Big boost for wildlife conservation: 23 new SOS projects

£2million to help save threatened species

February 2012: Top species conservation experts from around the world have determined the allocation of just over £2million to 23 species conservation projects. Gorillas, cockatoos, and frogs are just a few of the multitude of threatened species that are receiving a helping hand from SOS (Save Our Species), a global species conservation fund initiated by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), the World Bank and the GEF (Global Environment Facility).

Drawing on species conservation knowledge accrued over decades by IUCN, for the first call for proposals SOS focused on species groups that were completely assessed on IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species and already had specific conservation action plans in place.

Dire situation needs urgent actionAccording to the Red List, one in three amphibians, one in eight birds, and one in four mammals are at risk of extinction in the wild. Nineteen different organisations will use these funds to conserve threatened animal and plant species and their habitats.

‘The dire situation facing the world's biodiversity calls for urgent action. SOS is seeking to bring knowledge, expertise and funding together in order to address the plight of threatened species,' says Julia Marton-Lefèvre, IUCN's Director General. ‘Through these exciting projects we hope to show that, if properly implemented, conservation works.'

A high variety of different species is crucial for ecosystem health and SOS aims to conserve a multitude of threatened creatures, focusing on Asian and African mammals, amphibians and birds with the new round of funds. SOS supports a variety of mammal projects such as conservation programmes targeting the critically endangered cross river gorilla and black rhino in Africa, in addition to Pakistan's endangered snow leopard.

Species are disappearing up to 1,000 faster than normalMammals represent the largest portion of the SOS portfolio, but they are not the only animals at risk. SOS also supports bird and amphibian projects, protecting the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper in Asia; a project to re-introduce the Philippine cockatoo and an initiative preserving the golden mantella frog in Madagascar.

‘Ignoring species conservation means ignoring a world in which species are currently disappearing at a rate 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal. The loss of wild plant and animal species is a real threat to human well-being, sustainable development and poverty reduction.

‘In these times of economic turmoil, it would be wise not to further damage nature – our ultimate safety net,' says Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Director of IUCN's Global Species Programme and SOS Director. ‘By implementing on the ground conservation action, the projects SOS select help protect entire habitats which both people and wildlife depend on.'

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/sos-2012.html

Almost 1,500 turtles "crammed like sardines" into suitcases (Pig-nosed or Fly-River turtles) via Herp Digest

TRAFFIC in Enforcement, Herpetological, Smuggling in Asia
Chris R. Shepherd / TRAFFIC Southeast Asia Jakarta, Indonesia, 26 January, 2012

Close to 1,500 live Pig-nosed Turtles were seized yesterday in Mopah Airport, Merauke, in Papua Province, Indonesia. The 1,495 turtles were concealed inside two suitcases en route to Jakarta, the nation's capital and a major hub for illicit wildlife trade.

Valued as pets, and possibly consumed as meat in some countries, Pig-nosed Turtles are smuggled out of Indonesia by the thousands. Sources allege that shipments such as this one are common, with dealers in Jakarta buying the turtles from hunters and agents in Papua, then selling them on to dealers and retailers abroad.

Many are destined for the pet markets of East Asia, to places such as Hong Kong, where demand for this species is rising. The turtles are often concealed in shipments of tropical aquarium fish. There are also indications that many of the turtles are bound for the kitchen table, or to be used in traditional medicines.

Pig-nosed Turtles Carettochelys insculpta are totally protected in Indonesia, making collection for export illegal. Yet the trade large scale persists. Close to 3,500 Pig-nosed Turtles were seized in February 2010 in Jakarta, while in October last year, more than 600 seized in Hong Kong were returned to Indonesia for reintroduction to the wild. Most, however, once removed from their native habitat, never make it back. The authorities involved in intercepting this shipment are to be congratulated" said Chris R. Shepherd, Deputy Regional Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. “However, the fact that dealers continue to smuggle shipments of this size indicates a serious problem in Indonesia, where illegal reptile trade is rife."

Pig-nosed Turtles are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which requires permits for all international trade and for the animals to have been obtained in accordance with national legislation. The Pig-nosed Turtle is threatened by habitat degradation and by illegal and unsustainable harvest for local consumption and international trade. It is listed as Vulnerable to extinction in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Jakarta-renowned illegal wildlife trade hub observations by TRAFFIC in December 2011 of three wildlife markets and a reptile expo in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, found a host of protected and endangered turtles and tortoises openly for sale, plus other protected species of reptiles, mammals and birds. Among them were 19 Green Turtles Chelonia mydas and eight Malaysian Giant Turtles Orlitia borneensis, both listed as Endangered by IUCN and Totally Protected in Indonesia. A host of non-native species were also seen, including a single Ploughshare Tortoise Astrochelys yniphora and 10 Radiated Tortoises Astrochelys radiata, both Critically Endangered species endemic to Madagascar and listed in Appendix I of CITES, meaning international commercial trade in them is prohibited. “Illegal and unsustainable trade in turtles and other reptiles in Indonesia is a serious threat to the conservation of many species. Indonesia's enforcement agencies must take firm action against traders in Indonesia flouting the law," said Shepherd.

Threatened voles found living the high life

ONE of Scotland’s most threatened native mammals – the tiny water vole – has been found thriving more than 2,000 ft up a mountain in the Highlands.

The population of the rodent has plummeted in Scotland by 94 per cent since 1950, due to changes in their habitat and the introduction of the mink.

But Scottish Natural Heritage has now revealed that small colonies of voles, normally associated with low-level water and river systems, have been found 700 metres up a hillside on the agency’s Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve.

It is the first time water voles have been found living at such a high altitude.

Dr Lorna Brown, who led the survey team, said: “It seems that the population on Beinn Eighe is in good health.”

http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/threatened_voles_found_living_the_high_life_1_2088816

Saving Devon's Precious Pearls

One of the UK's most threatened butterflies is being given a helping hand to expand its range through targeted conservation in Devon.

Work is underway at three Forestry Commission sites in the Haldon Forest, Kennford, to improve habitat for the Pearl-bordered Fritillary.The butterfly has been declining dramatically across Britain - two thirds of colonies have become extinct over the last 25 years. But their fortunes have been given a boost through a Butterfly Conservation-led project, in partnership with the Forestry Commission, to expand the area of suitable habitat.Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, with their striking orange and black chequered markings and kaleidoscopic underwings have fallen dramatically due to a decline in traditional woodland management.

The butterfly can be found along woodland rides and clearings, feeding on spring flowering plants like bugle, and lays its eggs near wild violets - the caterpillar's foodplant.The project aims to expand the areas already occupied by the Pearl-bordered Fritillary and link sites where it is already thriving to other sites of suitable habitat - helping the species spread more effectively.

Around 1.5 hectares of scrub control is being carried out across three sites, along with coppicing and conifer clear-felling. This 'linking' work is also underway at the nearby site of North Wood, where half a hectare of conifer has been clear-felled providing a direct link to connect two excellent areas of breeding habitat. Further scrub control has taken place at North Wood by the Forestry Commission, who are supporting efforts to improve habitat by undertaking bracken management in key areas.

Ben Phillips, Area Forester for the Forestry Commission, said "Modern forest management is about a lot more than just producing timber. "These are working forests, producing around 10,000 tonnes of timber every year, but it is also managed to provide excellent recreation opportunities to the public and sympathetically to look after the many different species that live within it.

"We have a long standing relationship with Butterfly Conservation, and we are so pleased to have been able to work with them on this important project to improve habitats for the Pearl-bordered Fritillary."

Volunteers have been involved in habitat assessments, butterfly monitoring and practical management at the three sites. Last summer volunteers collected wild violet seeds which have been sent to a violet specialist nursery for propagation.Young plug plants will be planted in the spring at Great Plantation and North Wood to provide an immediate food source in the newly managed areas. Butterfly Conservation's Project Officer, Jenny Plackett, said: "It's fantastic to see the management work getting underway, and we are hopeful that the habitat improvements will soon show a positive impact on butterfly numbers - the Pearl-bordered Fritillary tends to respond very quickly to management."Funding was granted by the SITA Trust last April, which will support management over three years until 2014.

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/article/9/273/saving_devons_precious_pearls.html

Equestrian conservation group voice fears over plans to dig up Epsom Downs

An equestrian conservation group has savaged plans to dig up part of Epsom Downs to level the racecourse and create a wildlife habitat for the threatened small blue butterfly.

Epsom Racecourse submitted plans earlier this year to flatten the land at Tattenham Corner using 'fill material' from the downs to reduce their costs when erecting a temporary derby marquee each year. The plans were approved by the Epsom and Walton Downs Conservators on December 5, a decision which the Epsom Equestrian Conservation Group (EECG) claim is against byelaws governed by the Epsom and Walton Downs 1984 regulation act. As part of the plans, fill material, will be sourced from three sites at Ashtead Park Garden Centre, an area off Langley Vale Road, and 1,500m3 from the foot of Walton Downs which the EECG fear will cause disruption and damage to the Downs.

More than 100 20 tonne lorry loads are expected to travel from the foot of Walton Downs to Tattenham Corner Road down a narrow bridle way, currently used by walkers, riders and cyclists, for an estimated two month period. Hugh Craddock, BHS bridleway officer for Epsom and Walton Downs said: “Our primary concern is the impact of 113 lorry loads driving across the foot of Walton Hill.

“If you are riding, walking or jogging down there what are you going to do when you meet a 20 tonne lorry?

“It’s a narrow track and it’s not wide enough to accommodate a lorry.

“At the meeting nobody even discussed that point.”

The Epsom Downs is not a public space and is owned largely by Epsom Racecourse which is subject to regulation by the Epsom and Walton Downs Conservators and the 1984 act.

However while plans have been approved by the Conservators, the EECG say the extraction of material from the downs goes against the spirit of the act which empowers them to may byelaws: “For preventing any digging or taking of stone, chalk, soil or other materials or the taking of turf, sods, trees, flowers, shrubs, plants or grass.”

Caroline Baldock, chair of the Epsom Equestrian Conservation Group said: “We are completely amazed that they want to this when it is against the byelaws.

“We are going to lobby the planning committee.”

After material has been extracted from the Downs, the land will be made ‘permanently unusable’ by horse riders and will be turned into a habitat for the small blue butterfly, which although they are spread across the UK, are few in number.

A spokesperson for the Epsom and Walton Downs Conservators said: “The Conservators were informed that both the Racecourse and the Lower Mole Countryside Management Project had identified the proposed location for sourcing that fill material as being one which would benefit in terms of ecology if fill material was taken from it.

“This area therefore would help create a more ‘natural’ Downs through the establishment of Kidney Vetch and thus a provision of a habitat for the small blue butterfly - not necessarily a ‘necessity’, but certainly a positive outcome for protecting the biodiversity of our environment.

“The Conservators were also assured that that the Racecourse would appoint a reputable contractor to undertake the transportation of materials, and it was emphasised that it was in the Racecourse’s own interests that the process was properly managed and carried out in accordance with the Ecological Assessment and Design and Access Statement.

“Frequent review meetings will be taking place between the racecourse and the Conservators to ensure that all requirements are being complied with.”

No date for the work has currently been set with plans now subject to approval by planning officers and the leisure committee at Epsom and Ewell Council.

