Strategic Planning for Species Conservation: A Handbook - IUCN

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3. When should a Species Conservation Strategy be developed? This chapter considers when new SCSs should be prepared. It discusses when singlespecies strategies are appropriate, and when multi-species strategies would be preferable. We argue that the SCS process may be applied to any level within the taxonomic hierarchy of species and species groups, and at any spatial scale. We also briefly address the need for resources and provide an example of one IUCN/SSC Specialist Group’s fund raising strategy. 3.1 Getting started Species-focused strategies are appropriate when the relevant IUCN/SSC Specialist Group or other authority for a species or a group of species deems coordinated conservation attention necessary. The need for coordination may arise because the geographic range of the species or species group straddles political boundaries or multiple ecological zones and so requires different political entities and groups of scientists, conservationists, managers, and policy-makers to act in concert, or it may arise because the level of threat is endangering the viability of key populations, their ecological functions, and/or their habitat. Before embarking on the preparation of a new SCS, it is important to be aware that the process requires substantial effort, and that time, funds and personnel have to be available to develop the SCS. In addition, dedicated staff and resources will often be needed to implement the resulting SCSs. One of the first steps required for strategic planning, therefore, will usually be to raise funds to support the process. Fundraising can, however, coincide with the equally necessary step of identifying and gaining the support of key stakeholders (see Chapter 4), as both governments and NGOs are more likely to support a process both financially and with their participation if they expect that it will meet their needs. Box 3.1 provides an example of the fund-raising strategy used by one of the Specialist Groups, the Tapir Specialist Group, to support their planning workshops. A well-developed and broadly endorsed SCS can be a great help in raising the funds and obtaining the agency and institutional commitments needed to implement the recommended Actions. Apart from resources, developing an effective SCS ideally requires a great deal of data (e.g., on distribution, trends, and threats), and consequently a serious lack of information might be a reason to postpone development of a full conservation strategy. However, a lack of data should never be a reason to suspend all activity for a species. If vital data are lacking, it might be appropriate to develop a plan to research, survey, assess, and monitor the species, with the aim of collecting sufficient data to undertake the development of a more complete conservation strategy at a later date. In almost all cases, however, some important data will be missing, and part of each SCS will need to address further data collection needs. Often, the SCS process itself will lead to the recognition that more data are required to fully understand the threats to the species, or the best ways to mitigate those threats. Understanding such issues is key to ensuring that the recommended Actions will be adequate to save the species. 11
12 3. When should a SCS be developed? Box 3.1 How can funds be raised to support species conservation strategic planning? The IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group’s (TSG) Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) Workshops for all four species of tapirs had the financial support from 170 organizations worldwide. 3 Zoological associations (AZA, EAZA, WAZA) 29 American zoos 16 European zoos 23 Latin American zoos 4 Networks of the IUCN/SSC CBSG (including the regional networks in Brazil, Europe, and Mexico) 2 Local communities in range countries 16 International conservation organizations 16 NGOs in range countries 38 Governmental agencies (international and range countries) 21 Universities (international and range countries) 2 Airlines (American Airlines and Continental Airlines) Support was provided in the form of donations (grants) to the workshops, coverage of organizing and travel costs, sponsorship for key participants, infra-structure and logistics for the meetings, and professional fees. Photo 3.1 Lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) in the Pantanal region of Brazil, wearing a radio collar © Joares May Jr. 71 of these 170 organizations (42%) were zoological institutions in North America, Europe, and Latin America, because over the past years the TSG has established a longterm partnership with the Tapir Taxon Advisory Groups (TAGs) of the American and European Associations of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA and EAZA). The Tapir TAGs connect the TSG with tapir-holding zoos worldwide, which is fundamental in providing opportunities to link in-situ and exsitu initiatives for tapir conservation, stimulating the exchange of data and information. The Tapir TAGs also provide the TSG with vital support for the design and implementation of fundraising campaigns for specific activities of the group, including PHVA workshops and Tapir symposia (e.g., Costa Rica in 2001, Panama in 2004, Argentina in 2006, and Mexico in 2008). To raise funds for these workshops and symposia, the TSG and the Tapir TAGs mainly approach zoos that currently have tapirs with support request letters (signed by the TSG’s chair and both Tapir TAG chairs), about a year before a specific event. Additionally, the chair of the TSG presents the TSG’s work to zoo community members at the AZA and EAZA Annual Conferences, which includes explanations about how their funding has been used, and reasons why they should continue their support. Finally, the TSG and Tapir TAGs provide all zoological institutions supporting the TSG with complete reports on PHVA workshops or Tapir symposia. These reports are sent with a letter of thanks, acknowledging the importance of their contributions. All institutions supporting the TSG are listed and acknowledged on articles published in Tapir Conservation (the newsletter of the TSG) and on the TSG Website (http://www.tapirs.org/).
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Strategic Planning for Species Conservation: A Handbook - IUCN

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