with The Norwegian Ornithological Society.

The group has 200 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Draft of Action Plan for the • Raising awareness of the • Planning of the 5th NW European Population of decline and producing an International Swan Bewick’s Swan was tabled at Action plan for the NW Symposium in 2014. the AEWA-meeting in European Bewick’s Swan. November (Norway). • Implementation of the NW • Work of the Trumpeter European Bewick’s Swan • Compilation of data from Swan Society for the Action Plan. the International Waterbird conservation of the Census (IWC) in 2010. Trumpeter Swan. • Contribute in management and monitoring of key sites • Monitoring key sites for for swans. breeding, migrating and wintering swans. • Initiate more research on swan biology. • Several works on the biology of swans have been published or are in preparation; related to Challenges movement, energetics, genetics, etc. • The impact of oil / gas industry on the breeding •The 22nd Trumpeter Swan sites of swans in the Arctic. Society Congress took place in Montana (USA) in • Impact of wind farms October. (present and future) on the flyways of European swans.

• Problems of drought caused by a change in water schemes related to dam building in Asia.

124 Tapir Specialist Group Chair: Patrícia Medici [email protected]

RLA Focal Point: Alan Shoemaker [email protected]

Patrícia Medici is based in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, BRAZIL, and works on lowland tapirs in Brazil. Patrícia is affiliated with IPÊ - Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas, Institute for Ecological Research, Brazil

The TSG has 120 members from 27 countries

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Fifth International Tapir • Signing of a MOU with the • Establishment of a non- Symposium, Kuala Lumpur, Ministry of the Environment profit in the United States to Malaysia, October, of Honduras for the help with fundraising for our organized in partnership with implementation of their tapir conservation efforts. the Malaysian Department of National Action Plan for Tapir • Complete revamp of the Wildlife and National Parks. Conservation. TSG Conservation Fund

(TSGCF) - Annual funding • Development of the Tapir • In 2011, tapirs had a cycles and calls for Specialist Group (TSG) significant exposure in the proposals. Strategic Plan for the next media and the tapir triennium (2012-2014). conservation cause has • Implementation of Species received a lot of attention, Action Plans and National • Development of 4 new particularly in Brazil. Action Plans.

National Action Plans for Tapir Conservation • Implementation of the TSG (Argentina, Ecuador, Strategic Plan 2012-2014. Honduras and Peru). Challenges • Update of the TSG Field • Launching of a re-designed Veterinary Manual and TSG version of the TSG Website • The biggest challenge of Guidelines for (www.tapirs.org). the TSG has been getting Reintroductions and the attention of the relevant Translocations. • In 2011, the TSG was governmental agencies and extremely successful in the general public to the tapir raising funds for its meetings conservation cause. and operation costs including continuous support • The biggest conservation for the Tapir Conservation challenge for tapirs is newsletter. securing their survival outside protected areas throughout their distributions.

125 Temperate South America Plant Specialist Group Chair: Carlos B. Villamil [email protected] RLA Focal Point: María E. de Villalobos [email protected])

We are based in Bahía Blanca, Argentina and work in Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur.

The group has 21 members

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The SG has been The preliminary evaluation of • To prepare preliminary lists successful in bringing the threat for more than 1980 of endangered vascular plant issue of plant conservation plant species endemic to species for every country in into as many audiences as Argentina was carried out by the region. possible, through members of the SG with the conferences, workshops and assistance of numerous • To obtain official symposia held during botanists and recognition of the preliminary scientific meetings aimed at conservationists of the lists as a starting point the academic community, as country. The list was adopted towards a full categorization well as through as the official reference for according to the UICN Red presentations and activities plant conservation by the List Criteria. offered for the general public Argentine Federal in ONG’s and schools. Government. The database can be visited at www.lista- • The most ambitious planear.org. endeavour for the SG has been to attain a preliminary categorization of the species Challenges of the regional flora, as a The plant in the photo is Tweedia contribution to Targets 2 and • To redefine the constitution aucaënsis, an extremely restricted 3 of the Global Strategy for of the Group, in order to endemism of the southern Andes, whose threat category must be Plant Conservation. achieve a more balanced representation of each of the defined according to the IUCN Members of the SG have criteria contributed with their own political units included in it. data and through consultation with colleagues. • To obtain the financial resources that would permit to carry out a more instrumental action plan for the SG.

