Ian Fisher Takes Over as Coordinator of the AEWA Sociable Lapwing International Working Group

SLIWG logo

Bonn, 11 June 2014 – The Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius) is categorized as Critically Endangered by IUCN and is amongst the species of highest conservation priority on the AEWA list.

To facilitate the urgently needed international cooperation necessary to implement the joint CMS/AEWA International Single Species Action Plan for the Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius), which is due for revision in 2022, the inter-governmental AEWA Sociable Lapwing International Working Group (SLIWG) was convened by the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat in 2010. The SLIWG, which comprises 13 range states, will coordinate and guide the implementation of the international Action Plan.

The first SLIWG meeting took place from 18 – 20 March 2011 in Palmyra, Syria, where the members agreed with the proposal of the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat to outsource the coordination of the Group to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

Ian Fischer, the new coordinator of the SLIWG

Ian Fisher has taken over from Rob Sheldon in the role as Coordinator of the SLIWG after Rob moved on to take up the post of Director of King Khalid Wildlife Research Centre in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. After graduating at the University of Oregon, USA, where he received a Masters in Environmental Science, Ian went on to work on captive breeding programmes at the International Crane Foundation in the USA and the Jersey Wildlife Trust in the Channel Islands.

He has been employed at the RSPB for 21 years, with experience in conservation science, information management, communications and species recovery. Currently Ian is working at the RSPB Species Recovery Unit, where he is responsible for the coordination of the Globally Threatened Species Recovery Group.

One of Ian’s first tasks in his new role as SLIWG Coordinator will be to develop the dedicated SLIWG website, which will facilitate the work and online collaboration of the SLIWG.

We look forward to working closely with Ian in his new role. We would also like wish Rob Sheldon all the success on the new job and to thank him for his continuous commitment to the conservation of the Sociable Lapwing.

For more information on the role and activities of the SLIWG, please contact AEWA Technical Officer, Mr Sergey Dereliev.

 

By Jolanta Kremer.

 

Last updated on 09 October 2014

Type: 
News item
Species: 
Vanellus gregarius
Species group: 
Birds