WWF International

Overview of the findings of regional TRAFFIC studies in Europe, India, East and Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Oceania and North and South America. It highlights the fisheries, shark products in trade, and the processing, preparation and use of these products in domestic and international markets. It also discusses the management and conservation implications.

The findings from investigations of sturgeon fisheries, and information from caviar importers in consuming countries, sturgeon specialists and fisheries agencies are presented. The exploitation of Caspian sturgeons is assessed, as is Caspian caviar production, its regulation or lack thereof, and its impact upon the number of sturgeons remaining. International trade is aslo analysed.

The "1994 Red List of Threatened Animals" was a major advance on its predecessors in clarity of layout and amount of information presented. This is taken further in the 1996 edition, which is also the first global compilation to use the complete new IUCN red list category system. Also for the first time, all mammal species have been assessed. This group and the birds are the only taxonomic classes where a comprehensive evaluation has been made.

The key steps in the attempt to develop guidelines are covered. The introduction sets in context events so far. Part 1 includes the case studies which were used as a resource for drafting material for the assessment procedure and for examining the practicality of the draft guidelines. Part 2 covers the initial procedures and lessons learned while Part 3 provides background material.

Intended to promote effective application of the biodiversity Convention in coastal and marine environments. It is based in large part on the recommendation of the "Jakarta Mandate" agreed to by the Parties to the Convention at their Second Conference in Jakarta in November 1995 and which identified the major threats to marine and coastal biodiversity and the principal legal and policy measures needed to address them.

With almost 5000 island and islets, the Mediterranean comprises one of the largest groups of islands in the world. With its wealth of species, high degree of endemism, long history and tolerance of all kinds of disruptions, it is of extremely high value to global biodiversity. However, over the last few decades, major socio-economic changes have increased the negative impact of human activity in the region and today, the islands are extremely vulnerable.

Increasing demands on the world's natural resources pose a serious threat to palm biodiversity. This action plan identifies the most threatened palm species in order to present recommendations for conservation measures that cater to their specific requirements, and to provide strategic guidelines for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of the many palms that provide food, construction material, and an important source of revenue for many people.

This action plan chronicles the threats faced by wild orchids, but more importantly to critical habitats that host extraordinarily high orchid diversity and endemicity. It explores and recommends specific ways that national and local government, legislators, scientists and orchid conservationists as well as growers can all help to reverse present trends.

The cranes are among the most ancient and distinctive families of birds on earth, yet they are among the world's most threatened groups of birds. This action plan describes the many different sorts of threats facing cranes especially as they migrate through different countries, and the many solutions that have been attempted to overcome them.