Intervention letters

High-level interventions address conservation issues of serious and urgent concern, through letters to governments or private companies which highlight the threat(s) to species and /or their habitats.

Using SSC expert advice, proposing suitable action to influence decision-making and therefore helping to avoid or reduce any adverse impacts on biodiversity. Each letter provides the background and technical information, and a thorough review process led by the SSC Chair's Office, engaging the appropriate Specialist Groups experts across the network as well as the IUCN regional offices and IUCN programmes.

2023

  • Urgent request to Argentina’s Minister of Environment to update and improve the National Guanaco Management Plan, June 2023.
  • Concern about emerging export in wild Dendrobium orchids in Indonesia. July 2023.
  • Protection of the endangered savanna crab, Neostrengeria macropa, in Colombia. July 2023.
  • Concern on the possible closing down of the famous vulture conservation breeding programme of India. August 2023.
  • Letter of Concern Regarding Hydropower Dams on the Karnali River and ...

2023

  • Urgent request to Argentina’s Minister of Environment to update and improve the National Guanaco Management Plan, June 2023.
  • Concern about emerging export in wild Dendrobium orchids in Indonesia. July 2023.
  • Protection of the endangered savanna crab, Neostrengeria macropa, in Colombia. July 2023.
  • Concern on the possible closing down of the famous vulture conservation breeding programme of India. August 2023.
  • Letter of Concern Regarding Hydropower Dams on the Karnali River and Endangered Ganges River Dolphins in Nepal. August 2023.
  • Recommendations to the Environmental Pre-Feasibility and Scoping Report, and Terms of Reference (TOR), for the Environmental Impact Study for 3D Offshore Seismic Research in the Save Basin, Mozambique, potentially impacting the Critically Endangered East African coastal population of dugongs. October 2023.
  • Concern about the impact of Expressway Expansion Work on an important firefly habitat in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. October 2023.
  • SSC Cetacean Specialist Group (CSG) addressed the Secretary General of CITES to express their concern about the poor progress made by Mexican authorities in implementing the “Action Plan to Prevent Fishing for and Illegal Trade in Totoaba, their Parts and/or Derivatives, to Protect the Vaquita”. November 2023.
  • Request to approve and publish the National Program for the Protection of Amphibians in Colombia. November 2023.
  • Request to stop sand mining in El Jable, Lanzarote island, Canary Archipelago, Spain. November 2023.
  • Concern about the international trafficking of sloths and anteaters coming from Peru was addressed to the Peruvian National Forest and Wildlife Service. November 2023.
  • Request to the Ministers of Environment and Economy of Chile to create a joint working group for conservation planning of the two threatened native otter species, Lontra provocax and Lontra felina. December 2023.

2022

  • Alert and denounce the poisoning of migratory birds in Crimea. January 2022.
  • Poaching losses of rhinos in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa. May 2022.
  • An urgent call to reactivate the work for the restoration and protection of the habitat of the Loa frog (Telmatobius dankoi) in Chile. July 2022.
  • Call to protect the Lower Congo River from the large hydro-electric dam (World Conservation Congress in September 2021, Resolution 134 “Protecting the Lower Congo River from large hydro-electric dam developments”)
  • Urgent declaration of the American red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) as an invasive species in Colombia. September 2022.

2021

  • About the risks of exotic African hippos in Colombia, and its impact on biodiversity and human safety: Scientific-technical recommendations. February 2021
  • Informing about the approval of the World Conservation Congress Motion to halt the implementation of the National Plan for the Sustainable Management of Guanaco y Argentina. January 2021
  • Openness of the SSC to the incorporation of traditional knowledge on species assessment before the representatives of the Inuit People and ...

