Taiwan, Council of Agriculture

Sharks and their relatives, the rays and chimaeras, are the diverse group of cartilaginous fishes that have evolved over 400 million years. Historically considered of low economic value to large-scale fisheries, today many of these fishes have become the target of directed commercial and recreational fisheries around the world, and they are increasingly taken in the by-catch of fisheries targeting other species. This report emphasizes the widely-acknowledged need to improve shark fishery monitoring, expand biological research and take management action.

This review of the European bison’s (Bison bonasus) status clearly indicates that, through proper management and conservation, its present numbers and distribution have improved significantly since its extinction in the wild at the beginning of the 20th century. The Action Plan briefly summarizes the history of extinction in the wild and present status of the European bison, as well as the reasons of extinction. The ecology of the species has been reviewed and threats, including recent diseases, are described.

The new Canid Action Plan synthesizes the current knowledge on the biology, ecology and status of all wild canid species, and outlines the conservation actions and projects needed to secure their long-term survival. Aiming at conservation biologists, ecologists, local conservation officials, administrators, educators, and all others dealing with canids in their jobs, the authors aspire to stimulate the conservation of all canids by highlighting problems, debating priorities and suggesting action.

Les chimpanzés vivent à l’état sauvage uniquement en Afrique tropicale où leur population a diminué de plus de 66% au cours des trente dernières années. Ce plan d’action concerne l’une des quatre sous-espèces de chimpanzés, le chimpanzé d’Afrique occidentale, qui est l’une des deux sous-espèces les plus menacées d’extinction.

Wild chimpanzees are only found in tropical Africa, where their populations have declined by more than 66% in the last 30 years. This action plan focuses on one of the four chimpanzee subspecies, the western chimpanzee, which is one of the two subspecies most threatened with extinction. The aim of this publication is to halt or reverse the decline in chimpanzee numbers in West Africa by increasing awareness of their plight and by presenting a plan for action that represents a consensus among all parties concerned with the conservation of chimpanzees.

Cycads were a dominant part of the earth’s flora during the age of the dinosaurs and many species were common even in more recent times. However, many of the 297 species and sub-species dealt with in this Action Plan are threatened by habitat destruction and plant collecting, and more than half the known species are now classified as threatened. This publication is meant to be a working document, and provides an overview of all the cycads and the threats to their survival, as well as a set of objectives and actions to reduce these threats.

Consistent evaluation and new recommendations for action are required of protective measures to address threats that were unrecognised or non-existent until recently. Global warming, noise pollution and reduced availability of prey are now of great concern. The all too familiar threats of accidental killing in fishing gear and exposure to toxic chemicals remain almost intractable. This Action Plan reviews threats and offers possible solutions. It also contains a thorough review of the status of species and a list of 57 recommended research projects and education initiatives

This collection of 52 papers and 21 abstracts focuses on sharing available knowledge to combat the threat of invasive alien species. Turning the target_ide of biological invasion by eradicating invasive species can yield substantial benefits for biodiversity conservation. As more eradications are attempted worldwide, it is increasingly important that lessons are learned from each and every one of these attempts, whether successful or unsuccessful. This publication is intended to share with a wider audience the insights and practical experience gained.

These proceedings provide an overview of the ongoing research and management activities on polar bears in the circumpolar arctic. Together with the previous 12 proceedings, they provide an historic record of international efforts in protecting polar bears from over-harvest and document more recent concerns of threats arising from increased human activities in both the Arctic and in regions far beyond the realm of polar bears. More proactive management is needed to address limitations in the knowledge of population dynamics.

Once one of the most abundant grazing animals, now only seven species remain. Equids persist in some of the harshest climates and terrains in the world, habitats which are also home to many human populations. Conservation will depend on local nomadic pastoralists participating in, and benefiting from, the conservation management of their areas. Included are summaries of the conservation status, biology and ecology of wild zebras, asses, and horses and recommendations for conservation action.