TAG reports 2013-14 EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIA INTRODUCTION EAZA’s Taxon Advisory Groups (TAG) range from Terrestrial Invertebrates to Tapirs and Hippos, from Penguins to Felids and many more. TAGs define the ex situ management level a species requires, which might be low, medium or high. Within the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) these levels are defined as Monitor Programmes, European Studbooks (ESB) or European Endangered Species Programmes (EEP). At the end of 2014 EAZA had 39 TAGs, 195 EEPs and 193 ESBs. Each TAG develops and oversees the implementation of a Regional Collection Plan (RCP), in which the management level of species is outlined. The RCP is a living document, continually under revision due to shifts in both ex situ and in situ population management. RCPs can be used as the base for Institutional Collection Plans, so that institutions obtain animals that have the highest priority of being held within the EAZA community. The TAG also oversees and helps to develop Husbandry Guidelines that reflect the best practice management of the respective taxa. The TAG itself is led by a TAG Chair who is assisted by one or more TAG Vice Chairs, depending on the number of species covered by the group. Within the remit of the TAG also lie the EEPs, ESBs and Monitor Programmes and the TAG encourages involvement of representatives from across the EAZA community. Most TAGs are assisted by internal and external advisors regarding specific topics, such as veterinary or research matters for instance. Additionally EAZA’s EEP Committee guides the TAGs in decision making processes, such as approving the nomination of new breeding programme managers and non-EAZA institutions to participate in EEPs. Together the EAZA’s TAGs cover all groups of animals held by EAZA collections. A TAG meeting is held at least once per year, which brings breeding programme managers, other experts and interested parties together. To ensure the quality of intensively managed populations, the TAGs evaluate their EEPs every five years. In 2014, for the first time, a Global Joint TAG Chairs meeting was held at Alphen aan de Rijn, The Netherlands, which brought together TAG Chairs from all of the major regional associations; this landmark event points towards greater cooperation among TAGs worldwide in service of the ex situ conservation of species. A detailed overview of these activities can be found in this TAG Annual Report. If you wish to receive more information on any of the topics raised, please contact the EAZA Executive Office via [email protected]. EAZA extends its thanks all the Chairs, members and breeding programme coordinators for their hard work over the two years of 2013 and 2014. Cover image: Zebra sharks © Max Janse TAG reports 2013-14 TERRESTRIAL INVERTEBRATE TAG Chair: Mark Bushell (Bristol Zoo Gardens, Bristol, United Kingdom) TAG Vice Chair: Tamás Papp (Budapest Zoo, Budapest, Hungary) TAG meetings 2013/2014 The Terrestrial Invertebrate TAG (hereafter called TITAG) held two meetings during the period of 2013/2014; one DESERTAS WOLF SPIDER © PEDRO CARDOSO during the 2013 EAZA Annual Conference in Edinburgh which focussed on reporting on recent EEP activities since discuss the conservation strategy of this critically endangered Innsbruck, followed by another during the 2014 EAZA species, including in situ habitat work and ex situ initiatives Annual Conference at Budapest which concentrated on currently being led by Thoiry Zoo, with plans to have a captive developments with TAG structure and advancement of new population by mid-2015. projects and conservation strategies. After ten years in tenure, The Desertas wolf spider (Hogna ingens) was highlighted Warren Spencer announced he was stepping down as Chair in by the SSSG and plans are currently underway for the June 2013 to allow someone new to take over and help TITAG development of a conservation strategy with hopes to have a to reach the next step in its potential. This role was filled by solid document in place by December 2015. Mark Bushell (Bristol) as Chair and Tamás Papp (Budapest) as Development continues on the creation of an EEP for the Vice Chair who will look to carry on the great work done by Lord Howe Island stick insect (Dryococelus australis) which Warren and Paul Pearce-Kelly over the last few years. The role will also be linked to the forthcoming Species Survival Plan of TITAG vet advisor has been filled by Mark Eichelmann. A (SSP) in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) symposium is planned for 2015 to be held at Artis Royal Zoo, region of the United States of America. We hope that a in Amsterdam. population of this fantastic species will be established in at least two European collections in late 2015. Programme coordination and evaluation 2013/2014 The 2013 Partula snail EEP studbook was produced and The two EEPs currently sitting under TITAG are planned to circulated; overall the captive populations of Polynesian tree be evaluated fully