World Migratory Bird Day 2008 highlights: “Migratory birds – Ambassadors for Biodiversity” in more than 60 countries!
World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) was successfully celebrated for the third time on 10-11 May 2008, with 140 separate events taking place in more than 60 countries around the world. The events, which are all registered on the WMBD website, were celebrated across the world’s flyways and helped to bring the message of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day campaign to local communities in many parts of the world. The WMBD campaign also generated an unprecedented wave of global media coverage specifically focused on the decline in migratory birds. [read on]
Fennoscandian neighbours meet to form a Committee for Lesser White-fronted Geese
The AEWA Secretariat convened a new Committee to guide captive breeding and release into the wild of the globally endangered Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus) in Fennoscandia. Delegations of the four countries Norway, Finland, Sweden and Germany, and their scientific and conservation experts came together on 7-8 May 2008 in Bonn to establish the ‘Committee for Captive Breeding, Reintroduction and Supplementation of Lesser White-fronted Geese in Fennoscandia’ [short: ‘LWfG Recap Committee’]. The Committee’s purpose is to guide the future of the small Fennoscandian population of this globally endangered species. [read on]
AEWA Secretariat participates in 55th General Assembly to CIC
On 21 - 26 April 2008 the 55th General Assembly of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) took place in Marrakech, Morocco. The AEWA Executive Secretary Bert Lenten attended this meeting to deliver a welcome address to the Assembly and to report on ongoing CMS and AEWA activities to the Commission on Migratory Birds. Bert Lenten also participated at a side event, which was organized to raise awareness on the need to phase out the use of lead shot. [read on]
Experts meet for action planning workshop for the Madagascar Pond-heron in Nairobi, Kenya
Experts from nine African countries came together in Nairobi on 15-17 April 2008 to develop a Single Species Action Plan (SSAP) for the Madagascar Pond-heron Ardeola idae. The SSAP for this species is being developed under the auspices of CMS and AEWA. The workshop was organised by the BirdLife International Africa Partnership Secretariat and was financially supported mainly by the CMS Secretariat through a grant received from the Italian Ministry for the Environment and co-funded by the AEWA Secretariat. [read on]
Species action planning for the White-winged Flufftail launched in a workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The White-winged Flufftail is a tiny rail known from three breeding sites in the highlands of Ethiopia and nine non-breeding wetlands in South Africa. A few non-confirmed records from Zimbabwe and a few more countries suggest that the species migrate from Ethiopia to South Africa, but this has not been confirmed yet and there might be two distinct populations in the north and in the south of Africa.This exlusive bird, which is categorised as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals, was rediscovered in 1995 and is amongst the AEWA species for which we know least. [read on]
AEWA and the WOW Project presented at CBD COP9
The AEWA Secretariat and the Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) Project Partnership used the ninth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP9) as an opportunity to present the Agreement and the UNEP-GEF Flyways Project to the 5000+ international delegates attending the meeting. In addition to being present at the conference with a dedicated AEWA stand (part of the CMS Family tent) and a new 2m x 2m display, the AEWA Secretariat helped to organize a CBD COP side event on behalf of the WOW Partnership on Monday 26th May 2008. [read on]
In the mood for MOP?
The preparations for the fourth Session of the Meeting of the Parties to AEWA (MOP4), which will take place on 15 - 19 September 2008 in Antananarivo, Madagascar, are well under way. The Secretariat would like to take the opportunity of this e-newsletter to provide participants of this meeting with a MOP update. [read on]
Voluntary contributions received
In 2008 voluntary contributions have so far been received from Belgium, the European Commission, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.The Secretariat is very grateful for this support! However, we would like to use this opportunity and make a strong plea to all Governments, partners and stakeholders to provide further financial support for the Government of Madagascar as well as the Secretariat in the preparation for the forthcoming Meeting of the Parties in order to cover all costs needed to make this important meeting a real success. A total amount of € 50,000 still needs to be secured. [read on]
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