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WCC 2016 Res 014 - Activity Report

Submitted by Andre.BOTHA on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 07:23
General Information
Combatting the illegal poisoning of wildlife
IUCN Constituent: 
375EC7B3-D2A1-E611-B6EC-005056BA6623
IUCN Constituent type: 
IUCN Species Survival Commission 2017-2020
Period covered: 
2017
Geographic scope: 
Africa
In implementing this Resolution your organization has worked/consulted with...
IUCN Members: 
Game Rangers Association of Africa ( GRAA ) / South Africa
Endangered Wildlife Trust ( EWT ) / South Africa
SEO/BirdLife, Sociedad Española de Ornitología / Spain
BirdLife International / United Kingdom
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ( RSPB ) / United Kingdom
IUCN Commissions: 
F717E09E-5094-E611-97F4-005056BA6623
IUCN Secretariat: 
No
Other non-IUCN related organisations: 
Vulture Conservation Foundation; The Peregrine Fund
Implementation
Indicate and briefly describe any actions that have been carried out to implement this Resolution: 
ActionDescriptionStatus
Capacity-buildingThe Endangered Wildlife Trust has conducted poisoning intervention training workshops to more than 1200 learners during 2016-2017 in South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia and Kenya. The training aims to reduce the impact of wildlife poisoning by creating awareness of the scale and drivers of wildlife poisoning in an African context and enables trainees to identify possible poisoning incidents, rapidly respond to them and follow appropriate protocols in the management, investigation and decontamination of scenes. The training also encourages and provides guidelines for drafting of Poisoning Response Plans that includes the full spectrum of aspects to consider and include in such plans. In addition, an assessment of equipment needs is done during training and poisoning response kits are issued to key nodes that have been trained that provides access to basic equipment to conduct investigations, collect and store samples under field conditions. Training is targeted is identified wildlife poisoning hotspot areas. There are plans to expand this training substantially in the abovementioned countries and to also expand to other known hotspot areas in southern Africa. On-going
Policy influencing/advocacyDrafting and adoption of the CMS Multi-species Action Plan for Africa-Eurasian Vultures which identifies and suggests actions to address the threat of poisoning to Africa's vultures in the first 5 of its 12 objectives. The Vulture MsAP was adopted by signatories to the Convention on Migratory Species at CMS CP12 in Manila, Philippines in October 2017 and will focus on the implementation of actions to combat poisoning impacting Africa's vultures for the next 12 years. The plan was drafted in partnership between the IUCN SSC Vulture Specialist Group, BirdLife International, Vulture Conservation Foundation and the CMS Raptors Mou and involved more than 250 vulture experts from a wide range of organisations from across the 128 range states that the plan covers.On-going
Scientific/technical activitiesThe Endangered Wildlife Trust, working in partnership with The Peregrine Fund and the IUCN SSC Vulture Specialist Group, have established the Pan-African Wildlife Poisoning Database which aims to collect and collate data on all wildlife poisoning incidents in Africa. Both historical and current data are collected and the oldest record in the database dates from 1961. We are actively engaging with a range of partners in Africa to contribute both existing and future data on incidents to the database and have also launched an App that facilitates both submission of data and access to data summaries. Sourcing data and engagement with existing and potential partners is an on-going process. On-going
Please report on the result /achievement of the actions taken: 
The CMS Vulture MsAP was endorsed and adopted for implementation by the signatories at CMS COP12 in October 2017.
Training has been conducted with more than 1200 trainees in southern and east Africa over the last 24 months. Feedback on the training has been very positive and there are a number of examples where rapid response to incidents have resulted in far fewer wildlife mortalities compared to incidents that have happened prior to training.
More than 40 poisoning response kits were issued to sites located in known poisoning hotspots.
What challenges have you encountered in implementing this Resolution and what measures have you taken to overcome them?: 
Limited capacity and resources to conduct training over a wider area and to a larger number of trainees. We have started to focus on training trainers in key areas to expand on the skills base and to roll out training locally in key areas.
Identify and briefly describe what future actions are planned for the implementation of this Resolution: 
Future ActionDescription
Capacity-buildingContinue with and expand wildlife poisoning intervention training to other identified hotspot areas and attempt to provide equipment and skills support where needed. Promote the establishment of laboratory analytical facilities in countries where none exist.
Policy influencing/advocacyPromote and support the implementation of the CMS Vulture MsAP across Africa. The actions within the plan, if implemented, will not just benefit vultures, but all wildlife. Support the work of the CMS Preventing Poisoning Working Group and the implementation of its strategy in Africa
Additional Information
External link(s): 
CMS Vulture MsAP
African Wildlife Poisoning Database