2021

  • About the risks of exotic African hippos in Colombia, and its impact on biodiversity and human safety: Scientific-technical recommendations. February 2021
  • Informing about the approval of the World Conservation Congress Motion to halt the implementation of the National Plan for the Sustainable Management of Guanaco y Argentina. January 2021
  • Openness of the SSC to the incorporation of traditional knowledge on species assessment before the representatives of the Inuit People and Government Authorities of the USA and Canada. February 2021
  • Statement on deaths of giraffes by electrocution in Soysambu Conservancy, Kenya. March 2021
  • Concern on Whooper Swans hunting permits in Iceland. March 2021
  • Urge the Government of Mexico to support the suppression of gillnet fishing and Totoaba fishing, particularly in what is called the Zero Tolerance Area in the Baja California Peninsula. March 2021
  • Appeal to the Government to take continued action to stop illegal hunting of Little Bustards and protect the very vulnerable visiting population of Great  Bustards in Azerbaijan. March 2021
  • Concern about the indiscriminate poisoning of birds in Ukraine by rodenticide. April 2021
  • Call to save the Ayyalon Cave´s unique biota in Israel which is threatened with destruction. June 2021
  • Request to the World Health Organization to remove a video in which sharks are vilified. June 2021
  • Joint position paper on Conservation impacts of African swine fever in the Asia-Pacific region. June 2021
  • IUCN SSC acceptance of "Fauna, Flora and Funga" as the official terminology of the SSC. July 2021.
  • Support to the submission on enforcement matters filed on August 2021 by several organizations, addressed to the intergovernmental Commission for Environmental Cooperation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, requesting immediate actions from governments, international bodies and potential donors to save the “vaquita marina porpoise”. August 2021.
  • Position Statement on the Conservation of Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) in Vietnam and Laos. August 2021.
  • Concern on the status and recovery plan of Samoa's national bird: Manumea (Didunculus strigirostris). October 2021.
  • Support of the IUCN Species Survival Commission to ongoing efforts to eradicate the mouflon (Ovis aries) from the Tuscan Archipelago National  Park, Italy. November 2021.
  • Call on Laos and Cambodian governments to save the Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) residing in the Chheu Teal transboundary pool of the Mekong River. October 2021.
  • Concern about the proposal to modify the boundaries of the Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan, one of the most important protected areas in the Middle East. October 2021.

2020

2020

  • Concern about the situation of the Demoiselle Crane in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The most updated scientific evidence suggests it is in decline and its distribution is becoming increasingly fragmented. The main threat to the species during migration is hunting within the limits of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. February 2020
  • Denouncing the murder of Homero Gómez and Raul Hernández, Monarch Butterfly conservationists and defenders of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, in  Mexico. February 2020
  • Letter to the Government of Mongolia in support of the creation of Khomyn Tal National Park. May 2020.
  • IUCN mission in Niger for the conservation of the addax, the dama gazelle and the National Nature Reserve of Termit and Tin-Touma. Niger.  May 2020.
  • Request for a call or meeting regarding the impact of engineering projects on  Lake Poso, Indonesia. June 2020.
  • Concerns on the impacts on biodiversity of the “Snowy 2.0 Pumped Hydro Scheme Main Works”, which involves the development of the underground power station and tunnels linking the existing Tantangara and Talbingo Reservoirs in Australia. June 2020. 
  • Appeal to Prevent the Extinction of the Cyprian Grey Bush-Cricket (Platycleis kibris) in Cyprus. July 2020.  
  • Concern about the likely impacts of the proposed Panay-Guimaras-Negro  Bridges Project on Biodiversity in the Guimaras and Lloilo Straist, and in particular, on the survival of a Critically Endangered population of Irrawaddy Dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris). The Philippines. August 2020.
  • Concern about the decisions taken by some luxury fashion groups to ban or cease to use the skins of wild animals, such as crocodiles, alligators, snakes, and lizards. September 2020. 
  • Concern about the reopening of the island Escudo de Veraguas tourism development project on the Caribbean coast of the Republic of Panama. At least five species are endemic to Isla Escudo de Veraguas or its coastal waters. November 2020. 
  • Alert on drilling operations impact on Polar Bears in Alaska, USA. December 2020.

2019

2019

2018

  • Proposed exploration for hydrocarbons on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, compromising the already threatened population of polar bears in the Southern Beaufort Sea. A letter was sent to Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Co-signed by the IUCN Director General and the SSC Chair. December 2018.
  • IUCN is increasingly concerned about the cull of Mauritius Fruit Bats (Pteropus niger) as a lethal method of control on a species ...

2018

  • Proposed exploration for hydrocarbons on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, compromising the already threatened population of polar bears in the Southern Beaufort Sea. A letter was sent to Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Co-signed by the IUCN Director General and the SSC Chair. December 2018.
  • IUCN is increasingly concerned about the cull of Mauritius Fruit Bats (Pteropus niger) as a lethal method of control on a species whose risk of extinction has recently increased. A joint letter was sent to the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food, Mauritius, co-signed by the IUCN Global Species Programme and the SSC Chair with inputs from the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, BSG and HWCTF.
  • Concern was raised by the Asian Songbird Trade SG regarding the possible removal of several bird species from Indonesia’s protected species list. Co-signed by the IUCN Director, Global Species Programme and the SSC Chair.
  • Seeking confirmation of the proposed transfer of okapi from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Zimbabwe. Signed by the Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Co-Chairs. September 2018.
  • Proposed Koukoutamba Hydroelectric Project and its impacts on the Critically Endangered Chimpanzees of Guinea. Co-signed by the IUCN Director General and the SSC Chair. July 2018.
  • Proposed guanaco (Lama guanicoe) commercial harvest in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Signed by the SSC Chair, the Chair of the South American Camelids Specialist Group and the Chair of the Argentinian National IUCN Committee and South American IUCN Regional Committee. May 2018.
  • Inclusion of the Atewa Forest at Kyebi in current plans to develop an integrated bauxite industry in Ghana. Co-signed by the IUCN Director General and the SSC Chair. April 2018.
  • Increasing pressure on the Critically Endangered Pehuenche Spiny-chest Frog (Alsodes pehuenche), Argentina. Signed by the SSC Chair, the Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist and the Chair of the Argentinian National IUCN Committee and South American IUCN Regional Committee. February 2018.