FACT FILE: Small blue butterfly- Cupido minimus • Britain’s smallest resident butterfly with a wing span that can be a little as 16mm.

• Colonies are isolated and it is only found in small pockets of sometimes less than 30 adults • Numbers have plummeted in recent years due to loss of chalk grassland habitats.

• It feeds on kidney vetch plants, which only grow on poor nutrient, alkaline soils.

• Despite its name it is not particularly blue as its wings are a dark smokey-brown.

http://www.epsomguardian.co.uk/news/9437185.Equestrian_conservation_group_voice_fears_over_plans_to_dig_up_Downs/

Limestone mine exploited, silver gibbons lose their homes

VietNamNet Bridge – There are hundreds of precious plants and animals species living in the limestone mountain of Kien Luong in Kien Giang Province, including silver gibbons (Trachypithecus cristatus). However, the biodiversity of the Kien Luong area has been threatened.



Silver gibbons lose their homes
Nguyen Van Thanh, a local resident living near the Bai Voi Mountain related that in the past, Bai Voi was very high with a lot of trees, which gathered a lot of birds and wild beasts. However, since people exploit limestone to make cement, nearly all the plants have been killed. The animals who lived on the mountain have no more accommodations.


The Hon Chong and Ha Tien cement plans alone every year need hundreds of thousands of tons of limestone to make cement, and they have also contributed to the elimination of many limestone mountains in Kien Luong.

Scientists have voiced their worry that the limestone exploitation on Bai Voi Mountain has directly threatened the lives of 23 silver gibbons living here. Currently, the gibbons are living and seeking food on a small area of 15 hectares which has not been exploited. They cannot move to other places to seek food because the parts of the mountain have been split.

Also at the Kien Luong limestone mountain complex, Khe La Mountain has become the place for limestone exploitation. There are 78 gibbons living on the mountain. According to Dr Nguyen Xuan Niem, Deputy Director of the Kien Giang Science and Technology Department, the limestone exploitation by Holcim has threatened the population of gibbons on Bai Voi and Khe La.

“Holcim must take the responsibility of rescuing the herd of 23 gibbons on Bai Voi Mountain. As for the herd of gibbon on Khe La Mountain, the exploiter should have to take responsibility of protecting the 78 gibbons, but they have not found out any feasible measures. We now have to work out on the measures to build new houses for the silver gibbons,” Niem said.

The problem not only in losing the mountains
Phan Van Hung, Deputy Director of the Hon Dat – Kien Ha forest, said that Indochina gibbon is an important primate species which is typical for the Kien Luong limestone mountains, which have been in the danger of getting extinct.

To date, Indochina gibbons have been found only in two places, including the Phu Quoc national park and the limestone mountains in Kien Luong.

Hung said that it is urgent to find out the solutions to protect the silver gibbons , and that he is making a research on relocating the silver gibbon population from Khe La mountain to Hon Chong area.

According to Dr. Niem, not many limestone mountains still exist, while scientists believe that the Kien Luong limestone Mountain area has the highest tropical biodiversity in the world. Here some new species have been found, which do not exist elsewhere in the world, especially some kinds of insects and snails. However, the limestone exploitation here has created big challenges to the environment. Therefore, losing the mountain is not the biggest concern but losing the biodiversity is.

“We have proposed the Kien Giang province authorities to set up a limestone protection area or it is too late,” Niem said.

Thai Thanh Luom, Director of the Kien Gian Department of Natural Resources and Environment has confirmed that such a protection area project is being considered. The area would include the limestone mountain left and the protective forest of Hon Dat-Kien Ha, which includes Hon Chong Mountain.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/environment/16475/limestone-mine-exploited--silver-gibbons-lose-their-homes.html

Threatened species need farmland

Several threatened species in the developing world are completely dependent on human agriculture for their survival, say scientists.

A study by researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA), found at least 30 bird species that would be driven to extinction without farmland.

The research is published in the journal Conservation Letters.

This study focused on birds, but the team say the same probably applies to many other animals.

Dr Paul Dolman from the University of East Anglia led the research team.

He told BBC Nature: "The general principle is that where large herbivores used to graze the land and create this habitat, they have now gone and human farmers are doing the job instead.

"So wildlife now needs the farmers."

The team laid the foundations for their study with research into threatened bird species in Africa and Asia.

This revealed that some of the rarest and most threatened birds there were completely dependent on traditional grazing land.

Read more here ...

By Victoria Gill

Science reporter, BBC Nature

Public call on Government to save British humming birds, albatrosses and whales

Call to save UK's hummingbirds, albatrosses and whales
December 2011: The British Government needs to step up and honour its responsibilities to the UK Overseas Territories, which contain more than 85 per cent of the UK 's globally threatened species.

The Overseas Territories are home to an assortment of species, from penguins to parrots and hummingbirds and from seabirds to whales. Their unique environments are home to hundreds of species found nowhere else, a third of the world's albatrosses and the largest and most pristine coral atoll on earth, the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean.

'People care about these territories – and they want action'Nearly 17,000 pledges for action have been handed to Henry Bellingham MP, Minister for the Overseas Territories in response to the Government's ongoing consultation on the Overseas Territories.

Representatives from the RSPB gave Mr Bellingham an image of a yellow-nosed albatross - one of the 33 bird species in the UK Overseas Territories threatened by extinction - made up of the names of supporters who have added their voice.

The Government is currently consulting on a new strategy for Overseas Territories. Results of the consultation will eventually feed into a White Paper and the RSPB hopes the Government will step up to the environmental challenges faced by the Territories.

