CMS RAPTORS MOU TECHNICAL PUBLICATION NO. 2 CMS TECHNICAL SERIES NO. 31 Saker Falcon Falco cherrug Global Action Plan (SakerGAP) including a management and monitoring system, to conserve the species The Coordinating Unit of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia (Raptors MOU) Saker Falcon Task Force Saker Falcon Falco cherrug Global Action Plan (SakerGAP) including a management and monitoring system, to conserve the species Prepared with financial contributions from the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi on behalf of the Government of the United Arab Emirates, the Saudi Wildlife Authority on behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the European Commission on behalf of the European Union, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. CMS Raptors MOU Technical Publication No. 2 CMS Technical Series No. 31 August 2014 Saker Falcon Falco cherrug Global Action Plan (SakerGAP), including a management and monitoring system, to conserve the species. The SakerGAP was commissioned by the Saker Falcon Task Force, under the auspices of the CMS Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia (Raptors MOU). The preparation of the plan was financially supported by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi on behalf of the Government of the United Arab Emirates, the Saudi Wildlife Authority on behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (ENRTP) Strategic Cooperation Agreement (STA) between the European Commission – Directorate-General (DG) for the Environment – and UNEP, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). Compiled by: András Kovács, Nick P. Williams and Colin A. Galbraith. With contributions from: Boris Barov (BirdLife International), Jenny Renell (CMS Raptors MOU), Aurelie Boutrou (CMS Raptors MOU), Dragana Stojkovic (CMS Raptors MOU). Contributors to the SakerGAP Questionnaire (Lead Compilers in italics): Karen Aghababyan (Armenia); Anita Gamauf (Austria); Elchin Sultanov, Tahir Kerimov, Arzu Mammaedov, Abulfat Samadov (Azerbaijan); Allama Shibli Sadik, Tapan Kumar Dey, Sayam U. Chowdhury, Shibli Sadik (Bangladesh); Dimitar Gradinarov, Petar Iankov, Ruslan Serbezov, Stoycho Stoychev, Dimitar Ragyov (Bulgaria); Ana Kobašlić, Jelena Kralj, Tamara Čimbora Zovko, Zrinka Domazetović, Ivana Jelenić, Vlatka Dumbović Mazal (Croatia); Martin Hellicar, Nicolaos Kassinis (Cyprus); Václav Beran, David Horal, Vlasta Škorpíková, Gašpar Čamlík (Czech Republic); Esko Hyvärinen, Matti Osara (Finland); Jean- Philippe Siblet (France); Irina Lomashvili, Zurab Javakhishvili, Alexander Gavashelishvili (Georgia); Oliver Schall, Marion Gschweng (Germany); András Schmidt, János Bagyura, Mátyás Prommer, Levente Viszló, József Fidlóczky (Hungary); Suresh Kumar, Shiv Pal Singh, Dhananjai Mohan, Gobind Sagar Bhardwaj (India); Sadegh Sadeghi Zadegan, Hamid Amini, Zahra Elahi Rad (Iran, Islamic Reopublic of); Omar F. Al-Sheikhly, Ali Al-Lami, Saeed Al-Zirgani, Hameed Al-Habash, Faris Al- Tamimi, Richard Porter, Mudhafar Salim, Thair Kareem (Iraq); Ohad Hatzofe (Israel); Renato Grimaldi, Alessandro Andreotti, Arianna Aradis, Massimo Brunelli, Andrea Corso, Marco Gustin (Italy); Anatoly Levin, Sergey Sklyarenko, Yevgeniy Bragin, Bakhytbek Duisekeyev, Igor Karyakin, Andrey Kovalenko (Kazakhstan); Charles Musyoki, Ronald Mulwa, Titus Imboma, Paul Muoria, Darcy Ogada (Kenya); Sergei Viktorovich Kulagin, Valentina Toropova, Nadejda Trotchenko, Seitkazy Sagymbaev, Bektur Kumushaliev (Kyrgyzstan); Alfousseini Semega, Boureïma Camara, Bourama Niagate (Mali); Sergei Golovkin, Gatt Stanley John, Haber Gilbert, Lia Richard, Barbara Nicholas, Cassar Louis Francis (Malta); Onon Yondon, Batbayar Galtbalt (Mongolia); Darko Saveljic (Montenegro); Ali Laouel Abbagana, Yacouba Magagi (Niger); Umeed Khalid, Muhammad Samar Hussain Khan (Pakistan); Janusz Sielicki (Poland); Grimalschi Vitalie, Larisa Bogdea (Republic of Moldova); Nela Miaută, Alexandru Doroşencu, Dan Hulea, Luca Dehelean (Romania); Elvira Nikolenko, Igor Karyakin (Russian Federation); Mohammed Shobrak, Mohammed Ebin Khathlan (Saudi Arabia); Marija Mladenovic, Daliborka Stankovic, Drazenko Rajkovic, Slobodan Puzovic (Serbia); Lucia Deutschová, Jozef Chavko, Michal Adamec, Ján Lipták, Jozef Mihók (Slovakia); Ahmed Osman (Somalia); Omer Abdalla Sulieman, Aisha Alfaki Mohamed, Ibrahim Mohamed Hashim, Mohamed Younis (Sudan); Roba Alserhan, Darem Tabbaa, Adeeb Asaad, Nabegh Ghazal Asswad (Syrian Arab Republic); Branko Micevski (The FYR Macedonia); Hela