EAZA Tiger Campaign extended to 2004 Contents - European ...

CBSG Europe - visions and actions
by Bengt Holst, CBSG Europe, Copenhagen Zoo, Denmark
Conservation is not a one man’s job. It requires teamwork, with
team members using each other as sparring partners, jointly
striving to help conserve the nature around us. There are no personal
agendas, just common goals that set the common agenda.
This may sound idealistic and even unrealistic in a world where
different organisations sometimes fight each other to access
limited funds or to get their own name on the top of the list.
Nevertheless, it is the vision of CBSG Europe that it is possible
to work in that way. CBSG Europe provides some valuable tools
for conservation, but is also very much aware that efficiency
only comes from a close cooperation with similar organisations
around the world. Alone, we can only contribute very little to
conservation. But if we work together, respecting each other’s
strengths and weaknesses, we can achieve quite a lot.
Therefore one of the first tasks of the newly-established
CBSG Europe has been to create a database of all potential
partners within Europe. By using open sources such as the
internet we have identified more than 300 potential conservation
partners in nearly 20 European countries. This database
will be regularly updated and will provide an important
source of information for those who want to work with
conservation issues within Europe. The database will serve
both CBSG Europe and EAZA, and is thus a first step in
integrating the two organisations when it comes to conservation.
It does not mean that both organisations will be
involved in all future projects. EAZA and CBSG Europe
still work as two independent organisations using their
own networks and defining their own goals and strategies.
But where these overlap, the two organisations will work
together as one using the strengths of both parties.
European approach
For some reason CBSG never established a strong position
in Europe, despite its many conservation achievements and
activities around the world. CBSG Europe was established
to change this. One of the problems has obviously been a
cultural barrier. Europeans approach things differently than
Americans and Asians. However, it does not necessarily mean
that we are not striving for the same goals. On
the contrary. We have many things in com-
Conservation
mon and can complement each other, especially concerning
conservation issues. So, one of the main tasks of CBSG
Europe will be to bridge the cultural differences and to adapt
the CBSG concept to a European conservation approach.
It also works the other way round. European zoos have much
to offer CBSG and can become very important partners in
future conservation activities. The link between the two just has
to be established, which is an obvious task for the regional
European CBSG office. In practice, it means that we will
integrate the conservation network of EAZA with the conservation
network of CBSG and work for an implementation of
the CBSG tools in the conservation work of European zoos.
We will arrange training courses in the use of these tools and
organise conservation workshops in Europe with the purpose
of prioritising European conservation activities and find a
way to take advantage of the immense European potential
to carry out conservation activities outside Europe too.
An important purpose of CBSG Europe is to shorten the
distance between the European zoos and CBSG. Until now
CBSG has been considered a North American organisation,
which is certainly not the case. CBSG is a global organisation
with regional offices in South Asia, Indonesia, Japan,
Mesoamerica, Mexico, South Africa – and now also in
Europe! The local offices provide a shortcut to the global
organisation and are a guarantee of local influence. In the
future all CBSG activities in Europe, including the annual
fundraising, will thus go through the CBSG Europe office
at Copenhagen Zoo. I hope the reduced distance will help
establish a stronger link between European zoos and its
IUCN partner in conservation issues, the Conservation
Breeding Specialist Group. This also means that financial
support to CBSG no longer has to be sent to the US bank
account. CBSG Europe has opened its own account in
Europe, and all contributions should be sent to that account.
The bank details are:
Jyske Bank
Valby Langgade 21 A
DK-2500 Valby,
Denmark
Account number:
5027-112985-5
Swift code: JYBADKKK
IBAN: DK3250270001129855
Let us use this opportunity to
integrate our conservation efforts.
If you want further information
about CBSG and its activities, please
contact me at the following address:
CBSG Europe, c/o Copenhagen Zoo
Sdr. Fasanvej 79, Denmark
DK-2000 Frederiksberg
e-mail: beh@zoo.dk
CBSG leaflets giving a short introduction to
CBSG activities are now available in English,
German, French and Spanish and can be
ordered from the CBSG Europe office.
EAZA News 43 – 2003
11
July - August - September