EAZA News 57-12 - European Association of Zoos and Aquaria

Bengt Holst, CBSG Europe, Copenhagen Zoo, Denmark
Workshops for European species
So far, CBSG Europe has primarily been involved in conservation workshops
for exotic species such as the Malay tapir (Tapirus indicus), the
Formosan pangolin (Manis pentadactyla pentadactyla) and the four
species of lion tamarins (Leontopithecus spp.). The workshops were
all urgently needed and resulted in conservation action plans that set
priorities for the future conservation activities in the involved regions.
However, it is now time to focus on European species as well. Several
workshops are in preparation, but the first one to be conducted will be
a PHVA (Population and Habitat Viability Assessment) workshop for
the green toad (Bufo viridis) in Sweden. The workshop is scheduled for
11 to 14 June 2007 and will be hosted by Nordens Ark, Hunnebostrand,
Sweden, one of the institutions that have been heavily involved in
captive breeding and reintroduction of this species for years.
Towards a self-sustaining population of green toads
The green toad was previously widely distributed in the southern-most
part of Sweden, with over fifty known localities primarily in coastal
areas. During the past fifty years the population has declined drastically;
now numbering less than 400 adult specimens in three local populations.
The reasons for this decline are not fully understood, but decreasing
water quality and loss of breeding pools are most probably part of the
explanation. In order to help the population increase again, reintroductions
have been conducted at selected localities. However, in order for such
activities to be efficient they need to become part of a more comprehensive
plan, looking far into the future and taking all relevant threats and
opportunities into consideration.
conservation
CBSG Europe conducts conservation
workshop for green toads
A number of exciting working groups was formed at the annual meeting of CBSG in Halle, Germany, from
24 to 27 August 2006. The reports of these working groups will be published in the next issue of the CBSG
Newsletter. One of the working groups focussed on the development of a future action plan for CBSG Europe.
As there was so much interest in this topic, the group needed to be divided into three subgroups, focussing
on finances, future workshops and how to involve the CBSG membership in the daily work.
CHANGES TO
EXISTING TAGs
EAZA Pelecaniformes tag
Bjarne Klausen (vice-chair),
Odense
22 November 2006
CHANGES TO
EXISTING EEPs
Pallas’ cat eep
(Otocolobus manul )
David Barclay, Edinburgh
14 November 2006
Moreover, it is important to include all major stakeholders in the necessary
discussions and decisions regarding the plan, which must provide
priorities in what needs to be done to secure a self-sustaining population
of green toads in the future.
Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA)
The PHVA process is a very helpful and efficient tool for such a process.
CBSG Europe will provide the necessary staff to conduct the workshop
and Nordens Ark will provide the framework, including accommodation,
meals and a suitable social atmosphere. The CBSG Europe staff will
consist of two facilitators and two modellers. The modellers will make
computer simulations for the population using a set of biological data
(known or estimated). Such simulations help identify the most important
threats and thus also the most important conservation actions to be
taken. The facilitators take the participants through the necessary ‘brain
exercises’ to get all relevant input on the table and after that to prioritise
and organise the information into the final conservation action plan.
CBSG Europe expects to have a workshop with forty to fifty participants,
selected among specialists, decision makers and other stakeholders
who will be influenced by the decisions made at the workshop. A special
briefing book with relevant information about the status and threats,
existing plans and local conditions will be produced by the CBSG Europe
staff and will be distributed to all participants prior to the workshop.
After the workshop the final PHVA report will be produced and distributed
to all participants as well as to relevant local authorities for implementation.
In addition it will be made available for download on the CBSG
Europe website; www.cbsgeurope.eu •
NEW ESBs
Kowari esb
(previously Kowari eep)
( Dasycercus byrnei )
Ewa Tresowska, Poznan
10 November 2006
CHANGES TO
EXISTING ESBs
Kea esb
(Nestor notabilis)
Kate Atwell, Bristol
28 November 2006
eaza news 57
2007
programme
updates
As approved by the EEP Committee
31