'It's possible to save hundreds of British species from extinction'Dr Tim Stowe, the RSPB's director of international operations, said: ‘These pledges are a clear demonstration that people care about Overseas Territories and want the Government to take action.

‘We are urging the Government to consider its 2020 biodiversity obligations and commit to developing and implementing its Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy in the upcoming White Paper. This could save hundreds of British species from the threat of global extinction, but will need a proactive programme of work with dedicated staff and a much larger percentage of the biodiversity budget than the 0.1 per cent currently allocated - that's just ten pence in every £100 of conservation spending.'

All 14 territories, mostly made up of island groups, are a treasure trove of spectacular species, some of which are found nowhere else on Earth, but hundreds of them are sliding towards extinction.

'Time is running out'Although the Overseas Territories occupy an area of land far smaller than the UK mainland, their wildlife value is immeasurably more significant. A major driver of the economies for the islands is tourism, and wildlife and the natural environment are major attractions.

Wildlife on Overseas Territories face several threats, but non-native species, fisheries, habitat degradation and climate change are the factors affecting the greatest number of species.

Dr Stowe added: ‘We must take care of our islands and the exceptional species that live on them. We welcome the UK Government's new approach to the Territories, and hope it will fulfil this promising new engagement by developing its Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy.

‘Three hundred and fifteen species in the Overseas Territories face extinction. Their survival is in our hands - but time is running out.'

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/overseas-territories2011.html#cr

Albatrosses off the hook in the nick of time

Hope as legislation forces fishing nations to take action

November 2011: Accidentally snagged on longline fishing hooks and then left to drown, the albatross populations in the South Atlantic are among the fastest-declining in the world.

But a new resolution brokered and ratified at the ICCAT (The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) meeting in Istanbul earlier this month is giving hope to these beleaguered birds as Atlantic tuna and swordfish fishing nations will have to ensure vessels take preventative action to avoid accidentally catching these birds.

Worryingly fast decline in numbersOne third of the world's albatrosses nest on the South Atlantic UK Overseas Territories: the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha. ICCAT manages all tuna and swordfish fisheries in the Atlantic outside territorial waters. These measures will significantly reduce the number of birds being killed.

At the ICCAT meeting, the seabird measure was jointly proposed by the EU, Brazil, South Africa and Uruguay, as well as the UK on behalf of its overseas territories.

Dr Cleo Small, representing the RSPB and BirdLife International, attended the meeting. Speaking from Turkey on the meeting's outcome, she said: ‘This offers significant hope to the protection of these iconic UK birds, whose population declines are among the fastest of any seabird species worldwide. We now have an agreement that all boats working in the open waters of the South Atlantic will have to adopt at least two measures to avoid catching seabirds.'

Great news for other seabirds too'This is great news for albatrosses and other seabirds, many of which die needlessly every minute of the day; the accidental casualties in the tuna and swordfish fisheries.'

The new legislation requires all longline vessels fishing south of latitude 25 degrees S - roughly Brazil to Namibia - to use two out of three measures to reduce bycatch, from a choice of bird streamer (tori) lines, setting lines at night, or adding weight to their baited hooks.

The UK's overseas territories host one third of the world's population of albatross and they have more than half of the population of the Southern Ocean. The South Atlantic has seven species of albatross which nest regularly, and six of these are considered to be facing extinction and overlap with the tuna and swordfish fishing fleets: wandering albatross; sooty albatross; grey-headed albatross; Tristan albatross; black-browed albatross; and Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross.

 http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/albatross-bycatch.html

Last chance for Sage-grouse in Canada

Call for Canadian Government to protect Sage Grouse

November 2011. An international coalition of environmental groups on Wednesday called on Canada's federal environment minister to take the endangered Greater sage-grouse under his wing with an emergency protection order.

Environmental law group Ecojustice submitted a legal petition today on behalf of 12 groups, including Canadian BirdLife partner Nature Canada, demanding that Environment Minister Peter Kent use a provision in the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) to protect Canada's few remaining sage-grouse, found only in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

"Without emergency protection for their grassland habitat, sage-grouse are expected to disappear from Alberta within two years and from Saskatchewan within ten years," said Carla Sbert, Nature Canada's manager of conservation programs. "This is still avoidable, but action must be swift."

Just 55 males left in Canada
The iconic bird, known for its elaborate courtship dance, saw almost 90 per cent of its Canadian population die off between 1988 and 2006. As few as 13 male birds currently remain in Alberta and at last count, as few as 42 males were left in Saskatchewan.

The petition calls for Minister Kent to recommend an emergency order to protect the sage-grouse and stop further human disturbance of the habitat these birds need to survive. Recent scientific research suggests that rapid encroachment of oil and gas development on the areas where sage-grouse spend the winter, breed, nest and raise their young is the leading factor in their extreme population drop.

Alberta and Saskatchewan each have a Wildlife Act and voluntary guidelines for energy development near sage-grouse habitat, but provincial protections are so lax that sage-grouse continue to decline. In addition to seeking federal protection for sage-grouse under SARA, the environmental groups are calling on the oil and gas industry to voluntarily provide sage-grouse with the protection they need.

"We have strong science telling us how and where oil and gas development must be regulated if sage-grouse are to survive in Canada, but the governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan and the oil and gas industry are refusing to act on it," said Dr. Mark Boyce, sage-grouse expert and professor at the University of Alberta. "Unless they change course immediately, sage-grouse will become the first species extirpated because of the oil and gas industry."

Members of the public are encouraged to send letters of support for immediate, emergency action to prevent the extinction of the Greater sage-grouse in Canada. An online letter can be sent on Nature Canada's web site.

In addition to Nature Canada, signatories to the petition include Alberta Wilderness Association, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, the David Suzuki Foundation, Lethbridge Naturalists Society, Nature Alberta, Nature Saskatchewan, National Audubon Society - Rockies, Sierra Club of Canada - Prairie Chapter, the Society of Grasslands Naturalists, WildEarth Guardians and the Wilderness Committee.

Sage Grouse

Sage grouse are more common in the USA. They are notable for their elaborate courtship rituals. Each spring males congregate in leks and perform a "strutting display". Groups of females observe these displays and select the most attractive males to mate with. The dominate male located in the center of the lek typically copulates with around 80% of the females on the lek. Males perform in leks for several hours in the early morning and evening during the spring months. Lek generally occur in open areas adjacent to dense sagebrush stands, and the same lekking ground may be used by grouse for decades.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/sage-grouse.html

Europe’s freshwater snails under threat

The European Red List, a part of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has assessed around 6000 species of European flora and fauna to provide status reviews for different animal groups.

Status reviews have been completed for mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, dragonflies and saproxylic beetles with the mollusc, vascular plant and freshwater fish reviews being presented this week.

Out of all the groups assessed by the European Red List freshwater molluscs are now the most threatened group with 44% of all freshwater molluscs and 20% of a selection of terrestrial molluscs now under threat.

Duncan Sivell, Buglife Biodiversity Officer said “this European report reflects the situation in Britain where we have several mollusc species that have declined to the point where they are just clinging on. Rare snail populations are struggling to survive at a number of locations around the country; from the very centre of London to remote mountain streams in the Highlands.”

But there is some positive news for the species that have been designated conservation measures. For example, Spengler’s Freshwater Mussel (Margaritifera auricularia) is now restricted to a handful of rivers in France and Spain. Considered extinct in the 1980s is now listed as endangered with a European-level Action Plan designed for the conservation of this species.

The related Fresh water pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) is not doing so well in Britain where we have a globally important population. These mussels can live for more than a hundred years but many populations are entirely made up of old individuals; the current generation of mussels is missing.Unless this trend reverses these populations are effectively dead.

Duncan said “the report does show that we can pull species back from the brink if there is a willingness to do so, and there is certainly a need to focus our efforts on conserving these enigmatic species.”

To find out more about The European Red List, a part of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species please click on this link.

Urgent need for action to save polar bears

Bears' habitats are literally melting away...October 2011: A dramatic reduction in polar-bear habitats in the next ten to 50 years has been predicted. The study by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) warns this is due largely to global warming.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assesses polar bears as Vulnerable, with trends that suggest the population is decreasing. Polar bears rely almost entirely on the marine sea ice environment for their survival, so much so that large scale changes in their habitat will have a devastating impact on the population.

'They will disappear from many areas they are found today'‘Now is the time to act in order to save the waning polar bear population,' says Dag Vongraven, who heads up IUCN's polar bear specialist group, the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI). ‘If we fail to make a stand to save this species we risk having the population become severely decimated, and quite certainly they will have disappeared from many areas where they're found today.'

Climate change poses the most substantial threat to polar bear habitats. Recent trends for sea ice extent and thickness predict dramatic reductions over coming years- declines of roughly ten to 50 per cent of annual sea ice are predicted by 2100. A recent study by the NPI suggests that summer sea ice in the Polar Basin might be gone in a decade, not 50 to 100 years as most models have projected in the past. The long-term trends reveal substantial global reductions of the extent of ice coverage in the Arctic and the length of time ice when is present each year.

There must be strong commitments to cut greenhouse gases – now‘Climate change will be one of the major drivers of species extinctions in the 21st century,' says Simon Stuart, chairman of IUCN's Species Survival Commission. ‘In order to slow the pace the adverse effects of climate change are having on species around the world, we must work to reduce use of energy from fossil fuels and ensure that our leaders make and adhere to strong commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions now.'

Polar bears live throughout the ice-covered waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway, the Russian Federation and Alaska. Their range is limited by the southern extent of sea ice. Polar bears that have continuous access to sea ice can hunt throughout the year, but in areas where the sea ice melts completely each summer, the bears are forced to spend several months on land fasting on stored fat reserves until freeze-up.

Other population stress factors that also impact the species survival include toxic contaminants, shipping, recreational viewing and oil and gas exploration. The polar bear is unique among species protected under the Endangered Species Act because it is the first to be designated as threatened due to global warming.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/polar-bear-decline.html

Vast shark sanctuary created in Pacific

The Marshall Islands government has created the world's largest shark sanctuary, covering nearly two million sq km (750,000 sq miles) of ocean.

The Pacific republic will ban trade in shark products and commercial shark fishing throughout its waters.

Tourism, including diving, is a staple of the Marshall Islands archipelago, which is home to just 68,000 people.

Sharks and their near relatives such as rays are seriously threatened by issues such as habitat loss and fishing.

About a third of ocean-going sharks are on the internationally-recognised Red List of Threatened Species.

"In passing this [shark protection] bill, there is no greater statement we can make about the importance of sharks to our culture, environment and economy," said Senator Tony deBrum, who co-sponsored the bill through the Marshallese parliament.

"Ours may be a small island nation, but our waters are now the biggest place sharks are protected."

To put the sanctuary in context, it covers roughly the same area as Indonesia, Mexico or Saudi Arabia, and is about eight times bigger than the UK.

The move will extend the area of ocean in which sharks are protected from about 2.7 million sq km to 4.6 million sq km (1.0 to 1.8 million sq miles).

By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News
Read on...

The world's most threatened and healthiest sea turtle populations revealed

Turtles under serious threat in Indian Ocean - Nearly half of the world's most endangered turtles found in northern Indian Ocean

September 2011: Almost half - 45 per cent - of the world's most threatened sea turtle populations are found in the northern Indian Ocean, according to a new study.

