Threatened Species Monitoring PROGRAMME Threatened Species in South Africa: A review of the South African National Biodiversity Institutes’ Threatened Species Programme: 2004–2009 Acronyms ADU – Animal Demography Unit ARC – Agricultural Research Council BASH – Big Atlassing Summer Holiday BIRP – Birds in Reserves Project BMP – Biodiversity Management Plan BMP-S – Biodiversity Management Plans for Species CFR – Cape Floristic Region CITES – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CoCT – City of Cape Town CREW – Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers CWAC – Co-ordinated Waterbird Counts DEA – Department of Environmental Affairs DeJaVU – December January Atlassing Vacation Unlimited EIA – Environmental Impact Assessment EMI – Environmental Management Inspector GBIF – Global Biodiversity Information Facility GIS – Geographic Information Systems IAIA – International Association for Impact Assessment IAIAsa – International Association for Impact Assessment South Africa IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature LAMP – Long Autumn Migration Project LepSoc – Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa MCM – Marine and Coastal Management MOA – memorandum of agreement MOU – memorandum of understanding NBI – National Botanical Institute NEMA – National Environmental Management Act NEMBA – National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act NGO – non-governmental organization NORAD – Norwegian Agency for Development Co–operation QDGS – quarter-degree grid square SABAP – Southern African Bird Atlas Project SABCA – Southern African Butterfly Conservation Assessment SABIF – South African Biodiversity Information Facility SADC – Southern African Development Community SAFAP – Southern African Frog Atlas Project SAIAB – South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity SANBI – South African National Biodiversity Institute SANParks – South African National Parks SANSA – South African National Survey of Arachnida SARCA – Southern African Reptile Conservation Assessment SASSI – Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative SSC – Species Survival Commission TMNP – Table Mountain National Park TOPS – Threatened or Protected Species TSP – Threatened Species Programme UCT – University of Cape Town UWC – University of the Western Cape WHAMB – Welcome Home All Migrant Birds WLT – Western Leopard Toad WLT-CC – Western Leopard Toad Conservation Committee Contents Introduction 1 Introduction This publication covers the work of the South African National Biodiversity 5 OBJECTIVE 1: DEVELOPMENT OF Institute (SANBI) Threatened Species Programme (TSP) between 2004 and PROGRAMMES TO ADDRESS GAPS 2009. The conservation work conducted by the TSP has been pioneering, as IN RED-LISTING it is SANBI’s first work in monitoring animal species. Entering this new 5 Southern African Butterfly territory has been made possible by funding from the Norwegian Embassy via Conservation Assessment ( SABCA ) the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA). This publication outlines how 8 Southern African Reptile SANBI has gone about piloting this new area of work, and highlights how muc h Conservation Assessment has been achieved over the past five years. (SARCA ) 12 South African National Survey of Arachnids ( SANSA ) Background: Legislative framework 16 Involving civil society in The 1997 Biodiversity White Paper sets out a number of goals, strategies and threatened plant monitoring: priorities for conservation, sustainability and equitable benefit-sharing. Furthe r- The Custodians of Rare and more, it sets out the legal framework provided by the National Environmental Endangered Wildflowers Management Act (NEMA) (Act 107 of 1998). NEMA culminated in the promu l- programme ( CREW ) gation of national legislation on biodiversity, in the form of the National 20 BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) (Act 10 of 2004). PLANS FOR SPECIES (BMP-S) 20 A draft Biodiversity Manageme nt Plan for the Western Leopard South African National Biodiversity Institute Toad In 2004, SANBI replaced the previous National Botanical Institute (NBI) 22 A Biodiversity Management through the enactment of NEMBA. This was an important development, as it Plan for the medicinal species was the first technical body formally established at a national level for Pelargonium sidoides centralized monitoring and reporting on the status of the country’s biodiversit y. 23 Frog Red List NEMBA expanded the NBI’s mandate also to include responsibilities relating 24 Red-listing for fish on the cards to the full diversity of South Africa’s fauna and flora, and built on the inter - nationally respected programmes in conservation, research, education and 25 The ‘Bat Atlas’ visitor services that the National Botanical Gardens developed over the past 