IUCN SSC and Freshwater Specialist Group

2019 Report

Craig Stanford

Chair Mission statement Targets for the 2017-2020 quadrennium

Craig Stanford (1) The Mission of the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Fresh- Assess water Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG) is to iden- Red List: complete regional Red List assess- Red List Authority Coordinator tify and document threats to the survival of all ments (Asia, South America, Madagascar and Carla Eisemberg (2) of and freshwater , and Mexico/Central America; 50% total species to help catalyse conservation action to ensure assessed). that none become extinct and that sustainable Location/Affiliation Research activities: (1) publish ‘The top 25 populations of all species persist in the wild. (1) Department of Biological Sciences, University world’s rarest tortoises and freshwater turtles’; of Southern California, US (2) publish a top tier scientific journal article (2) RELI, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Projected impact for the 2017-2020 analysing patterns of extinction risk for chelo- Northern Territory, Australia quadrennium nians; (3) encourage publications by other In addition to helping the Red List Committee TFTSG members. Number of members supervise the assessment of half the species Plan 343 in the group over the next four years, we have Planning: plan and publish global/regional published Turtles in Trouble: The World’s 25+ action plans. Social networks Most Endangered Tortoises and Freshwater Act Facebook: Turtles – 2018 in February 2018; we also aim to Conservation actions: conduct site visits to IUCN / SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle achieve (2) publication of global/regional action conservation projects for species of concern. Specialist Group plans (currently in progress) by late-2019; (3) Twitter: @craigstanford7 publication of a top tier scientific journal article Network Website: www.iucn-tftsg.org analysing patterns of extinction risk for chelo- Membership: increase international and gender nians (this will be the most important scientific diversity within TFTSG. publication on chelonian conservation biology Communicate ever published, in review as of 2019); (4) site Communication: increase visibility of TFTSG visits to conservation projects for species of through public lectures and fundraising. concern, during the Chair’s four-year term (nine site visits in the US and overseas in 24 months so far); (5) encourage publications by other TFTSG members (a good example is Lovich, J.E., et al. (2018). Where Have All the Turtles Gone, and Why Does It Matter? Bioscience 68(10):771– 781. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biy095]); (6) increase international and gender diversity within TFTSG; and (7) increase visibility of group through public lectures, social media and fundraising. Black Softshell Turtle, nigricans, nearly Extinct in the Wild, Photo: Craig Stanford

Ploughshare Tortoise, yniphora, , one of the world rarest tortoises, Madagascar Photo: Craig Stanford

Central American River Turtle, Dermatemys mawi, Coahuila , Terrapene coahuila, Critically Endangered, Belize Endangered, Mexico Photo: Craig Stanford Photo: Craig Stanford

Activities and results 2019 Plan Acknowledgements

Assess Planning We thank the Turtle Conservation Fund for Red List i. Publication of global/regional action plans is helping with some of the Chair’s activities; also in progress. (KRS #15) the Turtle Conservancy which has funded some i. We plan assessments of all South American, of the Chair’s site visits; and The Turtle Survival Caribbean and Australian species starting in Network Alliance. late-2019, with a goal of completion by 2021. We Membership plan annual regional Red List assessments, with i. Membership has grown to 343 members, 50% total species assessed. (KSR #1, 2) from 52 countries. Our goal has been especially Summary of activities 2019 Research activities to add new members to increase gender and Components of Species Conservation Cycle: 4/5 i. We provide support and sponsorship for international diversity; we are currently 16% Assess 3 ||| female and 84% male. We are 45% North Amer- many conservation research projects: Plan 1 | swinhoei (Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle, the ican; 11% Latin American; 16% Asian; 16% Euro- Network 1 | world’s rarest and #1 priority species) surveys pean; 4% Australian and 6% African-based. Communicate 1 | in Viet Nam; ongoing field projects on approxi- Communicate Main KSRs addressed: 1, 2, 12, 15, 28, 43 mately 100 species with financial support from Communication our funding wing, Turtle Conservation Fund, and KSR: Key Species Result i. Visibility of the group is increased through endorsement by the Specialist Group. (KSR #12) public lectures, social media and fundraising. ii. Publication of a top tier scientific journal (KSR #28) article analysing patterns of extinction risk for chelonians: this will be the most important scientific publication on chelonian conservation biology ever published (publication to appear in Current Biology in 2020). (KSR #43)