The team of top turtle experts also determined that the most significant threats across all of the threatened populations of sea turtles are fisheries bycatch, accidental catches of sea turtles by fishermen targeting other species, and the direct harvest of turtles or their eggs for food or turtle shell material for commercial use.

The recent report, produced by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG) and supported by Conservation International (CI) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), is the first comprehensive status assessment of global sea turtle populations. The study evaluated the state of individual populations of sea turtles and determined the 11 most threatened populations, as well as the 12 healthiest ones.

Read on...

Record number of Critically Endangered ibis seen in Cambodia – But …….

Conservationists concerned for future of White-shouldered Ibis - Courtesy of Birdlife September 2011. The 2011 Cambodian census of White-shouldered ibis has found a larger number of birds than ever before, but celebrations are muted, as this species' survival is imminently threatened by serious habitat loss.

543 birds counted
The total of 543 birds, counted concurrently in four key sites, was a record exceeding the 428 individuals at the same time last year. Nevertheless, the larger number provides little extra long-term security for this species, as up to 85% of these birds are at risk of losing their habitat from change in land use in the near future.

Critically Endangered
White-shouldered Ibis is classified as Critically Endangered by BirdLife on behalf of IUCN, of which Cambodia is a member. This means there is a high probability that the species will go extinct in the near future - a route already trod by Cambodia's national animal, the Kouprey.

As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Cambodia has an international duty to conserve this and other endangered species. As a result of habitat loss, the species is extinct from its former range in Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia and China, and a very small population in Indonesian Borneo (previously estimated at 30-100 individuals) has also declined.

Cambodia holds 95% of global population
Cambodia now supports at least 95% of the global population of this species and is therefore a vital last stronghold. In the wet season, the ibises flock together at roosting sites making it possible to count them. Loss of its remaining habitat in Cambodia is now the biggest single threat to White-shouldered Ibis. Although nationwide counts of White-shouldered Ibis have provided higher estimates of the Cambodian population than previously known, conservationists are cautious to claim the population has been growing.

A consortium of organisations comprising BirdLife International, the Cambodian Forestry Administration, Department for Administration of Nature Conservation and Protection of Cambodia Ministry of Environment, the People Resources and Conservation Foundation, the University of East Anglia, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and World Wide Fund for Nature all lead efforts to monitor and conserve the White-shouldered Ibis and its forest home in Cambodia. Conservation efforts across the country include guarding of nests, community-based ecotourism, law enforcement to prevent hunting and the ‘Ibis Rice' scheme, in which local people grow wildlife-friendly rice.

White-shouldered Ibis is one of the species benefiting from BirdLife's Preventing Extinction Programme. Find out more at www.birdlife.org/extinction

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/cambodia-ibis.html

Developers threaten animals in Croatia's cave network

Species of animals, millions of years old, could be wiped out by pollution and development in Croatia, according to a new breed of cave biologists.

Jana Bedek and her team of bio-speleologists have recently discovered that the underground networks of the Balkans, especially Croatia, have the richest cave fauna in the world.

"We are now in the place with the best range of cave animals in the world," she says.

"The other countries have their own rich fauna in rainforests, marine ecosystems etc, but here in this area we have cave fauna. Really important at world level."

But on a political and economic level, Croatia is emerging from decades of communism, and the devastating Balkan war, with a desire to develop.

They are expected to join the EU in two years' time and the government has a queue of road, rail and power projects awaiting approval.

Some 41% of the country rests on the massive shard of limestone known as the Karst.

One cave known as "Vilina Spila" or Fairy Cave, boasts archaeology alongside its biology. Athenian pottery adorned with the goddess' symbol of an owl can be found amongst broken Roman amphora which litter the floor.

It is one of the biggest and most abundant caves in the Balkans, yet it is earmarked for an extraordinary hydro-electric scheme which will store water in the cave itself by sealing much of it with concrete.

'Baby dragon'
The underground ecosystem in Croatia is extraordinary in so many ways.

First, it is animals only, no plants. The total darkness means photosynthesis is a non-starter and all the creatures must live on a meagre diet of what is washed in from the surface, bat droppings or each other.

Such Spartan rations do not allow abundant life, but it is varied, including spiders, millipedes, clams, sponges, scorpions and, weirdest of all, the cave salamander.

The cave salamander looks like an eel with legs, but it has no eyes and pale, almost translucent, skin. Once seen, you can understand the belief it was a baby dragon. In fact they are not babies at all - they can live for a very long time, up to 100 years.

But it is not just aged individuals dwelling in the underworld, the species themselves are ancient too. They can claim to be the first Europeans.

Over the past 10 million years, as ice ages and deserts wiped out most life up above, caves became the bunker for existence, clinging on in the unchanging world below.

Slavko Polak, a biologist in the huge Postojna cave just into Slovenia says: "We can prove with molecular DNA analysis these lineages of animals are very ancient. Maybe the oldest surviving species in the European continent. It is not acceptable that they will be extinct from human activity."

Most of the species do not live anywhere else in the world and are unique to a particular cave network. Yet it is such a difficult environment for scientists, that bio-speleology is in its infancy.

Jana Bedek - who won a prestigious Whitley Award in 2011 for her conservation work - usually finds a new life form on each field trip and has many more awaiting classification.

Tight rules
Kornelija Pintaric, head of the Nature Protection Directorate at the Ministry of Culture accepts that, while they do their best to protect the environment, some valuable caves will inevitably be lost: "Some caves have been destroyed because of the need to build some very important national infrastructure."

But many environmentalists believe the advent of the EU is having a perverse effect.

Ms Bedek and her colleagues are convinced European Union rules would never allow plans like the one for Fairy Cave to go ahead, but she also believes that is why many developers are in a hurry to get their permissions now - before Croatia becomes a member state.

"They're rushing to have all their permits, because when we are in the European Union, it will not be possible to get them, so now is the only chance," she says.

Europe has tight rules on habitat conservation and huge swathes of Croatia are likely to be protected.

Davorin Markovic, head of the State Institute for Nature Protection says whenever you build a road tunnel there is an 80% chance of hitting a cave and even he admits developers are pushing hard right now.

"They know that there will be some restrictions [coming] so it is normal to 'catch the train when you can'," he says.

The EU's ambassador to Croatia, Paul Vandoren, says he is aware of the pressure but insists that Brussels keeps a close eye on impending projects to prevent rules being bent.

 

By Tom Heap BBC, Croatia

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/9577248.stm

30 more red kites arrive in Lake District

Raptors will spend a month gaining strengthAugust 2011: A landmark Forestry Commission conservation project has entered a new chapter with the arrival of 30 more magnificent birds of prey in Grizedale Forest .

Red kites were successfully reintroduced to the heart of the Lake District in the summer last year. Now their numbers are set to double with new hatchlings arriving from the Forestry Commission's flagship breeding site in Rockingham Forest , Northamptonshire.

The latest group of juvenile raptors are spending a month gaining strength in a custom-made pen at a secret location in Grizedale Forest. An expert team is caring for the young birds and feeding them until they are ready to fly and fend for themselves.

We have great confidence in this reintroduction projectWildlife ranger Iain Yoxall, who has led the project to reintroduce red kites into Grizedale, said: ‘The release of the first 30 birds last year was a momentous sight and has given us cause for great confidence in the project.
‘We are feeding the new arrivals on a variety of food, with the staple diet and nourishment coming from dead grey squirrel, rats and mice. The birds of prey are primarily scavengers in the wild and feed mostly on carrion.

‘We will care for the hatchlings for three or four weeks until they have grown strong enough to take wing, giving them the best possible opportunity to thrive in the wild.'

He added: ‘Before release, we have a vet on hand to give each of the birds a full health screening which includes delousing, worming, visual inspections and blood tests.'

It's a real conservation success‘This project is fast becoming a great conservation success for the Forestry Commission, reintroducing a species that has been missing for well over a century."'

When the birds are released, they carry tags on each wing, an orange one on the left to show they are from Grizedale, and one on the right to indicate the year of release - white ones for 2011.

The Grizedale birds also carry radio transmitters to allow the forest's rangers to monitor their progress and the scheme's success, but the Forestry Commission is keen for people to report sightings of the birds to help judge their movements and support the project.

The Forestry Commission North West England has been granted a special licence to release 90 red kites in Grizedale Forest over a three-year period. The latest arrivals mark the second phase of the landmark final reintroduction of the birds in England . There will be another 30 birds released in 2012.

Red kites were almost eradicated from the UK following changes in farming practices and human persecution between the 16th and 19th centuries. Numbers then recovered slowly thanks to the actions of local conservationists. The UK population is expanding and there are now thought to be more than 1,000 pairs of the birds in the country.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/kites-grizedale2011.html#cr

Sexually showy birds age faster (via Dawn Holloway)

A large, flamboyant bird has given biologists an insight into the relationship between sex and ageing.


The male Houbara bustard has striking ornamental feathers that it displays while running around and "booming" to attract a mate.

As scientists report in Ecology Letters, birds that indulge in more of these sexual displays age faster.

The more "showy" males experienced earlier age-related declines in the quality of their sperm.

The team used 10-years-worth of data on the sexual behaviour and fertility of more than 1,700 North African Houbara bustards that were bred by conservationists in Missour, Morocco.

"The birds are a threatened species, and the data was collected as part of an ongoing conservation programme aimed at increasing their numbers in the wild," explained lead researcher Brian Preston, a scientist based at the University of Burgundy, France.

The scientists measured how much time each male spent carrying out its elaborate display, and compared this to changes in its fertility that are associated with ageing.

By examining the birds' sperm, the researchers discovered that all males experienced a "dramatic decline" in their fertility as they aged.

"Over the age of six years," said Dr Preston. "They began to produce much smaller ejaculates with immobile and frequently abnormal sperm."

"But the key finding was that males that had invested most effort displaying to females in their earlier years experienced the onset of this age-related decline in fertility at a younger age.

"They effectively seem to 'burn themselves out' sooner."

Evolutionary puzzle
Bustards are particularly interesting to scientists trying to understand the biology of ageing, because they are such long-lived birds. The male bustards studied here were between one and 24 years of age


"We might expect that genes that would cause animal to deteriorate with age would be 'weeded out' by natural selection," said Dr Preston. "So it's something of a problem for evolutionary biologists."


One of the theories to explain this evolutionary anomaly is that animals might "overspend" on activities in their early life, by, for example, expending lots of energy on gaudy sexual displays. This might be at the cost of maintaining their body properly in the longer term.

"This is precisely the kind of relationship we have found," said Dr Preston.

"Life is risky," he continued. "Predators, parasites and diseases are likely to prevent animals from living for long periods anyway. So it might be better for them to spend now and not worry about later."

John Burnside, a zoologist from the University of Bath said the findings were "very interesting".

"These results show what may be a classic trade-off - that males invest more in breeding displays when they are young lose sperm viability when they're older," he told BBC Nature.

Studies like this, he added, help "fill in the jigsaw of the complex feedback systems that can occur during natural selection".

By Victoria Gill

Science reporter, BBC Nature

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/14388541

Tuna at serious risk of extinction

Not just bluefin tuna under threat

July 2011: For the first time, all species of scombrids (tunas, bonitos, mackerels and Spanish mackerels) and billfishes (swordfish and marlins) have been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Of the 61 known species, seven are classified in a threatened category, being at serious risk of extinction. Four species are listed as Near Threatened.

The results show that the situation is particularly serious for tuna. Five of the eight species of tuna are in the Threatened or Near Threatened IUCN Red List Categories. These include: the Critically Endangered southern bluefin, the Atlantic bluefin (Endangered), bigeye (Vulnerable), yellowfin (Near Threatened), and albacore (Near Threatened).


This new information will be invaluable in helping governments make decisions which will safeguard the future of these species, many of which are of extremely high economic value.

Little hope of recovery for southern bluefin
‘All three bluefin tuna species are susceptible to collapse under continued excessive fishing pressure. The southern bluefin has already essentially crashed, with little hope of recovery,' says Dr Kent Carpenter, Professor at Old Dominion University, manager of IUCN's Marine Biodiversity Unit and an author of the paper.

‘If no changes are made to current fishing practices, the western Atlantic bluefin stocks are at risk of collapse as they are showing little sign that the population is rebuilding following a significant reduction in the Seventies.'

Three species of billfishes are in Threatened or Near Threatened categories: blue marlin (Vulnerable), white marlin (Vulnerable); and striped marlin (Near Threatened).

Most of the long-lived economically valuable species are considered threatened. They mature later than short-lived species and their reproductive turnover is longer, and as such recovery from population declines takes more time. As these scombrids and billfishes are at the top of the pelagic food web, population reductions of these predators may cause significant negative effects on other species that are critical to the balance of the marine ecosystem and that are economically important as a source of food.


Tough deterrents to fishing are needed
The future of threatened scombrids and billfishes rests on the ability of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) and fishing nations to properly manage these species. Southern and Atlantic bluefin populations have been so reduced that the most efficient way to avoid collapse is to shut down the fisheries until stocks are rebuilt to healthy levels.

However, this would cause substantial economic hardship and hinder the ability of RFMOs to control fishing because of the increased incentive for illegal fishing that would be created under these circumstances.

‘Temporarily shutting down tuna fisheries would only be a part of a much needed recovery programme. In order to prevent illegal fishing, strong deterrents need to be implemented,' says Jean-Christophe Vié, deputy director of IUCN's global species programme. ‘This new study shows that there is an urgent need for effective management. Scientific findings should not be discarded in order to maintain short-term profit. Marine life and jobs for future generations are both at stake.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/tuna-extinction.html

Critically Endangered Northern bald ibis rear two healthy young

Syrian unrest doesn't hamper recovery of Middle East's rarest bird

July 2011. Conservationists have feared that Syria's current political unrest may have affected the fortunes of the northern bald ibis - currently the most threatened bird in the Middle East with just one breeding pair left.

There are just 3 remaining wild Northern Bald ibis in Syria. Credit RSPBimages.com

But counter to the trepidation, for the first time in the last three years the remaining pair has successfully reared two healthy young, which have left the nest and have begun their migration to the highlands of Ethiopia.

Teetering on the verge of extinction
Chris Bowden is the RSPB's international species recovery officer, coordinating the northern bald ibis programme for BirdLife International. He said: "This species has teetered on the brink of extinction in the Middle East for several years, but we're delighted to report that the fledging of two chicks has reignited our hopes for the recovery of this bird." The Syrian Desert Commission has successfully protected the birds. The northern bald ibis - named for its distinctive bald-headed appearance - is distantly related to storks, herons and spoonbills.

Symbol of the Pharaohs
Chris Bowden added: "This species has been an important cultural and religious icon in the Middle East and it had special significance to the Egyptian Pharaohs, but now it has become a symbol of optimism too.

Tracing their migration
"As we trace their migration route across the Middle East, we have colleagues across the region poised to monitor them on their journey. However, difficulties, such as petrol shortages are confounding our efforts. One of our Yemeni colleagues was forced to wait nine-hours for fuel before starting to search for the birds!"

Feared extinct until 2002

The wild population of northern bald ibis was feared extinct in the Middle East, when in 2002 birds were found nesting in the mountains of Syria, near Palmyra - after not being seen in Syria for 70 years. Since then conservationists have sought to give the birds protection by working with local people and by using state-of-the-art technology to track the birds' movements. This research has identified that the Syrian adult birds head to the highlands of Ethiopia to spend the winter, but where the juveniles go still remains a mystery.

Critically Endangered
The Critically Endangered northern bald ibis was once widespread across North Africa and the Middle East. Aside from Syria, the only other nesting population occurs in Morocco, where just over 100 breeding pairs still occur in two coastal locations near Agadir, on the Atlantic coast. The outlying birds in Syria will be an important addition but only if the population can be sustained.

Two of the three adult birds carry tracking devices and their daily progress can be followed by visiting the following website: www.rspb.org.uk/ibistracking and for more background visit www.iagnbi.org

Captive birds released in 2010

Despite apparently breeding well, and rearing plnety of chicks, the colony has dwindled from 7 birds in 2002 to just 3 in 2011. So in 2010 2 birds from the small captive population in Turkey were relased alongside the Syrian birds, but sadly it appears that they didn't survive their first winter migration, though it is possible that they have just got lost - Their transmitters stopped working last autumn. The lone chick reared by the wild birds in 2010 was found dead during the migration - He was very undernourished.

Two birds have fledged from the nest in 2011 and they both seemed healthy when they left on their migration, so it is hoped that they will survive their winter migration.

Their were unconfirmed reports of 3 unringed birds spotted in Ethiopa last winter - It is just possible that they are juveniles that fledged in 2007 in Syria but have not (yet) returned there.