126 Terrestrial and Freshwater Invertebrate Red List Authority RLA Focal Point: Justin Gerlach [email protected]

I am based in Cambridge, UK, as an independent biologist.

The group has 71 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals

• Development of priorities • Development of priority list. • The primary aim of this for terrestrial and freshwater RLA is to increase the invertebrate Red Listing. • Support for the number of assessed establishment of new invertebrates. • Establishment of a network invertebrates Specialist of specialists willing to Groups (SGs). • A major step in achieving review assessments. the primary aim will be to reduce the number of species covered by the RLA though the creation of new SGs.

Challenges • The sheer number of species covered by the RLA.

• The limited number of specialists active in invertebrate RL assessment.

• Suspicion of the RL process in the wider invertebrate biology community.

• Lack of resources for TIRLA activities.

127 Threatened Waterfowl Specialist Group Chair: Dr. Baz Hughes (WWT), [email protected]

Global Assistant Co-ordinator: Dr. Glyn Young Regional Co-ordinator for Africa, Eurasia & Middle-East: Dr. Andy Green Regional Co-ordinator for North America: Dr. Tom Rothe Regional Assistant Co-ordinator for Oceania: Dr. Murray Williams Formed in 1990, the TWSG is coordinated from the Wildfowl & Trust (WWT), Slimbridge, UK, as part of the IUCN-SSC/Wetlands International Waterbird Network The group ha s 992 members from 145 countries.

Objectives 2011 Update Future Goals • Identify which Anseriformes • Finalised AEWA action plan • Continued focus on on-the- taxa are globally threatened for Red-breasted Geese. ground action. and monitor their status. • Held Scaly-sided • Produce and implement • Produce and implement Merganser action planning Scaly-sided Merganser international single species workshop in Russia. action plan. action plans. • Secured significant funds • Reverse the Red-breasted • Maintain an effective for Madagascar Pochard Goose decline. communication network for conservation breeding and threatened waterfowl reintroduction. • Successfully reintroduce experts. Madagascar Pochard. • Produced an updated • Provide information and European Ruddy Duck • Eradicate (wild and captive) advice in support of the eradication strategy. Ruddy Ducks from Europe. programmes of Wetlands International, IUCN-SSC, and others. Success Stories Challenges • Producing 12 action plans • Building capacity building for 7 threatened species and local community since 1990 involvement into species action planning. • Initiating a €2.7M LIFE+ project for Red-breasted • Providing sustainable Geese funding for action plan • Saving the Madagascar implementation Pochard from extinction © Gerardo Garcia • Convincing the UK government to eradicate Ruddy Ducks to address the threat to the White-headed Duck

128 Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group

Chair: Anders G.J. Rhodin, M.D., [email protected] Deputy Chair / RLA Focal Point: Peter Paul van Dijk [email protected] We are based at Chelonian Research Foundation, Lunenburg, Massachusetts, USA (Rhodin), and Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia, USA (van Dijk). van Dijk (left) and Rhodin (right) in Baly Bay The TFTSG has 280 members from 52 nations who work or focus National Park, Madagascar, with a re- their efforts in at least 107 nations. introduced radio-tagged Critically Endangered Ploughshare Tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora). 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals

• Identified and documented threats • Implemented a broad-based • To complete the IUCN Red List assessments of all species of for most of the 330 species of conservation strategy to respond to the freshwater turtles and tortoises and to tortoises and freshwater turtles Asian Turtle Crisis, including integral worldwide, including many new and publish them all on the Red List. involvement in CITES processes. updated IUCN Red List assessments. • To continue to monitor, document • Organized focused IUCN Workshops • Established the Turtle Survival and publish on the evolving threats, for Red Listing and Conservation Alliance (TSA), a former IUCN Task status and survival prospects of turtles Action Plans for threatened turtles and Force of the TFTSG, now a successful and tortoises globally, and to make tortoises; with special focus since appropriate science-based independent NGO focused on recommendations for their 2007 on Madagascar, Mexico, India, management and prevention of turtle Australia, and the Mediterranean, with conservation, including needed South America and Asia workshops in extinctions through captive breeding management measures and legislative 2010–11. programs. protection. • Catalyzed conservation action • Established the Turtle Conservation • To continue to evaluate species needed for Critically Endangered threatened by international and Fund (TCF), a partnership initiative of domestic trade, and to recommend turtles and tortoises worldwide, the TFTSG, the TSA, Conservation including funding support through the appropriate measures including Turtle Conservation Fund for priority International (CI), and the European possible inclusion on the CITES conservation action. Association of Zoos and Aquaria, that Appendices and support for the CITES funds high priority conservation projects non-detriment finding process, and to • Produced and published the third on Critically Endangered freshwater continue to engage with the U.S. Fish iteration of the Top 25+ Turtles in and Wildlife Service and State Wildlife Trouble assessment by the newly- turtles and tortoises. Agencies to appropriately regulate formed Turtle Conservation Coalition, commercial turtle trade in the USA. a partnership venture between TFTSG, TCF, TSA, CI, Turtle • To continue to develop, facilitate and Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation implement effective shared strategies Society, and San Diego Zoo Global. Challenges and collaborative partnerships, and to catalyze conservationists and • Provided scientific support for the • To generate enough funding support organizations to collaboratively and Turtle Survival Alliance, including co- to continue to implement our core effectively address priority turtle organizing the Annual Symposium on activity, Red Listing and to translate conservation needs to prevent any Conservation and Biology of Turtles Red List assessments into further turtle extinctions worldwide. and Tortoises. comprehensive conservation strategies. • Provided consultation to CITES and Action to be implemented in partnership the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with our TFTSG membership, regarding international and U.S. governments and intergovernmental domestic turtle trade and the effects agencies, and NGO partners. on turtle populations of enacted regulatory actions and unregulated • To reverse the alarming trend that, commercial trade. because turtles are ecosystem • Produced the monograph project on components highly vulnerable to Conservation Biology of Freshwater exploitation, with extremely slow Turtles and Tortoises in conjunction recovery potential, they have rapidly with Chelonian Research Foundation, become one of the most severely including an authoritative annual threatened large global groups of checklist of all turtles of the world by vertebrates, with ca. 50% of their 330 the Turtle Taxonomy Working Group species threatened with extinction. of the TFTSG. Burmese Roofed Turtle, Batagur trivittata

129 Tuna and Billfish Specialist Group Chair & RLA Focal Point: Bruce Collette

I am based in the National Museum of Natural History. I am affiliated with complete with name of your National Museum of Natural History, USA

The group has 15 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Assessment of tuna and • Fishery scientists and • Continually evaluate the billfishes was published in conservation biologists on status of stocks of species Science, 2011. Entitled board for the final publication rated in Threatened and “High Value and Long-Lived: in Science Near Threatened categories Double Jeopardy for Tuna and Billfishes,” it is the first • First time fishery scientists, comprehensive assessment ichthyologists and of the threat status to the conservationists have come world’s 61 species of together to produce an scombrids and billfishes assessment of a under the IUCN Red List commercially important fish criteria • 56 citations of Science • Research was subject of a paper in first week after its EarthSky podcast: release on line http://earthsky.org/food/bruc e-collette-the-sad-state-of- tuna-stocks and a Challenges SeaMonster blog http://theseamonster.net/201 • Keep fishery scientists and 1/08/bluefin-land-on-the-red- conservationists involved list-seamonster-interviews- despite their differing views the-expert-team/ on the dangers of species extinction • Publication in time for the meeting of the five tuna • Persuade RFMOs that Regional Fishery catch quotas and other Management Organizations measures need to be (RFMOs) responsible for employed and enforced to developing international protect stocks of species in conservation and Threatened and Near management measures Threatened categories

130 Viper Specialist Group

Chair: Dr. Christopher L. Jenkins [email protected] RLA Focal Point: Javan Bauder [email protected]

I am based in Georgia (USA) and work around the world on snake ecology and conservation. I am CEO of The Orianne Society (USA).

The group has 40 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • We are new and our efforts • First meeting of the are now becoming close to • Hold our first in-person advisory committee & initial creating success stories. meeting in 2012. strategy and structure discussions. • Our conservation planning • Develop a structure that efforts for rattlesnakes in includes membership, • Planning first full meeting Wyoming are being used by advisory committee, and for the upcoming World the US BLM to direct energy officer levels. Congress of Herpetology. development projects to avoid impacts to snakes. • Expand our involvement in • Scoping process for a focal Red List assessments. initiative on Bushmaster • We have given education conservation. programs to over 500 people • Expand the website and on the importance and develop a Facebook page. • Completed first season of status of vipers and seen Eastern Diamondback very positive attitude • Expand our focal initiatives Rattlesnake Surveys in changes. to include more projects Coastal Georgia (USA) & outside of the USA. held the first meeting of the Challenges Eastern Diamondback • Work more closely with Conservation Action • It has been a significant policy makers at all levels of Planning Team. challenge starting a SG with government. little initial funding support. • First year of recovering However, we are beginning Timber Rattlesnake to pick up momentum. populations project in New England, USA. • A general challenge for our group is that we are working • Midgetfaded Rattlesnakes on the conservation of one field study and conservation of the most feared groups of planning Wyoming, USA. animals in the world.