26 Southern African Bird Atlas century. Project 2 ( SABAP 2) 30 OBJECTIVE 2: DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL SPECIES MONITORING STRATEGY 30 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Biodiversity Data Collection Tool 32 OBJECTIVE 3: DEVELOPING RED LISTS INTO USEFUL DECISION- SUPPORT PRODUCTS 32 Species Identification and Decision-support Tool for law enforcers 34 OBJECTIVE 4: CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS 34 Capacitating students 36 Red List training course 36 Footnotes 37 Contributors 1 Involving civil society in threatened species work Between 2004 and 2009, the TSP has pioneered monitoring work on faunal species, while maintaining the plant con- servation work in which the institute has been involved over the past ten years. The programme does not employ large numbers of scientists to conduct the monitoring work. Instead, it has developed innovative ways of involving the public. Together with various part ners, the programme has initiated a number of national biodiversity conservation assessment projects. The projects involve field collecting trips in which interested members of the public can participate, and a web-based virtual museum of digital photographs submitted by the public. The images in the virtual museum are linked to an accurate set of co- ordinates, a date, the observer’s name, and reliable species identification by experts. The TSP has aligned itself with the IUCN’s Red List system for its Red- listing of species. The following have been the TSP’s key objectives from 2004 to 2009: • The development of programmes to bridge gaps in Red-listing • The development of a National Species Monitoring Strategy • The development of Red Lists into TOP : Civil society monitoring threatened plants (photo: Ismail Ebrahim) ABOVE LEFT : Community tools that aid decision making members conducting demographic monitoring on plants threatened by climate change in the Namaqualand town of Nieuwoudtville (photo: Bettina Koelle) ABOVE RIGHT : Students monitoring • Capacity development of individuals medicinal plant species in Kwa-Zulu Natal (photo: Isabel Johnson) and organizations • The development of knowledge- The Threatened Species Programme sharing networks The TSP, housed at SANBI, has the primary role of fulfilling SANBI’s manda te to monitor and report on the conservation status of South Africa’s indigenous plant and animal species. The TSP co-ordinates the collection of information on species, particularly those that have historically received little research an d conservation attention, such as reptiles, spiders and marine fishes, through projects involving volunteers from the public, and scientists, taxonomists and conservationists from partner institutions across the country. The data collected through these projects are used to assess species’ status against the internationally accredited Red List Categories and Criteria developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In addition, the TSP co-ordinates and promotes the application of species information in all spheres of biodiversity conservation – from national and international conservation legislation and policy, to conservation planning, 1 Off-site breeding and conservation; protecting a plant or animal species outside of its natural habitat protected area selection, protection of threatened habitats, ex situ breeding pro - 2 Tools for ensuring the long-term survival of a species, with a specific person or organization responsible to monitor grammes, 1 and the development of biodiversity management plans 2 for species. the plans' progress and success 2 What is a conservation assessment? A conservation assessment describes the likelihood of a species becoming extinct, and is the basis for Red Lists. Species listed as Critically Endangered, Endan- gered or Vulnerable (collectively referred to as ‘threatened’ species) are those at a high risk of extinction in the near future. Conservation assessments highlight species of significant conservation impor - tance, providing baseline information needed for conservation planning. RIGHT : Protea scolymorcephala , Vulnerable 3 4 Objective 1: Development of programmes to address gaps in Red-listing PROFILE Southern African Butterfly Silvia Conservation Assessment ( SABCA ) Mecenero The Southern African region of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland has about 671 butterfly species, comprising about 17% of the total number of species for the entire Silvia is the SABCA Co-ordinator African continent. About half of these are endemi c3 to the based at the ADU, and has been region, belonging mainly to the family Lycaenidae and the involved in the project for three family Nymphalidae (subfamily Satyrinae ). Of the 671 years. She enjoys both the data side of things, and the variety of people