Marine Summit calls for dramatic increase in ocean protection

IUCN Marine Protected Area Summit issues a strategy to counter the escalating threats to the world’s oceans. The Earth’s oceans are being destroyed at a much faster rate than they are being protected, said the world’s leading marine experts at the end of the IUCN Marine Protected Area Summit in early April.

To save the oceans, participants urged governments, business and civil society to rapidly increase marine protected areas and to step up measures making marine environments more resistant to climate change.

The high seas – oceans beyond national jurisdiction – are particularly threatened: “Entire ecosystems in the high seas are being damaged and lost before we have even acted to protect them,” says the summit’s closing statement.

Full story: http://www.iucn.org/en/news/archive/2007/04/13_pr_marine_protected_areas.htm

Jerry Belant: new Chair of the IUCN SSC Small Carnivore Specialist Group

After the tragic death of Chris Wozencraft, Jerry Belant has accepted the appointment as Chair of the Small Carnivore Specialist Group, by the SSC Steering Committee, until the end of the quadrennium (October 2008).

Jerry is presently employed as a wildlife biologist with the US National Park Service. Although he has worked with numerous wildlife species and continues to do so, his greatest interest and satisfaction has always been studying carnivores, particularly small carnivores. His professional work with small carnivores began in the late 1980s and has revolved primarily around American martens, fishers, and Northern raccoons, in addition to some work with short-tailed weasels, long-tailed weasels, striped skunks, and American badgers. His current small carnivore research programme emphasizes American martens and fishers.

IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group project of the month: Cheetah Conservation in Botswana

Cheetah’s are one of Africa’s most threatened cats: populations are declining due to loss of habitat and prey, a diminishing gene pool, and human persecution. The Cheetah Conservation Botswana project aims to preserve Botswana’s cheetah population through scientific research, community outreach and education. It works with rural communities to promote co-existence with Botswana’s rich diversity of predator species.

Full story:http://lynx.uio.no/lynx/catsgportal/project-o-month/20_potm/home/index_en.htm

Sir Peter Scott Fund for Conservation Action

26 project proposals have been received from the SSC Specialist groups and a shortlist has been prepared for submission to the donor. An announcement on the successful projects is expected later in May

Michael Samways, SSC Invertebrate Conservationist, awarded prestigious medal

The IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group announces the winner of the first annual Sabin Award for Amphibian Conservation, to be presented in New York on May 17. Made possible by a generous donation from Andrew Sabin, this award recognizes contributions an individual or group has made to amphibian conservation worldwide. The recipient of this first award is Dr Luis Coloma for his pioneering work on the conservation of amphibians in Ecuador, ranked as third in the world for total number of amphibian species (447) and number of threatened species (163). Traditional threats to amphibians such as habitat loss combine with novel threats such as climate change and disease.

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group website:www.amphibians.org

Sandscript – first newsletter of the Saharan Conservation Fund now available

The Saharan Conservation Fund has just finished producing the first issue of its new newsletter, Sandscript. The first edition features news on addax, ostriches and dama gazelles

A copy can be downloaded directly from the SCF website at: http://www.saharaconservation.org/web/sandscript.php

Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Raptor Meeting, 22-25 October

A meeting to identify and elaborate an option for international cooperation on African-Eurasian Migratory Raptors under the CMS will be held by Loch Lomond, Scotland, UK, from 22-25 October 2007. All organisations concerned with the conservation, protection and management of migratory raptors particularly within the African-Eurasian region are welcome to attend the meeting as observers. The working language of the meeting will be English, but simultaneous courtesy interpretation to Arabic, Russian, and French will be available. Registration must be completed by 31 May.

Key meeting documents will be available on the CMS website at: http://www.cms.int/raptors

Species staff changes

Claire Santer has temporarily joined the IUCN Species Programme in HQ to help complete the on-line Commission Registration. Originally from Scotland, Claire is no stranger to IUCN. From 1989 until 1993 she used to work in the Environmental Impact Assessment Unit which later became the Conservation Services Unit, as a Programme Assistant. Please note that ALL communication relating to membership should continue to be addressed to: sscmembership@iucn.org