• Input to regional Red List assessments.

131 Vulture Specialist Group

Co-Chairs: Chris Bowden [email protected] / Andre Botha [email protected]

Andre Botha Chris is based in the UK, working for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Andre is based in South Africa and is manager of the Birds of Prey Programme of the Endangered Wildlife Trust. The group has 65 members Chris Bowden 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • This group was established • The Group has established • See comment on Pan- in April 2011 and is in its a strong membership African Vulture Summit. early stages of representing coverage of a establishment and member considerable part of the • The Vulture Specialist recruitment. range of Old and New World Group will aim to advocate vultures with representation and create greater on 5 continents. awareness of the plight of these birds and coordinate • The first Pan-African effective conservation Vulture Summit is being held activities to their benefit. in Kenya in April 2012

Challenges Vultures worldwide are under threat from a range of factors, mostly induced by anthropogenic factors that have led to large-scale declines in populations, particularly in Asia where 3 Gyps species are faced with extinction due to impact of veterinary use of the non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drug (NSAID), diclofenac. In Africa, populations of several species have declined or been extirpated in parts of their historical range over the last 30 years and are often only found in protected areas. In addition to large scale Insert transformation of natural habitat resulting in reduced availability of food and picture of breeding sites, factors such as direct persecution, poisoning, collisions with and species electrocution by electricity infrastructure and the trade in vultures, either as live birds or for their body parts, have been responsible for this.

132 WCPA/ SSC Task Force on Biodiversity & Protected Areas Co-Chairs: Stephen Woodley [email protected] Thomas Brooks [email protected] Stephen is based in Ottawa and works in Parks Canada on secondment to the IUCN Protected Areas Programme. Thomas is based in Washington DC, and works for NatureServe. Stephen Woodley Thomas Brooks The group has 200 members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The Joint Task Force was • Established collaboration • Workshop on meta- convened in 2009, with two with ZSL, WWF, WCMC and analysis of protected area immediate objectives: BIOPAMA to maintain biodiversity benefits – U. of 1) To undertake a meta- population data in/ out of Queensland, May 2012 analysis of the factors which protected areas; PhD case increase the probability that studies in Universities of • Convene a high-level protected areas will benefit Queensland, Copenhagen. objectives workshop, species populations; technical working groups, 2) To convene a scientific • For consolidation of and regional consultations stakeholder process to standards for identifying for consolidating standards consolidate standards for the significant sites, support to identify significant sites. identification of sites of from Mava Foundation, global biodiversity EAD, Rio Tinto, and Shell to • Publish results for and conservation significance. develop option papers and convene workshops at World convene working groups. Conservation Congress. • Both objectives support CBD Aichi Target 11, plus • Lead Congress motion on mechanisms such as CBD’s Challenges developing the interfaces Programme of Work on between IUCN’s knowledge Protected Areas and Global • Bridging cultural products on species (e.g., Strategy for Plant differences between the Red List) and protected Conservation, Ramsar and species and the protected areas (e.g., WDPA). World Heritage Conventions, area conservation the safeguard policies of the communities. international financial institutions and the private • Ameliorating concerns sector. about IUCN data sharing and branding. • We aim to establish a process for data collection to • Fundraising for developing maintain such analysis into and maintaining methods, the future. standards and data systems.

133 Wildlife Health Specialist Group Chairs: Billy Karesh and Richard Kock Insert [email protected] picture of We are based and work in New York and London. We are the Chair affiliated with EcoHealth Alliance (USA) and the Royal Veterinary College, University of London (UK).

The group has 300 members from 80 countries.

Billy Karesh Richard Kock

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals Key Activities • Developed Guidelines for • Support and enhance • Expanded membership, Disease Risk Analysis (DRA) wildlife health capacity with a focus on new with other Specialist Groups. globally by offering value- members from added resources and underrepresented regions. • Established WildHealth Net promoting greater interaction linked to One Health training among members. • Refined Terms of under RESPOND.

