The IUCN World Conservation Congress took place in Jeju, Korea last week, connecting IUCN members with leaders from government, the public sector, environmental organizations, and the business world to debate and devise solutions for biodiversity conservation. For more information click here. Professor Jonathan Baillie, co-Chair of the Pangolin Specialist Group, launched this website to attendees.
As well as focusing on this website, Jonathan’s presentation covered the collection of data for a paper on the global status and trends of pangolins, collection of data to update the pangolin Red List assessments and the production of a monograph on all species of pangolin. He also reported on a small workshop in held in London in June to help develop the PangolinSG’s work plan and plans for a much larger meeting of all members in 2013. The presentation was well received and the Chair of the SSC was pleased to see the group had made such rapid progress since its formation in February of this year.
Later in the week the PangolinSG members present at the congress met up at the SSC Species Pavilion to say hello in person and to discuss new developments. A number of motions were passed at the congress relevant to pangolins, listed below. Jonathan said “Delegates at the IUCN World Conservation Congress welcomed the rapid development of the IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group website and the determination of the group to halt the trade of this remarkable group of species”.
Motions passed relevant to pangolins include:
Enhancing anti-poaching and wildlife resource protection efforts, using rhino and elephant as indicators;
Halting the loss of evolutionary distinct lineages;
Implementing Aichi target 12 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020;
Conservation of tropical Asia’s threatened species; and
Supporting regional initiatives to conserve mammal diversity in West and Central Africa.
