IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) E-Bulletin June 2004

This monthly 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: visit the archives

In this issue:

- RECOVERY FOR AFRICA'S THREATENED RHINOS?
- MORE SHARKS ON THE RED LIST
- DECLINING WADER POPULATIONS - REVIEW GIVES INCREASING CAUSE FOR CONCERN
- OBE FOR SSC SHARK SPECIALIST GROUP CHAIR
- PARROTS ACTION PLAN - MARK TWO IN THE MAKING
- SSC CACTUS AND SUCCULENT PLANT SPECIALIST GROUP GOES ONLINE
- WETLANDS INTERNATIONAL SPECIALIST GROUP COORDINATORS' MEETING
- CHICAGO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY GRANTS TO SSC SPECIALIST GROUPS
- NEW SSC INTERNS
- NEW ON THE WEB

RECOVERY FOR AFRICA'S THREATENED RHINOS?

Africa's critically endangered black rhinoceros could be on its way to recovery if present trends continue. That's according to new estimates announced by the SSC African Rhino Specialist Group and WWF. Africa's white rhinoceros also appears stable at much higher numbers than the black rhino. The black rhino suffered a drastic decline from about 65,000 in the 1970s to only 2,400 in the mid 1990s. The latest findings show black rhino numbers have increased to just over 3,600, a rise of 500 over the last two years. The white rhino population, down to just 50 individuals a hundred years ago, now stands at 11, 000. Full story

MORE SHARKS ON THE RED LIST

The number of species of sharks and rays on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is set to grow. This was the finding of a week-long expert workshop convened by the SSC Shark Specialist Group, at Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida. The aim of the meeting was to examine the conservation status of the species found in North and Central American waters. Workshop findings confirm the widely-held belief that slow growing sharks and rays are exceptionally vulnerable to over-fishing, but also reveal that species can recover from depletion if strict management is imposed before populations reach critical levels. The results highlight how species can become endangered through incidental catch, without being the target of fisheries. In many cases, species of "Least Concern" in U.S. waters still face serious threats from unregulated fishing off Mexico and Central America. Full story

DECLINING WADER POPULATIONS - REVIEW GIVES INCREASING CAUSE FOR CONCERN

The International Wader Study Group, which also acts as the SSC Wader Specialist Group, has published a major review of the status of the migratory wader (shorebird) species in Africa and western Eurasia. Wader populations are a particular cause for concern, with nearly half the world's known populations in decline (48%). Accurate and up-to-date information on population trends is vital to identify conservation priorities and help reverse these declines. This timely review assesses the status of 131 distinct populations of 55 migratory wader species in the region. It updates an assessment of the East Atlantic Flyway undertaken in the 1980s and provides, for the first time, a review of all three principal migratory flyways in Africa and western Eurasia. Full story

OBE FOR SSC SHARK SPECIALIST GROUP CHAIR

Chair of the SSC Shark Specialist Group, Dr Sarah Fowler has been awarded the Order of the British Empire in Her Majesty the Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to marine conservation. The ceremony will take place later this year. Read more about Sarah in the Shark Specialist Group profile on the SSC website.

PARROTS ACTION PLAN - MARK TWO IN THE MAKING

The World Parrot Association recently convened a meeting in Chester, UK, to discuss the update of the SSC Action Plan for the Conservation of Parrots. The first edition was reviewed; covering topics such as trade, habitat conversion, challenges from feral parrots, management plans and conservation genetics as well as species accounts. The time frame and format of the new publication was discussed. The Parrot Action Plan is a "special case" because there is currently no SSC Parrot Specialist Group network, yet various conservation organizations (some IUCN members) see it as an important tool to guide parrot conservation issues worldwide.

SSC CACTUS AND SUCCULENT PLANT SPECIALIST GROUP GOES ONLINE

The highlight of the Cactus and Succulent Plant Specialist Group meeting that took place at Hamburg University on 1 June was the launch of the Group's new website, designed by group member, Andrea Cattabriga, free of charge. The new site will go a long way in enhancing collaboration and communication among all members, providing information as well as photos to the general public on the biology and conservation status of succulent plants, and provide useful data to the organizations involved in the conservation and control of international trade in wild species.

WETLANDS INTERNATIONAL SPECIALIST GROUP COORDINATORS' MEETING

Wetlands International which shares several Specialist Groups with SSC, held its Coordinators Meeting 4-5 June in Waageningen, The Netherlands. Up for discussion were the Wetlands International 10 year strategy, Specialist Group achievements and challenges, the Species Information Service, Red Listing, and Specialist Group network development. Discussions centred around future work, current trends and donor requirements (e.g., linking work to poverty alleviation), future Specialist Group structure, work and fundraising.

CHICAGO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY GRANTS TO SSC SPECIALIST GROUPS

The Chicago Zoological Society, which makes annual grants to SSC Specialist Groups from its Chicago Board of Trade Endangered Species Fund for small projects identified in Action Plans or other group priority-setting exercises, announces that its final grant round for 2004 will be in September. The deadline for submissions is 1 August 2004. The Fund will support small projects, usually up to $5,000. For more information contact Linda Reiter, E-mail: lireiter@brookfieldzoo.org

NEW SSC INTERNS

Tristan Tyrrell has joined the SSC Cambridge UK office as Red List Programme intern. Tristan has a degree in Environmental Sciences from Trinity College, Dublin. He is Irish and speaks French and Spanish. Although just graduated, Tristan has spent time overseas, including carrying out a behavioural study of Rothschild giraffe in Kenya, working with a veterinarian in France and travelling throughout Europe, and North and South America.

Kevin Smith is a new addition to the SSC Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Programme, also in Cambridge. Kevin has an MSc in Environmental Law and Conservation Biology and has worked in biodiversity conservation in the UK, Tanzania and Australia. Most recently he has been working for the British Antarctic Survey conducting research on Antarctic and Southern Ocean mollusc and bryozoan species.

NEW ON THE WEB

Issue 41 of Species, SSC's printed newsletter is now available on the SSC website in PDF.

Thanks to the hard work of SSC intern Bryan Hugill, the SSC Publications pages (Action Plans, Occasional Papers, and Monographs) have been updated with links to all those available online.

A new website has been created for the Regional Northeast African Subgroup of the SSC Antelope Specialist Group. This region covering Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan is rich in antelope biodiversity. Several species and subspecies are endemic to this region so the site is essential for disseminating critical conservation information.

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.