Species Newsletter of the Species Survival Commission Number 48, July – December 2007 Rue Mauverney 28 1196 Gland Switzerland Tel: +44 22 999 0000 Fax: + 44 22 999 0002 [email protected] The World Conservation Union www.iucn.org Species 48 Contents Photo Credits 3 One Programme, One Voice 22 News Round-Up Cover The showy Etlingera elatior is a medicinal plant 22 2008 World Conservation Congress found in the Apo Kayan region of East Kalimantan, A joint message from the SSC Chair and Indonesian Borneo. It is used by the Kenyah, an 23 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Head of the Species Programme indigenous people of Borneo, in numerous remedies Launch by Dr Danna J. Leaman 6 Spotlight on SSC’s Specialist 25 Mediterranean Sea: most dangerous place on Earth Groups for sharks and rays Page 6 Australian brush turkey, Alectura Iathami by David Midgley 6 The Megapode Specialist Group 25 Sink or swim: over one-in-three freshwater fish species in Europe threatened with extinction Page 7 Orange-footed megapode, Megapodius reinwardt 10 Features by David Cook 10 Sustainable use: controversial but a 26 Primates in peril Page 10 Nets fundamental part of conservation 26 Six out of eight bear species threatened with extinction by Anoop Negi 11 The American Alligator: a sustainable use Page 12 Alligator hatchling, Alligator mississippiensis success story 26 World's leading conservationists join together to name 2008 ''The Year of the Frog'' by Dr Ruth Elsey 14 Over-exploitation threatens species and Page 12 Close-up of a wild alligator livelihoods 26 Fishing out our oceans: the list of threatened marine species continues to grow by Dr Ruth Elsey 15 Understanding the factors which promote 26 2007 Behler Turtle Conservation Award Page 15 Villagers harvesting wild medicinal plants in Sa Pa the sustainable use of wild living resources announced Province, northern Vietnam 16 From the Specialist Groups 27 Tribute to Professor Zdzislaw Pucek, Chair of the by Do Thi Thu Ha 16 African Rhino Bison Specialist Group 1984–1999 Page 16 Giant eland, Taurotragus derbianus, females on a 16 Antelope hunting block in the northern Central African 28 IUCN Species Programme Update Republic with one of them collared 17 Bison – Europe 28 IUCN Species Programme Structure by IGF-PHCH 18 Deer 29 Biodiversity Assessment Unit Page 17 European bison, Bison bonasus 19 Medicinal Plant 29 Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Unit by Janusz Sochacki 19 South American Camelid 30 Red List Unit Page 20 Sustainable use of vicuñas has many benefits but remains 21 From the SSC Steering Committee 30 Species Trade and Use Unit (STUU) challenging Sub-groups 31 Species Information Service (SIS) by Garth Burgess 21 Marine Conservation Sub-Committee 31 Network Support Page 21 Napoleon wrasse, Cheilinus undulates, juveniles Sustainable use in the marine realm 31 Communications waiting to be selected for the dinner plate 31 Climate Change by Yvonne Sadovy 32 End Notes Page 25 Giant devil ray, Mobula mobular by Wurtz-artescienza s.a.s 32 Publications 32 Staff changes Page 27 Professor Zdzisáaw Pucek by Tom Pucek Contributions to Species 49 should be sent to Team Species by 30 April 2008. Email: [email protected] For address changes, notify: SSC Membership Species Species is the newsletter of the Species Survival Commission of IUCN—The World Conservation Union. Species Programme, IUCN Commission members, in addition to providing leadership for conservation efforts for specific plant and Rue Mauverney 28 animal groups, contribute to technical and scientific counsel to biodiversity conservation projects throughout the world. They provide advice to governments, international conventions, and conservation organizations. CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland Team Species – Lynette Lew, Abigail Powell, Julie Griffin, Dena Cator and Carol Poole Phone: +44 22 999 0268 Fax: +44 22 999 0015 Layout – NatureBureau Email: [email protected] Cover Photo – Ettingera elatior by Dr Danna J. Leaman Hard copies of Species are available only upon request. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect official views of IUCN/SSC SSC members are encouraged to receive the SSC monthly ISSN 1016-927x electronic news bulletin. Please contact Team Species at Species is printed on recycled paper [email protected] for more information. Species is available ©2008 IUCN—The World Conservation Union electronically at: www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/ One Programme, One Voice A joint message from the SSC Chair and Head of the IUCN Species Programme The last edition of Species focused on the growing work of updating the IUCN Red List, the Species awareness of increasing threats to species across Programme undertook to revamp and update the the world. In addition to the pervasive impacts of Red List website (www.iucnredlist.org) to improve habitat loss, many species are subject to targeted its functionality and bring it more in line with exploitation and differential vulnerabilities in the the IUCN visual identity. This culminated in an face of other pressures. Tackling