IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) E-Bulletin March 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:

SSC EXPERTS SEARCH WAYS TO ERADICATE INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES FROM "TREASURE ISLAND"
CALL FOR CASE STUDIES - THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE PROJECT
SSC GLOBAL TREE AND SUSTAINABLE USE SPECIALIST GROUPS COLLABORATE
SPECIES 2000
RED LIST PARTNER LAUNCHES UPDATE ON THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S BIRDS
NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA SSC SHARK SPECIALIST GROUP WORKSHOP
SSC ORCHID SPECIALIST GROUP CONSERVATION WORKSHOPS
NEW RED LIST INTERN
NEW ON THE SSC WEBSITE

SSC EXPERTS SEARCH WAYS TO ERADICATE INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES FROM "TREASURE ISLAND"
Experts from the SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group are investigating ways to eradicate invasive alien species from Costa Rica's Cocos Island National Park, to save the island's unique native biodiversity. They recently carried out a mission to the island, to assess the viability and methods of a plan to eradicate some invasives such as pigs, rats and cats, and manage others. Full story.

CALL FOR CASE STUDIES - THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE PROJECT
The Precautionary Principle Project (www.pprinciple.net) in which IUCN/SSC is a partner, is calling for case studies on the meaning, application and impacts of the principle in the management of living natural resources or biodiversity conservation. The Project also has two upcoming regional consultation workshops for South East Asia and Southern and Eastern Africa for which abstracts and participation are invited. The workshops will gather and review regional experiences and perspectives on the precautionary approach, review case studies, and contribute to the development of best-practice guidance on implementation of the precautionary principle. Further information from Rosie Cooney (rosie.cooney@fauna-flora.org).

SSC GLOBAL TREE AND SUSTAINABLE USE SPECIALIST GROUPS COLLABORATE
A new partnership has been formed between the SSC Global Tree Specialist Group (GTSG) and the Sustainable Use Specialist Group (SUSG). These groups have many overlapping issues in their remits, and their Chairs are both based at Fauna and Flora International in Cambridge, UK. The GTSG has access to the latest research, policy and practice regarding conservation and sustainable use of trees and timber, which the SUSG can introduce to the broader debate on sustainable use. Meanwhile, the SUSG will facilitate the GTSG's engagement in contemporary international debates on sustainable use and processes, such as CITES and the CBD.

SPECIES 2000
The EuroCat - Catalogue of Life - 2 Workshop was held in Portugal 23-25 March. EuroCat is part of the Species 2000 project which aims to produce a quality, validated taxonomic checklist for all known species and provide an integrated view of indigenous and non-indigenous species occurring in Europe. IUCN, through its Species Programme participates by helping to establish user needs, develop the business plan and project concept, and test the database. More information from Mariano Gimenez Dixon (mgd@iucn.org).

RED LIST PARTNER LAUNCHES UPDATE ON THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S BIRDS
BirdLife International, a major partner in the compilation of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, released the latest State of the World's Birds publication at its recent World Conservation Conference and Global Partnership Meeting in South Africa. Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, BirdLife has determined that 1,211 species (12.4% of species, or one in eight) are globally threatened with extinction. The new report highlights threats to some 400 bird species that are still waiting for conservation action whilst describing how 24% (280 species) of globally threatened birds have begun to benefit from actions identified by BirdLife and its partners. In 4% of species, the benefit has already been judged 'significant', emphasizing that timely action based on good science can reverse the slide to extinction. Threatened Birds of the World 2004 was also launched as a CD-ROM outlining the conservation status of all 10,000 bird species, including detailed fact sheets on all those globally threatened. The information will feed into the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA SSC SHARK SPECIALIST GROUP RED LIST WORKSHOP
Building on the success of other regional workshops, the SSC Shark Specialist Group (SSG) is organizing a Red List workshop at Mote Marine Lab, Florida, in June. Tasks will include examining the current and future threats to the species, completing Red List assessments, and developing recommendations for the conservation and research of sharks and rays in the region. The SSG's Northwest Atlantic and Northeast Pacific regions include the coasts of Central American and Caribbean countries. For many of these, the group is not represented, if you can contribute please contact Rachel Cavanagh (ikan_yu@btopenworld.com). More details are available on the SSG website.

SSC ORCHID SPECIALIST GROUP CONSERVATION WORKSHOPS
A series of workshops are being held as part of the International Orchid Conservation Congress (IOCC) at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Florida in May, which incorporates a SSC Orchid Specialist Group meeting. These include application of RAMAS Red List software; Population Dynamics Applied to Orchid Conservation; Mycorrhizal Propagation Techniques; and Terrestrial Orchid Propagation and Transfer to Soil and Habitat. Details at www.selby.org/iocc

NEW RED LIST INTERN
Arturo Mora is the new George Rabb intern based in the IUCN Regional Office for South America in Quito, Ecuador. His job will be to liaise with the SSC network in South America and, in particular, promote and facilitate implementation of the Red List Programme in the region.

NEW ON THE SSC WEBSITE:

CITES: A CONSERVATION TOOL - NEW EDITION AVAILABLE
The SSC Wildlife Trade Programme has revised "CITES: A Conservation Tool, a guide to amending the Appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora". This eighth edition outlines the process for the submission, presentation, and adoption of proposals to amend the Appendices. It guides readers through the Convention's articles and resolutions, lists 11 new resolutions adopted at CoP12, and provides links to a range of resolutions that are likely to be relevant in preparation for the upcoming CoP13. The updated publication is only available in English but the seventh edition is available in both French and Spanish.

ASIAN ELEPHANT SPECIALIST GROUP WEBSITE
A website has been created for the SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) and work is underway to update the 1990 Action Plan which is available on the site in PDF and open to comment by AsESG members.

REVISED GUIDELINES FOR USING THE IUCN RED LIST CATEGORIES AND CRITERIA
The updated Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria are available on this site in PDF at: http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/redlists/RedListGuidelines.pdf

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.