IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) E-Bulletin January 2005

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. This issue and all previous issues are available on the SSC website: www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/

Spanish version / Versión español (kindly translated by IUCN Regional Office for MesoAmerica)

Previous issues: visit the archives

In this issue:

- REPRIEVE PLANNED FOR GARAMBA’S RHINOS: EXTRA EFFORTS PROMISED TO SAFEGUARD THEIR HOMELAND
- ASSESSING AMPHIBIANS, REPTILES AND FRESHWATER FISHES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
- SSC LOSES ONE OF ITS MOST ACTIVE SPECIALIST GROUP CHAIRS - CLAUS REUTHER
- TWO NEW SPECIES OF LEMUR DISCOVERED - ONE NAMED AFTER FORMER SSC SPECIALIST GROUP CHAIR
- SPECIES PROGRAMME FUNDRAISING SUCCESS
- SSC CHAIR CITATIONS OF EXCELLENCE
- TURKEY’S PROTECTED AREAS ARE TOO SMALL TO CONSERVE BROWN BEARS
- CALL FROM CHICAGO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS FROM SSC SPECIALIST GROUPS
- FUNGI SPECIALIST GROUP GOES ONLINE
- BIODIVERSITY LOSS RECEIVES PRESIDENTIAL ATTENTION

REPRIEVE PLANNED FOR GARAMBA’S RHINOS: EXTRA EFFORTS PROMISED TO SAFEGUARD THEIR HOMELAND
The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) recently approved a plan for the translocation of five northern white rhino from DRC’s Garamba National Park to a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya. This is one element of a two-part plan to save the sub-species from extinction and secure the national park and its remaining wildlife that has been ravaged by poaching. The second part commits the Government and its international partners to increased support for conservation activities in Garamba, so that the rhinos can be returned to the Park once security and the long-term viability of the Garamba ecosystem has been assured. Full story

ASSESSING AMPHIBIANS, REPTILES AND FRESHWATER FISHES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
With amphibians, reptiles and fishes relying on freshwater, their catastrophic decline is a warning about the state of the Mediterranean region’s water resources. Even though the situation in freshwater habitats is less well known than for terrestrial habitats, early signs show it is equally serious. IUCN is working on guidelines and criteria at the regional level that will help conservation planning and implementation in the Mediterranean and feed into the global assessments being made for major taxonomic groups. More than 60 experts gathered for a workshop at IUCN’s Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation in Malaga in December to finalize assessments for the 108 species of amphibians and 370 species of reptiles recorded in this region, and develop a population assessment for 249 freshwater fishes endemic to the Mediterranean. Report courtesy of Mediterranean Flash News.

SSC LOSES ONE OF ITS MOST ACTIVE SPECIALIST GROUP CHAIRS – CLAUS REUTHER
SSC was saddened by the news that one of its most active and dedicated members, Claus Reuther has passed away. Claus was Chair of the SSC Otter Specialist Group and dedicated his life to the protection of otters and their habitats. He created and led for 25 years, the NGO Aktion Fischotterschutz, and later the German Otter-Stiftung. In 1987, he initiated the Otter-Zentrum, a breeding centre which has been visited by more than 1.5 million people. He also undertook a great deal of international and regional conservation work. A passionate otter conservationist, Claus never lost sight of the importance of human involvement and always promoted human well-being as an integral part of conservation programmes.

TWO NEW SPECIES OF LEMUR DISCOVERED - ONE NAMED AFTER FORMER CHAIR OF SSC'S CONSERVATION BREEDING SPECIALIST GROUP
Officials at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo (USA) have announced the discovery of two new species of Sportive Lemur. The species are described by Dr. Edward Louis, head of the Genetics Department of the Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research Center at the zoo. The two new species are located in very different forest types – in the rain forest of the east coast and in the dry forest of the west coast. The west coast species, Mitsinjo Sportive Lemur or Lepilemur mitsinjonensis, is named after the region. The east coast species, Seal’s Sportive Lemur or Lepilemur seali, is named in honour of Ulysses S. Seal III, former SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group chair. Full story

SPECIES PROGRAMME FUNDRAISING SUCCESS
SSC’s Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Programme has secured € 2 million from the European Commission for a PanAfrican freshwater biodiversity assessment. The resulting information will be integrated into the development planning process for inland waters.

SSC CITATIONS OF EXCELLENCE
In the last issue of the E-Bulletin, we neglected to mention that along with the Peter Scott Award for Conservation Merit and the Harry Messel Award for Conservation Leadership, outgoing Chair David Brackett also presented several Citations of Excellence at the 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress. Mike Maunder, Co-Chair of the SSC Plant Conservation Committee, Rachel Cavanagh, Programme Officer for the Shark Specialist Group, Carolina Caceres, former assistant to the SSC Chair, Peter Garson, Chair of the Pheasant Specialist Group and Simon Stuart, head of the IUCN/SSC-CI/CABS Biodiversity Assessment Unit all received the Citation in recognition of their outstanding contribution to SSC.

TURKEY’S PROTECTED AREAS ARE TOO SMALL TO CONSERVE BROWN BEARS
The brown bear is one of the largest carnivores in the Mediterranean. Its present distribution is mainly confined to the Mediterranean forest and intact natural habitats in the Pyrenees, the Apennines, the Pindos in the north of Greece and the Caucasian mountains in Turkey. A recent study developed by the Department of Biology of the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, led by SSC member Emre Can about the status of the brown bear in Turkey suggests that the country’s protected areas are too small to provide refuge for the species. More research and expansion of current protected areas along with legislation development and implementation are priorities. (Report courtesy of Mediterranean Flash News). Status and management of brown bears in Turkey is available here.

CALL FROM CHICAGO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS FROM SSC SPECIALIST GROUPS
The deadline for the next round of grants (April 2005) to SSC Specialist Groups from the Chicago Zoological Society’s Chicago Board of Trade Endangered Species Fund is 28 February. Grants are awarded for small projects identified in SSC Action Plans or other group priority-setting exercises. The Fund supports small projects, usually up to $5,000. Priority is given to projects that are clearly of critical need for the species or habitat, that are likely to provide good, immediate results. Applications must be endorsed by the Specialist Group Chair. For guidelines on how to apply contact Linda Reiter, E-mail: lireiter@brookfieldzoo.org

SSC FUNGI SPECIALIST GROUP GOES ONLINE
SSC Fungi Specialist Group member Tom May has prepared an interesting and informative website for the group here.

BIODIVERSITY LOSS RECEIVES PRESIDENTIAL ATTENTION
Addressing the recent Biodiversity: Science and Governance conference in Paris, French President Jacques Chirac acknowledged the work of IUCN and the Red List. “Thanks in particular to the remarkable work of IUCN, we know today that nearly 16,000 species are directly threatened with extinction. The destruction of this natural heritage, bequeathed by millions of years of evolution, is a terrible loss and is also a serious threat for the future,” he said.

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 (alk@iucn.org) or Andrew McMullin (mcmullina@iucn.org); tel: +41 (0)22 999 0153.