Guidara, Hichem Azafzaf (Tunisia); Maxim Gavrilyuk, Volodymyr Domashlinets, Yurij Milobog, Vitaly Vetrov, Sergey Domashevsky, Mátyás Prommer (Ukraine); Ahmed Al-Hashmi, Gamal Medani, Salim Javed (United Arab Emirates); Khaled Saeed Al Shaibani and Omer A. Baeshen (Yemen). Stakeholders’ Workshop participants: Range State delegates: Jalaludin Naseri (Afganistan), Sevak Baloyan (Armenia), Vanda Medic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Dimitar Gradinarov (Bulgaria), Difei Chen (China), Jelena Kralj (Croatia), Václav Beran (Czech Republic), Fatma Aboushouk, Osama Saadawy (Egypt), Asgedom Kahsay Gebretensae (Ethiopia), Mátyás Prommer, Béla Velez (Hungary), Shiv Pal Singh, Suresh Ramani Kumar (India), Sadegh Sadeghi Zadegan (Iran, Islamic Republic of), Ali Al-Lami, Ali Ne’amah Salman, Mohammed Fadhil Abed (Iraq), Andrey Kovalenko (Kazakhstan), Charles Mutua Musyoki (Kenya), Askar Davletbakov (Kyrgyzstan), Georges Phrem (Lebanon), Maitsetseg Khadbaatar (Mongolia), Iman Al-Azri, Rahma AL-Kalbani (Oman), Umeed Khalid (Pakistan), Ghanim Alboloushi (Qatar), Nela Miauta (Romania), Mohammad Sulayem, Mohammed Shobrak, Monif AlRashidi, Mohammad Bin Khathlan, Faisal Al-Otaishan, (Saudi Arabia), Slobodan Puzovic (Serbia), Michal Adamec (Slovakia), Omer Sulieman (Sudan), Khaled Zahzah (Tunisia), Leone Candia (Uganda), Volodymyr Domashlinets (Ukraine), H.E. Mohammed Al Bowardi, H.E. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Shaikha Al Dhaheri, Salim Javed, Gamal Madani (United Arab Emirates) and Murad Aripdjanov (Uzbekistan). Organizations: Margit Müller (Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital), Leon Bennun (BirdLife International), Thomas De Meulenaer (CITES Secretariat), Lyle Glowka, Nick P. Williams, Jenny Renell, Rima Al Mubarak, Dragana Stojkovic, Mariam Yacout, Colin Galbraith, Boris Barov, András Kovács (CMS Office - Abu Dhabi), Robert Vagg (CMS Secretariat), Fernando Spina (CMS Scientific Council), Janusz Sielicki (International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Bird of Prey, IAF), Akram Eissa Darwich (International Fund for Animal Welfare, IFAW), Mohammed Saleh Al Baidani, Delphine Delire, Chris Carrington, Ali Alshamsi (International Fund for Houbara Conservation), Nicholas Fox, Andrew Dixon (International Wildlife Consultants Ltd), Robert Kenward (IUCN – Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group), Nermin Wafa (League of Arab States), Frederic Launay (Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund), Elvira Nikolenko (Siberian Environmental Center), Maksym Gavrilyuk (Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Birds) and Kehkashan Basu (UNEP/Major Groups Facilitating Committee, MGFC). Chairman of the Workshop: Colin A. Galbraith (STF) Workshop Facilitators: Boris Barov (BirdLife International) – Lead Facilitator, Thomas De Meulenaer (CITES), Colin A. Galbraith (STF), Fernando Spina (CMS) and Nick P. Williams (CMS Raptors MOU) Workshop Report Writer: Robert Vagg (CMS) The Report of the Workshop is available at: http://www.cms.int/raptors/sites/default/files/document/stf_ws_report.pdf Comments on consecutive drafts received from: Khalid Al-Ghanim, Ahmed Al-Hashmi, Yahia Al-Shehabi, Nabegh Ghazal Asswad, Mohamed At Twaijri, István Balázs, Sylvia Barova, Leon Bennun, Vaclav Beran, Joost Brouwer, Zoltán Czirák, Lucia Deutschová, Tapan Kumar Dey, Andrew Dixon, Nicholas Fox, Matthew J. G. Gage, Anita Gamauf, Mohamed Habib, David Horal, Márton Horváth, Petar Iankov, Igor Karyakin, Roman Kashkarov, Robert Kenward, Jelena Kralj, Anatoliy Levin, Adrian Lombard, Mary Megalli, Branko Micevski, Elvira Nikolenko, Gábor Papp, Mátyás Prommer, András Schmidt, Anne-Theo Seinen, Mohammed Shobrak, Janusz Sielicki, Shiv Pal Singl, Vlasta Skorpikova, Stoycho Stoychev, Andy Symes, Mohammad Sulayem, Jean-Marc Thiollay, Simon Thomsett, Nermin Wafa, Dave Wootton, Sadegh Sadeghi Zadegan and Tamara Cimbora Zovko. Milestones in the production of the SakerGAP 1st Draft 12 August 2013 Stakeholders’ Workshop: 9-11 September 2013, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 2nd Draft 25 February 2014 3rd Draft 31 May 2014 Final Draft 31 July 2014 Final Version 31 August 2014 Geographical scope The SakerGAP applies to the whole geographic range of the Saker Falcon, including the following countries (in alphabetical order): Breeding Range States (25) Afghanistan, Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Winter or passage Range States (59) Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina,