CMS Technical Report Series No. 25 Conservation Measures for the Siberian Crane Prepared by the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals in collaboration with the International Crane Foundation Fifth Edition Federal Office for the Environment Switzerland Published by the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS). Recommended citation: Conservation Measures for the Siberian Crane, Fifth Edition. 2011. UNEP/CMS Sec- retariat, Bonn, Germany. 202 pages. Cover photograph © Zhou Haixiang Technical Report Series No 25 Prepared by: UNEP/CMS Secretariat in collaboration with the International Crane Foundation Editing by Elena Ilyashenko, Crawford Prentice, Claire Mirande, Elena Smirenski, Marco Barbieri, Christiane Röttger and Douglas Hykle © 2011 UNEP/CMS. 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Tel.: (+49 228) 815 2401/02; Fax: (+49 228) 815 2449; E-mail: [email protected]; Web: http://www.cms.int ISBN 978-3-937429-19-9 CONSERVATION MEASURES FOR THE SIBERIAN CRANE FIFTH EDITION including Memorandum of Understanding concerning Conservation Measures for the Siberian Crane Overview Report Revised Conservation Plans for the Siberian Crane Western, Central and Eastern Flyways Western/Central Asian Site Network for the Siberian Crane and Other Waterbirds and Report of the Seventh Meeting of Siberian Crane Range States (Bonn, Germany, 10-12 June 2010) Federal Office for the Environment Switzerland The Seventh Meeting of the Signatories to the Siberian Crane Memorandum of Understanding was hosted by the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals and was co-organised by the International Crane Foundation Table of Contents Foreword .................................................................................................................................. i Introduction................................................................................................................................ ii Figure 1.: Map of Western, Central and Eastern Siberian Crane Population Flyways and Key Siberian iii Crane Sites ........................................................................................................................ Part I: Memorandum of Understanding..................................................................................... 1 Part II: Overview Report Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 3 Conservation Status of the Siberian Crane............................................................................... 3 Overview of MoU Implementation.......................................................................................... 6 Part III: Conservation Plans for Western, Central and Eastern Flyways Conservation Plan for the Western Flyway...................................................................................... 22 Figure 2: Map of Siberian Crane Western Flyway ...................................................................... 36 Conservation Plan for the Central Flyway....................................................................................... 37 Figure 3: Map of Siberian Crane Central Flyway ....................................................................... 55 Conservation Plan for the Eastern Flyway....................................................................................... 56 Figure 4: Map of Siberian Crane Eastern Flyway ....................................................................... 69 Part IV: Activities to be carried out by individual Range States and Co-operating Organisa- tions in 2010-2012................................................................................................................... 70 Part V: Western/Central Asian Site Network for the Siberian Crane and Other Waterbirds Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 107 WCASN Brief Report for 2007-2009 .............................................................................................. 108 WCASN Action Plan for 2010-2012 ............................................................................................... 110 Guidelines for the Preparation of Site Nomination Documents .......................................................... 115 Annexes Annex 1: List of designated and proposed sites........................................................................ 120 Annex 2: WCASN Site Information Sheet................................................................................. 121 Annex 3: Sample Nomination Letter ....................................................................................... 123 Annex 4: Sample Endorsement Letter .................................................................................... 124 Annex 5: Site Network Review Working Group Terms of Reference............................................... 125 Annex 6: Site Network Committee Terms of Reference............................................................... 126 Annex 7: Suggested Procedure for Network Site Dedication Ceremonies ..................................... 127 Figure 5: Map of Western/Central Asian Site Network for the Siberian Crane and Other Waterbirds.. 129 Certificate of Western/Central Asian Site Network for the Siberian Crane and Other Waterbirds...... 130 Part VI: Report of the Seventh Meeting of the Signatories to the Memorandum Executive Summary of the Seventh Meeting of the Signatories ........................................................ 131 Full Report of the Seventh Meeting of the Signatories ..................................................................... 135 Annexes Annex 1: List of participants ................................................................................................. 151 Annex 2: Agenda of the meeting............................................................................................. 156 Annex 3: List of documents .................................................................................................. 157 Annex 4: List of administrative and technical focal points.......................................................... 158 Part VII: Reference Materials Conservation of Flyway Wetlands in Asia Using the Siberian Crane as a Flagship Species: as Overview of the Outcomes of the UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetlands Project (Crawford Prentice and Claire Mirande) ........................................................................................................................... 162 Strategic considerations towards ensuring sustainable waterbird harvesting practices in Western/Central Asia (Crawford Prentice)....................................................................................................... 173 Foreword The Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus) is the third operation and their commitment to succeed in ensur- most endangered crane species in the world, and con- ing the long-term survival of this species. cern for its survival goes back many years. Facing a Not only have ambitious Conservation Plans been range of threats and challenges, the decline of the spe- agreed with activities to be undertaken until 2012, but cies is primarily due to the impact of human activities, also the urgent need for a common strategy to develop with hunting and loss of wetland habitat as the crucial sustainable hunting practices to restore the concerned factors putting its populations at risk. populations was discussed; hunting along the flyways, The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Spe- especially in Western and Central Asia, remains a seri- cies of Wild Animals has long been associated with ef- ous threat to Siberian Cranes. forts to protect the Siberian Crane and in 1993 a specific With the designation of two new sites in Pakistan to Memorandum of Understanding concerning Conserva- form part of the Western/Central Asian Site Network tion Measures for the Siberian Crane was adopted as a (WCASN), the meeting recognized their importance framework for stimulating practical cooperation in con- for migratory waterbirds and potential for the Siberian servation activities among all 11 Range States which Crane. This network provides CMS with a good exam- host these