New Handbook of European Freshwater Fish published August 2007

An exciting new book 'Handbook of European Freshwater Fishes' by Maurice Kottelat and Jörg Freyhof has been compiled with the strong support of the Freshwater Biodiversity Unit of the Species Programme. The Handbook of European Freshwater Fish is a must-have guide including, for the first time, a comprehensive assessment of the global IUCN Red List status of all 546 native species, additional information on 33 introduced species, more than 900 illustrations, colour photographs of most species and 546 species distribution maps. It is the first publication to have been funded through the SSC Freshwater Fish Specialist Group (FFSG) and it provides an essential baseline data set for conservation planning for Europe's freshwater fish fauna. This valuable work would not have been possible without financial support from the North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), the current host institution for the FFSG.

To order the 'Handbook of European Freshwater Fishes' please click on: http://intranet.iucn.org/webfiles/doc/SSC/SSCwebsite/Freshwater/Kottelat_Freyhof_European_fish_book_flyer.pdf

For more information on the 'Handbook of European Freshwater Fishes', please email publications_kottelat@bluewin.ch.

Species Programme and SSC launch new project: Species Response to Climate Change

The Species Programme and SSC are about to start the implementation of a project entitled Species Response to Climate Change. This project will first look at specific traits that make species vulnerable to climate change. Collection of data will then be collected for a few taxonomic groups. The occurrence, density, distribution of vulnerable species will be mapped and overlayed with existing Climate Change predictions. Wendy Foden, who was until recently the Chair of the Southern African Plant Specialist Group will join the Species Programme team in Cambridge at the beginning of next month to implement this project.

Amphibian Ark to Bring Most Endangered Amphibian Species into “Protective Custody” for Safekeeping and Eventual Reintroduction

The Amphibian Ark was created in 2006 by the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG), the IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) to develop, support and promote ex situ activities that lead to the conservation and survival of amphibians. The Amphibian Ark's vision is: World's amphibians safe in nature and its mission: Working in partnerships to ensure the global survival of amphibians – focusing on those that can't be safeguarded in nature.

For more information, please visit http://www.amphibianark.org

SSC Promotes Constructive Dialogue between Biodiversity and Business in Namibia

Dr. Holly Dublin attended the Cheetah Conservation Fund's (CCF) annual gala dinner in Namibia as guest speaker, giving the keynote address entitled "Business and Biodiversity - must one be a detriment to the other?.” Holly detailed lessons learned from around Africa and other parts of the world and highlighted successful approaches, including the expansion of wildlife as a land use and collaborative management approaches linking government, the private sector and local communities. The links between sustainable tourism and effective species conservation were central. She also covered a number of controversial yet highly pertinent issues, including trophy hunting, green hunting, and elephant domestication as well as captive breeding and trade issues. Following the CCF event, Holly also attended a meeting of the "Leadership for Conservation in Africa" initiative which was established to harness the collective will and capacity of business and conservation leaders in sustainable conservation-led socio-economic development in Africa.

The 2008 World Conservation Congress: Call for Contributions

The 2008 World Conservation Congress, co-hosted by Spain and Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain from 5 to 14 October 2008, is the premier environmental event of 2008. The first part of the Congress, the World Conservation Forum, runs from 6 to 10 October and is a great opportunity to debate pressing issues and their solutions for sustainable development.

You can contribute to the Forum by organizing one or more event(s). These pages contain useful information on the selection process and how to submit a proposal.

Detailed information about the Forum and submissions for online proposals can be made at:

www.iucn.org/congress/2008/contributions/

2007 Behler Turtle Conservation Award Announced

The IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group and IUCN Turtle Survival Alliance in 2006 established the John Behler Turtle Conservation Award, an annual award to honor leadership and excellence in the field of turtle and tortoise conservation. The 2nd annual Behler Award was presented in Atlanta, Georgia, in July this year to Whit Gibbons, a life-long turtle researcher and conservationist, whose work and leadership in the field have been inspirational for many.

 For more information, please visit: http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/news/2007_articles/turtle_award.htm

IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group makes major contribution toBroken Screens Report: The Regulation of Live Animal Imports in the United States

Acknowledgement is due for the hard work by Michael Browne and Shyama Pagad, as well as a helpful review of the earlier draft by Maj De Poorter from the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG). The use of the ISSG's pilot Global Register of Invasive Species (GRIS) was invaluable for the findings included in the report. Broken Screens is Defenders of Wildlife's major new report on the failures of the regulatory system for live, wild animal imports in the United States. Released on August 1, 2007, the report is an unprecedented examination of the low level of protection given by the lax U.S. system from the risks that non-native animal species pose to our environment and to public health. The report provides the foundation for Defenders' continued advocacy, in both U.S. and international forums, for applying stronger protective measures to the massive global live animal trade.

For the full report, please visit: http://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/international_conservation /u.s._imports_of_live_animals/broken_screens.php

Huemul Task Force merges with Deer Specialist Group to strengthen fight

The Huemul Task Force was formed to aid in the recovery of the huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus), an endemic deer in southern Chile and Argentina, which is listed as Endangered. While European colonization events initially reduced its distributional range and numbers, this species today continues to suffer from current land use pressures. In order to strengthen and continue fighting for the recovery of the huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus), the Huemul Task Force has joined forces with the Deer Specialist Group.

Please visit http://HTF.deerlab.org for future updates.

International Primatological Society XXII Congress, Edinburgh, UK, 3 rd– 8 th August 2008

On-line registrations and abstract submissions are now live for the International Primatological Society XXII Congress (IPC) 2008, which will take place in Edinburgh, Scotland between the 3 rd and 8 th August 2008.

For further information and for regular updates please visit www.ips2008.co.uk/

“100 of the worst invasive alien species” booklet available now in French

The Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) have just published “100 of the worst invasive alien species” in French.

For a copy of the booklet, please contact the IUCN Library at Headquarters or Maj De Poorter m.depoorter@auckland.ac.nz

The Nature of Energy - latest issue of World Conservation available now

The latest issue of the World Conservation Union’s magazine World Conservation looks at energy and its role in sustainable development. How can we achieve energy sustainability, providing energy for the millions of people who still lack access to it, while minimizing environmental impacts and protecting biodiversity?  

World Conservation discusses environmental issues from a wide range of perspectives in an informative and engaging way. Read the magazine online or download the complete issue at www.iucn.org/worldconservation. A free printed copy can be ordered by writing to worldconservation@iucn.org giving your name and full address.