Species Survival Commission E-Bulletin - August 2002

This bulletin, as a supplement to Species, SSC's published newsletter, is to keep staff, members, and the wider IUCN network up-to-date with news and announcements from the Commission.

Previous issues:

In this issue:
SSC at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)
New European Invertebrates Specialist Group
In search of the giant sable
Camels in northwest China
Threatened Waterfowl Specialist Group - conservation highlights
New on the Web
Netherlands Red List workshop
Fungi meeting In Norway
Species Programme staff changes
Coming soon - the CITES Analyses

SSC AT WSSD
The IUCN/SSC Species Information Service (SIS) is being showcased at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. SSC Chair David Brackett is attending the Summit together with Fabio Corsi who is leading SIS's technical development. SIS featured prominently in a packed programme of events surrounding the "Futures Dialogue" day on Friday 30 August entitled "Digital Opportunities for a Sustainable World". For information on IUCN's activities at the WSSD see: http://iucn.org/wssd/

NEW EUROPEAN INVERTEBRATES SPECIALIST GROUP
A new European Invertebrates Specialist Group has been formed as part of SSC's drive to expand its taxonomic coverage and further its invertebrate conservation work, making the Commission's third regional invertebrate Group. Mary Seddon, Chair of the Mollusc Specialist Group has played a key role in establishing the new Group which highlights the growing synergies between regional and taxonomic Specialist Groups. The new Group will be Chaired by Deborah Procter who is Species Advisor dealing with invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles at the UK's Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

IN SEARCH OF THE GIANT SABLE
Hopes that the Critically Endangered giant sable, a magnificent antelope whose range is restricted to Angola, has survived the country's prolonged civil war have been realised. Co-Chair of the SSC Antelope Specialist Group, Richard Estes took part in a two week expedition to Angola in search of the species. During seven hours of helicopter flying over the main, Luando Reserve of the giant sable, no sable and very little other wildlife was seen. However, a six-hour foot safari into the much smaller Cangandala National Park resulted in fleeting sightings of five giant sable. Taken together with droppings and signs of feeding, it can be said with certainty that at least a small number of giant sable have survived, said Dr Estes. The war has decimated much of the country's wildlife.

CAMELS IN NORTHWEST CHINA
Head of the Species Programme Sue Mainka joined an IUCN delegation to Urumqi, China to meet with managers of the Arjin Shan Lop Nur Nature Reserve, home to one of the few remaining populations of wild Bactrian camel. The meeting was convened to examine issues that should be considered in a revised management plan, including the potential impact of the West/East gas pipeline and existing and proposed mining activity. She was joined by SSC member Jonathan Hare who is a specialist on the Bactrian camel and Kishore Rao, IUCN Asia Programme Protected Areas programme.

THREATENED WATERFOWL SPECIALIST GROUP - CONSERVATION HIGHLIGHTS
The Threatened Waterfowl Specialist Group (TWSG) has published its triennial report 1999-2001 in which there are many notable successes including the development of a Brazilian merganser recovery plan. White-headed duck conservation continues to dominate the Group's activities. Ongoing advice was provided to the UK Government on its ruddy duck regional control trial. The ruddy duck is an invasive species that breeds with the white-headed duck. The Group also produced a Ruddy Duck Eradication Strategy for the Council of Europe, circulated to 350 contacts in 70 countries, and a Ruddy Duck Case Study was provided for the SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group's Global Invasive Species database. The TWSG now has 906 members in 142 countries. For more details of its activities see the Group's website: http://www.wwt.org.uk/threatsp/twsg which includes all of the Group's Bulletins.

NEW ON THE SSC WEBSITE
The report of SSC's evaluation of its Action Plan series is now available online. SSC has been publishing Action Plans since 1986 and more than 60 plans have been produced in what is a well-established series. The evaluation was carried out in response to questions about the amount of real conservation action that they stimulate. Phase one assessed the type of actions that were recommended in 42 Action Plans. Phase two assessed the implementation of recommendations in six plans. The third and final phase, for which the report is now available, examines five of the Action Plans included in Phase two with respect to: Specialist Group planning and process; SSC Secretariat management; product quality and distribution; and implementation of priority projects. The report is available via http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/members.htm

IUCN's draft policy on the management of ex situ populations for conservation has been revised and is open for comment until 15 October. See: http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/members.htm
Comments should be sent to alk@iucn.org

The second in the series of Specialist Group profiles has been posted, and looks at the work of the Crocodile Group. See: http://iucn.org/themes/ssc/sgprofiles/crocodilesg.htm

The International Rhino Foundation has upgraded its website which includes sections dedicated to the SSC African Rhino and Asian Rhino Specialist Groups. See: http://www.rhinos-irf.org/technicalprograms/afrsg/index.htm

NETHERLANDS RED LIST WORKSHOP
A Harmonisation of National Red Lists in Europe seminar will take place 27-29 November 2002 at the National Museum of Natural History, Leiden, Netherlands. The seminar is organised by the Netherlands Committee for IUCN in co-operation with the IUCN/SSC Red List Pprogramme and the Centre for Environmental Science in Leiden. It is aimed at those involved and interested in nature conservation in Europe, botanists and zoologists who are involved in Red Listing in Europe, European members of the SSC, European members of IUCN, policy makers and politicians. The seminar will be conducted in English. Contact: iongh@cml.leidenuniv.nl; or wim.bergmans@nciucn.nl for more information, or see the Netherlands Committee of IUCN website for (www.nciucn.nl).

FUNGI MEETING IN NORWAY
The SSC Fungi Specialist Group was reinvigorated at the 7th International Mycological Congress in Oslo, Norway 11-16 August. Specialist Group Secretary Claudia Perini presented a paper, co-authored with Group Chair Régis Courtecuisse, on the importance of fungi conservation in the IUCN Programme. This sparked much discussion among Specialist Group members and others, as plans were developed for the Group.

SPECIES PROGRAMME STAFF CHANGES
After 12 years with the Species Programme, Gabi Allen has left to spend more time with her young family. She is being replaced by Nathalie Velasco who starts work on 2 September. Nathalie will take over management of the SSC membership database so all changes in contact details should be sent to her at: nav@iucn.org

COMING SOON - THE CITES ANALYSES
The Analyses of Proposals to Amend the CITES Appendices, compiled by the SSC Wildlife Trade Programme together with TRAFFIC, in preparation for the 12th CITES Conference of the Parties are nearing completion. They will be available on the SSC website on 9 September 2002.

If you would like more information on any of the items included in this issue or wish to submit an item to future issues, please contact Anna Knee at alk@iucn.org; tel: +41 (0)22 999 0153.