Log in

You will be redirected to IUCN Accounts to input your credentials. After log in you will be redirected back to this site.

Rest assured your personal data resides with IUCN and IUCN only. For more information please review our Data policy.

WCC 2016 Res 014 - Progress Report

General information
Combatting the illegal poisoning of wildlife
Period covered: 
2017
IUCN Constituencies implementing this Resolution
IUCN Members: 
Fédération des Associations de Chasse et Conservation de la Faune Sauvage de l`UE ( FACE ) / Belgium
3D18425D-B8A3-E011-96D3-002655853524
Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli ( LIPU ) / Italy
Vogelbescherming Nederland ( VBN ) / The Netherlands
Liga para a Protecçao da Natureza ( LPN ) / Portugal
Game Rangers Association of Africa ( GRAA ) / South Africa
Endangered Wildlife Trust ( EWT ) / South Africa
CBCB81B5-B8A3-E011-96D3-002655853524
Consejería de Sostenibilidad, Medio Ambiente y Economía Azul, Junta de Andalucía / Spain
Asociación para la Defensa de la Naturaleza/WWF - España ( ADENA - WWF ) / Spain
Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico ( MITECO ) / Spain
SEO/BirdLife, Sociedad Española de Ornitología / Spain
Fundación para la Conservación del Quebrantahuesos ( FCQ ) / Spain
BirdLife International / United Kingdom
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ( RSPB ) / United Kingdom
IUCN Commissions: 
F717E09E-5094-E611-97F4-005056BA6623
IUCN Secretariat: 
Yes
Other non-IUCN related organisations: 
Secretariat of the Convention for Migratory Species (CMS); Council of Europe's Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention); European Network of Prosecutors for the Environment (ENPE); The European Union Forum of judges for the environment (EUFJE); EUROPOL; Guardia Civil; Asociación Española de Agentes Forestales y Medioambienta
Implementation
Indicate which actions have been carried out to implement this Resolution : 
Capacity-building
Convene stakeholders/Networking
Policy influencing/advocacy
Scientific/technical activities
Describe the results/achievements of the actions taken: 
Member organisations of this resolutions have made major contributions toward the implementation of this resolution in Europe, Africa and Asia. Many of the activities are direct interventions including the followings:

Capacity building: More than 1,200 people have been trained by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) on poisoning interventions in Africa with an aim to reduce the impact of wildlife poisoning by raising awareness of the scale and drivers of wildlife poisoning and enabling trainees to identify possible poisoning incidents. SEO/Birdlife also implemented the resolution through capacity building, organized 22 special courses for more than 550 law enforcement agents, creating a special unit (UNIVE)and providing them with materials and evidence for investigating the illegal use of poison.

Policy influencing/advocacy: EWT with many other IUCN members with the involvement of more than 250 vultures experts, drafted and adopted the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)'s Multi-species Action Plan (MsAP) for Africa-Eurasian Vultures which identifies and suggests actions to address the threat of poisoning to Africa's vultures for the next 12 years.
SEO/Birdlife worked on strengthening the regulatory framework through the approval of 11 regional action plans and a proposal for an EU action plan against wildlife poisoning. SEO/Birdlife also have been raising the profile of the fight against poisoning of wildlife to the international level by extending the anti-poison actions beyond Spain's borders to ensure uniform action and a consistent regulatory framework worldwide through participating and coordinating international forums on this issue.

Scientific/technical activities: EWT with the Peregrine Fund and the IUCN SSC Vulture Specialist Group established the Pan-African Wildlife Poisoning Database to collect data on all wildlife poisoning in Africa. SEO/Birdlife has also worked on refining knowledge and information through publishing reports on the situation of poisoning in Spain, the most commonly used poisons, investigation techniques to identify this wildlife crime and how to take legal actions.

Motivating the involvement of society: created Red de Voluntarios and Teléfono SOS Veneno.

The focal points of the sponsor members, IUCN Secretariat and SSC had a group call to discuss the implementation of the resolution. There is a strong push for a global situation analysis regarding the impacts of poisons on wild fauna, identifying priorities for conservation action in terms of threatened species, types of poisoning and geographical areas and gathering evidence of successful interventions to prevent poisoning. However, this requires fundraising and establishment of a taskforce within SSC to deliver.

What challenges/obstacles have been encountered in the implementation of this Resolution and how were they overcome : 
Limited capacity and resources to conduct training over a wider geographical area and to larger number of trainees. The Endangered Wildlife Trust has tried to focus on training of trainers in priority areas to expand the skills faster and roll out more training in more areas.
One major challenge is the difficulty to change the mentality of controlling predators by poisoning which is deeply rooted in certain regions and is difficult to enforce effective legal measures in large countryside. To overcome the issue, it is important to focus on law enforcement, awareness raising at all levels and involving the public into actions.

This resolution is a combination of several motions together, therefore it is complex with many calls for implementation. One of the major items is the ask for a global situation analysis regarding the impacts of poisons on wild fauna, identifying priorities for conservation action in terms of threatened species, types of poisoning and geographical areas and gathering evidence of successful interventions to prevent poisoning. Due to the fact that IUCN and SSC do not have a programme of work on this issue, this will need major funds to carry out such a global situation analysis. The IUCN Secretariat Focal Point of this Resolution in the Global Species Programme has discussed with the SSC Focal Point to start with a desk study and to work on a proposal for funding for a global situation analysis. The desk study has started in February 2018. It is important that the IUCN Council can support funding and the fundraising efforts towards this important ask of the resolution.
Briefly describe what future actions are needed for the implementation of this Resolution: 
Capacity building: EWT will continue and expand wildlife poisoning intervention training and promote the establishment of laboratory analytical facilities in countries where none exists.

Policy influencing/advocacy: EWT will promote and support the implementation of the CMS Vulture MsAP across Africa which will benefit all wildlife if implemented, as well as support the work of the CMS' Preventing Poisoning Working Group and the implementation of its strategy in Africa. SEO/Birdlife is participating in an international project to combat poisoning.

Convene stakeholders/Networking: SEO/Birdlife will continue to support and collaborate with the CMS and other MEAs to encourage the adoption of measures and actions at international level against poisoning.

Carry out a desk study and develop a funding proposal for a global situation analysis regarding the impacts of poisons on wild fauna, identifying priorities for conservation action in terms of threatened species, types of poisoning and geographical areas and gathering evidence of successful interventions to prevent poisoning.

Are these actions planned for yet: 
Yes
Status of implementation
Status of implementation for this Resolution: 
On-going: implementation consisting of repetitive, recurrent action (attending meetings, reporting, etc.)