Northern elephant seal. © ZSL.
Chlamydoselachus anguineus. © ZSL
In 2009/10, The Rufford Foundation provided grants totalling £100,000 to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
This vital funding helped support two landmark projects:
Sound Science for Sound Decision-making: Delivering the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ and Global Biodiversity Indicators
Sound Science for Sound Decision-making, is a joint project between ZSL and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). ZSL’s mission is to achieve and promote the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. IUCN is the world’s largest conservation network with member organisations and experts solving our planet’s greatest challenges, together.
This collaborative project aims to evaluate and communicate the status and trends of the world’s biodiversity. Foundation support has:
• Enabled us to produce 2008 and 2009 updates of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™.
• Allowed further development and implementation of the Sampled Red List Index, delivering trend information on a broad set of species for 2010.
• Enabled the development of a National Red List online database and website to support national and regional assessments using the guidelines for applying the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria at national and regional levels.
These findings inform many international processes. The Convention on Biological Diversity Target - to significantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 - is an important example. In total, 199 nations have committed to this Target, which recognises that people depend on biodiversity for their livelihoods and biodiversity loss due to human activity is growing. As well as global data, the National Red List project applies the same rigorous science to national and regional-level data. This helps countries manage their own progress towards such goals. A database and website facilitates better information sharing, builds capacity and informs decision-makers of many kinds.
EDGE Sharks: Establishing a conservation programme focusing on the world’s most Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered Sharks
The elasmobranchs (sharks, rays and chimaera) have inhabited our oceans for over 400 million years. They are a remarkably diverse taxa and as predators at the top of the food chain, playing a vital role in maintaining a balanced marine ecosystem. However, over-fishing, by-catch, habitat degradation and pollution are all contributing to declines in elasmobranch populations and while these threats are recognised, there has been little conservation action.
In 2009/10, The Rufford Foundation granted funds for the development of a new strand of ZSL’s EDGE of Existence Programme focusing on the world’s most Evolutionary Distinct, and Globally Endangered elasmobranch species, named EDGE Sharks. By targeting effort towards those elasmobranch species at greatest threat, ZSL can help maintain the genetic, behavioural and ecological diversity; contribute to other conservation initiatives and inspire a new audience to protect this remarkable group of fish for the future.
Utilising IUCN Red List data, combined with novel phylogenetic analysis, the first priority for the EDGE Sharks team will be to identify those species that fit the criteria of being ‘EDGE’. Next steps will be to collate and publish EDGE Shark data so that they are widely accessible and, importantly, to raise awareness of these fishes’ plight through international outreach and targeted media stories. ZSL will also work in collaboration with experts worldwide to single out 10 focal species for immediate conservation action and through this programme we aim to ensure that targeted conservation actions are in place for these species by 2015.