in early 2015. A new coordinator for the snails continue to generally do well with overall numbers RCP was appointed and development continued throughout remaining stable, although this hides changes within the year following feedback received in 2011 from EAZA individual taxa. A meeting was held on 1 March 2013 at Executive Office. Version 1.4 will hopefully be published ZSL London for the Partulid Global Species Management mid-2015 with the hope of updating it on an annual basis. Programme. This meeting brought together participants As part of the updates, two new monitor programmes have from nine zoological collections to discuss developments, been created; one for Mexican red-knee spiders and another including the commencement of the reintroduction phase of for Indian and Sri Lankan tiger spiders, with the possibility of the programme. developing a key species of the latter into an ESB programme. As part of the overall action plan for the partulid snails, TITAG continues to strengthen links with other relevant a reintroduction and field study in Tahiti was arranged organisations with members being part of the International in October 2013 for two species of Partula snail (P. affinis Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival and P. hyalina) from EEP holder collections in the United Commission (SSC) Grasshopper Specialist Group (GSG) and Kingdom and France, supplemented by a third species of Spider and Scorpion Specialist Group (SSSG). The Crau steppe snail (P. nodosa) being held as part of the AZA SSP. These grasshopper (Prionotropis hystrix rhodanica) was identified were accompanied to Tahiti by three members of staff as being of conservation concern by the GSG. A meeting from Bristol, Edinburgh and ZSL London. However, due was held in St. Martin-de-Crau (France) during May 2014 to to unforeseen circumstances, the proposed release did not 3 go ahead. Through perseverance, a more solid in-region discussed the level of management each should have. plan and protocol was established between the resident As a result of the workshop, the first RCP has been government and the Partula consortium that will smooth the developed for elasmobranchs; it includes 42 species. A way for a future release attempt in the next year or so. Several key discussion point during the workshop was how best sites in Tahiti were also surveyed as part of the field-trip and to manage aquatic species’ populations. The management populations recorded and observations made on how this options of ESB, Mon – T and Mon – P were reviewed. critically endangered group of snails is faring in the face of Including the newly developed ESBs for Black-tip reef sharks possible extinction. (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and sawfish (P. zijsron, P. A 2013 summary of the Frégate beetle EEP was produced microdon), as well as the two European seahorse species (H. and circulated. The population is in decline at most guttulatus, H. hippocampus), only ten ESBs exist for fish. In institutions, with only one collection showing an increase. the workshop, only a few additional species were considered A decision needs to be made regarding the future of this suitable for ESB management at this time, with the remaining programme as an EEP or ESB and discussions will continue species being included as monitoring programmes (Mon-P until a suitable solution or plan has been realised. We are level). This strategy should allow new coordinators and new still waiting for an update on the food trials relating to participants within the programme the chance to learn the larval development, but a study on diet work at Manchester techniques required for population management and put University has become available. This showed some interesting them into practice before moving towards more complicated results of the effects of differing wood-fungus substrates issues associated with ESBs for fish. In the end of 2013, nine on larval growth and could potentially be applied to other ESB were running on elasmobranchs. The coordinator of the saproxylic species of conservation concern. Zebra shark ESB changed from Max Janse to Silvia Lavorano, Proceedings and documents from the meetings as well as Genova Aquarium. For 22 MON-P programmes, coordinators the RCP can be found on the TAG’s web space on the EAZA were found and will realise the program in 2014. Applications website’s member area. will be made for two new elasmobranch species ESBs. At the 2013 Fish and Aquatic Invertebrate TAG meetings, both in the EAZA meeting in Edinburgh and at the European FISH AND AQUATIC Union of Aquarium Curator’s (EUAC) meeting in Billund, Denmark, discussions took place regarding the effectiveness INVERTEBRATE of ESBs for fishes. The two ESB managers for European Chair: Brian Zimmerman (Zoological Society of seahorses expressed concern that this method of management London, London, United Kingdom) is not necessarily the right one for highly fecund teleosts, Vice Chair (Elasmobranchs): Max Janse such as seahorses.