Reference to promote active • Formalized relationships • Increase collaboration with engagement of members. with the World Organization other IUCN and One Health for Animal Health’s Working groups. • Began development of a Group on Wildlife Diseases. new website and social • Serve as the wildlife health media tools. • Supported membership on authority for policy and One critical conservation issues Health stakeholders. Influencing policy and eg Ethiopian wolf vaccination promoting the CBD targets • Develop materials with • Acknowledged as the strong justification for value authority on wildlife health Challenges of wildlife health efforts. issues by UNEP. WHSG Challenges • Distribute DRA materials • Global representation of • Lack of wildlife health widely to encourage sound our membership offers capacity, especially in decision making. richness of perspectives and resource-limited regions. strong expertise. Conservation Challenges • Provided rapid advice for • Disease spread in wildlife, local, emergency wildlife livestock and humans. health crises as well as information to guide large- • Economies of wildlife scale environmental policies health systems. and resource allocation.

134 Wolf Specialist Group

Co-Chairs: L. David Mech [email protected] Luigi Boitani [email protected]

We are based in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA (Mech) and Rome, Italy (Boitani). We are affiliated with the U. S. Geological Survey and the University of Minnesota (Mech) and the University of Rome, Italy. L. David Mech The group has 17 members.

Luigi Boitani 2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • The WSG functions via • Wolf Recovery in the • Improving public education correspondence among its Northern Rocky Mountains, about wolves. worldwide membership and USA and sustainable wolf occasional international management returned to • Promoting wider symposia, with members in Idaho and Montana. distribution of wolves in key their individual positions areas of the United States, adhering to the principles of • Wolf Recovery in the Mexico, and Eurasia. the Group’s “Manifesto on United States Great Lakes Wolf Conservation” in their States and final decision on •Developing non-lethal professional capacities. removal from federal methods of preventing Thus, in 2011, individual Endangered Species List. depredation on livestock. members have: • Reintroduction of Mexican • International Wolf • Helped develop a revised wolves by Mexican Symposium. Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan government.

• Critiqued the Wyoming Wolf Management Plan Challenges • Critiqued both the USFWS wolf delisting proposal for • Funding for meetings. Wyoming and for the Great Lakes area • Recommending and implementing sustainable • Published several scientific management that satisfies 2 articles on wolf conservation opposing extreme public views of wolves. • Promoted public education about wolves via the • Developing non-lethal International Wolf Center methods of preventing magazine, museum and depredation on livestock. website (www.wolf.org)

• This work addresses CBD targets 3 and 4

135 Woodcock and Snipe Specialist group

Chair: Dr Yves Ferrand [email protected]

I am based in France and affiliated with the National Hunting and Wildlife Agency (Office national de la chasse et de la faune sauvage - France)

The group has 55 active members.

2011 Update Success Stories Future Goals • Organisation of the 7th • In summer 2010, a strong • Organize a monitoring of Woodcock and Snipe drought was observed in Common Snipe populations Workshop in Saint- European Russia which in European Russia. Petersburg (Russia). could potentially have a high impact on Woodcock • Obtain precise information • Set of a national Woodcock breeding success ; thanks to on woodcock and snipe annual bag limit per hunter in a large WSSG information, hunting bags in Europe. France. French administration and stakeholders have jointly • Expertise about Woodcock taken bag regulation hunting regulation changes measures for the 2010/11 in Norway and Switzerland hunting season. Similar and about the opportunity of measures were taken in a European management Russia in spring 2011. plan for Jack snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus).

Challenges • Improve knowledge on the conservation status of African, South American and Asian woodcock and snipe species.

• Maintain suitable habitats for Snipe species all over the World (facing wetlands Participants to the 7th WSSG Workshop May 2011 – Saint-Petersburg (Russia) losses) and for Woodcock species in Asia (facing deforestation).

136

Advancing the Species Conservation Agenda An overview of the IUCN SSC Network 2009 – 2012 Cover: Great Hammerhead ( Hammerhead Great Cover: Sphyrna mokarran Sphyrna ) photo © Karl Dietz © Karl ) photo

Specialist Groups

Stand-alone Red List Authorities

Sub-Committees

Task Forces

This publication was produced with the kind support of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhai (EAD) and the Mohamaed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund