From the Ramsar Forum

The world's waders are in decline...

(posted to the Ramsar Forum, 6 October 2003)

From: David Stroud [David.Stroud@jncc.gov.uk]
Sent: 06 October 2003 14:41
To: ramsar-forum@indaba.iucn.org
Subject: [Ramsar Forum] The world's waders are in decline...

The world's waders are in decline...

Common Snipe, now declining across Europe as a consequence of the loss of small wetlands and agricultural intensification (Photo: N. Clark)

The International Wader Study Group - a Specialist Group of Wetlands International and IUCN-The World Conservation Union's Species Survival Commission - has just held a technical workshop and Conference in Cadiz, Spain, that brought together 132 specialists from 20 countries to review the population and conservation status of waders (or shorebirds) around the world.

The status of waders in all regions of the world was assessed using best available data and information and undertaking further analysis of the data in Wetlands International's Waterbird Population Estimates 3 which was presented to Ramsar COP8 last year. It also drew on a major WSG review of the status of waders in Africa and Western Eurasia that has just been completed and which has collated extensive new data across these areas.

The Conference concluded that the majority of populations of waders of known population trend are in decline all around the world - a matter of international conservation concern. The reasons for these declines are diverse and poorly understood. Of populations with known trends, 48% are declining, in contrast to just 16% which are increasing: thus three times as many populations are in decline as are increasing.

Red Knot, declining rapidly on the East Atlantic and American flyways (Photo: N. Davidson)

The Conference noted the target established in 2002 by world leaders at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, of "a significant reduction in the current rate of loss of biological diversity" by 2010. It also noted the target set in 2001 by European Union Heads of State in Göteborg "that biodiversity decline should be halted with the aim of reaching this objective by 2010." The declines reported from all over the world suggest that, for waders at least, it will be extremely challenging to achieve these targets.

World leaders noted in Johannesburg that achievement of this target "will require the provision of new and additional financial and technical resources to developing countries". The WSG Conference agreed, and also noted that at minimum, significantly greater investment is urgently needed by governments not only in developing countries, but also in developed nations. This is required to establish and maintain national monitoring schemes, as well as to understand the causes of population declines so that appropriate, targeted conservation responses may be made.

The full text of the concluding statement from the Conference and summary statistics can be found on WSG's web-site at: www.waderstudygroup.org.

David Stroud
International Wader Study Group-
Wetlands International Liaison Officer UK
David.Stroud@jncc.gov.uk

Spoon-billed sandpiper

 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Ramsar Forum is an unmoderated mailing list maintained as a service to the public by the Ramsar Convention Bureau in Gland, Switzerland. Facts or opinions posted here do not represent the views of the Convention Bureau or Contracting Parties. To unsubscribe, send a blank message to ramsar-forum-leave@indaba.iucn.org. For help, contact the list manager (ramsar@ramsar.org).

Another report of the same conference, with photos

Red Knots at sunset at The Wash (Photo: Nick Davidson)

To join the Ramsar Forum, send a blank message to ramsar-forum-join@indaba.iucn.org.   For more information on the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ramsar@ramsar.org). Posted 9 October 2003, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.