these threats is extremely successful launch of the 2007 IUCN Red extremely challenging – not least because it is List on 12 September 2007, with press conferences usually difficult to build awareness around them held simultaneously in Washington DC and Paris. as their effects are often intangible. The impacts Press coverage of the IUCN Red List was up from of climate change, for example, are still largely last year and there was also media interest over a unpredictable and will likely vary tremendously in more extended period than previous years, with time and space, and will not necessarily be visible television coverage definitely improving. In the to the naked eye. Such threats present extreme print media, the IUCN Red List launch was picked challenges when trying to demonstrate the direct up by publications as diverse as Marie-Claire, the effects on species and the consequent effects on web-version of the Economist, the New Scientist, man to decision-makers. In addition to assessing Nature and TIME. the conservation status of species, this in-depth Behind the scenes of the IUCN Red List, the BASC understanding of threats and the ability to offer tackles crucial housekeeping issues such as the suggestions on how to respond to the threats is updating of Classification Schemes and advising the one of SSC’s primary functions and something at SSC on important policy matters, while assisting which we particularly excel. the taxonomic sub-committees to establish In the “redesigning” of the Commission for priorities for red listing and the next Quadrennium, the Restructuring exploring ways to improve Task Force has looked in detail at our primary recognition for IUCN Red How to respond to the functions and places where we excel, and has List assessors and evaluators. threats is one of SSC’s put forward a proposed structure that both Measuring the “state” of primary functions and optimizes the role of the Commission, while major taxonomic groups also designing a more streamlined and purpose-built continues to advance through something at which we network. By focusing our efforts on three of our the various global assessments particularly excel fundamental strengths: the assessment of species being undertaken – and we status, the analysis of threats, and the design are all looking forward to the and application of tools to mitigate these threats launch of the Global Mammal Assessment (GMA), (conservation action) – more formally referred a mammoth undertaking that has involved all to as the “pressure-state-response model“, the the mammal Specialist Groups, organized and redesign emphasizes the inherent strength of supported by Species Programme staff members. “form following function”. The Restructuring Task The GMA will be launched at the 2008 World Force has been working extremely hard to ensure Conservation Congress in Barcelona. that the proposed redesign is a clear and rational One of the “pressures” gaining increasing approach to improving the functioning of the SSC attention is the overexploitation of species as a whole and its delivery to our primary goal of through growing commodity markets around the reducing [the rate of] biodiversity loss. world. SSC is increasingly called upon to define The measurement of “status” – SSC’s longstanding what “sustainable use” actually means and to heartland through our custodianship of the IUCN analyse the most important factors in making use Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM – continues to sustainable. But there are other questions for us improve through the increasing number of quality to answer: What are the implications for species assessments, the dedicated work of the Species scientists? How does one engage in such a large Programme and the strategic guidance of the and often controversial subject? These questions Biodiversity Assessment Sub-Committee (BASC) of and more were debated at a recent meeting of the SSC. This year, in addition to the intense daily the SSC Sustainable Use Sub-Committee. In this 33 n n Species 48: July–December 2007 n n edition of Species, we focus on sustainable use In terms of fund-raising, we continue to be as and bring you some of the thinking from the innovative as possible in a world that is focusing on Sub–Committee and some examples of Specialist so many other pressing issues. We hope to be able Groups tackling sustainable use issues on the to share some of these innovative stories with you ground. In addition to the Sustainable Use Sub– once they have progressed a little further. At every Committee, all of the taxonomic sub-committees opportunity, we look for further ways of feeding held meetings within the last six months. The funds through to the SSC Network. Staff-wise, Plant Conservation Sub-Committee discussed the capacity of the Chair’s Office and the Species the assessment of medicinal plants subjected to Programme has been augmented with a Senior commercial and non-commercial harvest and the Commission Officer, two SSC Network Support Marine Conservation Sub-Committee focused on Officers and Marketing and Communications the issue of bycatch.