2016-2017

  • Conservation action planning for orangutans in Indonesia, given the steep decline in their populations. A letter signed by the SSC Chair was sent to the Minister of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia. December 2017.
  • With the intention to draw attention to the Critically Endangered white-naped mangabey (Cercocebus lunulatus) in the Atewa Forest in Ghana. A letter jointly signed by the Chair of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group and the President of the African ...

2016-2017

  • Conservation action planning for orangutans in Indonesia, given the steep decline in their populations. A letter signed by the SSC Chair was sent to the Minister of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia. December 2017.
  • With the intention to draw attention to the Critically Endangered white-naped mangabey (Cercocebus lunulatus) in the Atewa Forest in Ghana. A letter jointly signed by the Chair of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group and the President of the African Primatological Society, and sent to the President of the Republic of Ghana, was endorsed by the SSC Chair. December 2017.
  • Concern about the potential environmental impacts of the proposed Sambor and Stung Treng hydropower dams on the Mekong River, Cambodia. Co-signed by the IUCN Director General and the SSC Chair. August 17, 2017.
  • A co-signed letter by the IUCN Director General and the SSC Chair was sent to His Excellency Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, expressing IUCN’s concern about the current and potential impacts of tourism development in Son Tra on the red-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix nemaeus), one of Vietnam’s most charismatic wildlife species and one of the world’s most threatened primates. June 2017.
  • With advice from an SSC member, the SSC Chair sent a letter to Sra. Isabel García Tejerina, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Environment of Spain, to express concern and request action for the conservation of the Critically Endangered European mink (Mustela lutreola) in Spain. March 2017.
  • Invasive Asian toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) spreading from an epicentre that coincides with the Ambatovy plant site. IUCN Director General and the SSC Chair wrote to the lenders of the Ambatovy Joint Venture, to request concrete action to control the spread of the toad. December 2016.
  • In December 2016, as requested by the IUCN China Regional Office (and also with guidance from the Asia Regional Office), IUCN Director General and the SSC Chair sent a letter to His Excellency LI Keqiang, Premier, State Council, Peoples Republic of China, expressing interest and concern over the future of Poyang Lake and the project to construct a water control structure across the lake’s outlet. Letters on the same issue were written in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014.
  • Concern about the establishment of oil palm plantations in key areas of Lake Mesangat, the habitat of the Critically Endangered Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis). With council from the Crocodile SG, and assistance from the IUCN Asia Regional Office and SSC experts in the region, a co-signed letter by the IUCN Director General and the SSC Chair was sent to HE President Joko Widodo of Indonesia. October 2016.
  • Following the advice of the Cetacean SG, the SSC Chair sent a letter to Moses Maurihungirire, Permanent Secretary of the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, in reference to the proposed capture of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), killer whales (Orcinus orca), and fur seals (Arctocephalus spp.) in Namibian waters, apparently for export to China. October 2016.
  • In response to a call for IUCN members in Argentina, and following up on Resolution 90 from the 2016 World Conservation Congress, a co-signed letter by the IUCN Director General and the SSC Chair was sent to President Macri to express concern for the building of two dams on the Santa Cruz River, especially due to the lack of environmental impact assessments (EIS) and their potential impact on survival of the critically endangered hooded grebe (Podiceps gallardoi), October 2016. On 21 December 2016, Argentina’s Supreme Court unanimously agreed to suspend all work on the dams until EIS had been carried out and the public had the opportunity to comment.
  • IUCN expressed concern for the ongoing culling of Mauritius fruit bats (Pteropus niger) in response to crop losses. In September 2016, a co-signed letter by the IUCN Director General and the SSC Chair was sent to His Excellency Mahen Kumar Seeruttun, Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security of Mauritius. The cull took place triggering a second letter sent in March 2017, with assistance from the IUCN SSC Bat SG and the Task Force on Human-Wildlife Conflict.