Newsletter issue: December 2021
Enabling the coexistence of people and greater adjutant storks in India (2015)
Team Leader: Purnima Devi Barman
The greater adjutant stork (Leptoptilos dubius) is an Endangered stork with a decreasing population trend. This project initiated a community conservation programme that successfully established a massive community conservation movement in Assam, India, which has now become a very popular story to tell here.
After the present initiative, the greater adjutant has become one of the flagship species for wildlife conservation in Assam. This is all surely due to the dedication of the project team and the great cooperation of all the stakeholders in the field. This project has shown that facilitating the coexistence of people alongside the greater adjutant in their nesting colonies in Assam is the only way to secure its future. Government authorities will adopt the long-term conservation action plan that was prepared during this project and a grassroots community conservation organisation will take this plan forward to secure the future of this bird. Read the full final report.
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Using light to reduce mobula ray by-catch in Indonesia’s small-scale fisheries (2017)
Team Leader: Vidlia Putri Rosady
Mobula rays are migratory species that are vulnerable to extinction. To date, Mobula conservation efforts in Indonesia have focused on target fisheries and illegal wildlife trade. However, bycatch remains a significant threat to wild populations. Vidlia’s project evaluated the feasibility of using light to reduce bycatch in Indonesia’s remote, small-scale drifting gillnet fisheries, and contributed to efforts to reduce bycatch of five mobula species in Indonesia, and national shark and ray conservation strategies. For the first stage, they selected 20 gillnet fishers at random to participate in a six-month randomized control trial with one group fishing with red LED lights and the control group fishing as usual. Interestingly, they found that the first group showed a reduction in mobulid catch per unit effort (CPUE) compared to the control group. The team also conducted 13 outreach events and one fieldtrip to fish market site, increasing local knowledge about mobulid ray conservation and regulatory status, sustainable seafood markets, and bycatch mitigation technologies. Read the full final report.
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Assessing the status of threatened elasmobranchs in the Andamans, India (2017)
Team Leader: Zoya Irshad Tyabji
Globally, one-third of elasmobranch species are threatened with extinction, with the primary threat being overfishing. India has consistently been listed amongst the leading shark fishing nations of the world, with targeted shark fishing still occurring in the Andaman Islands. Despite this, there remains a huge data gap on the diversity, biology, and the drivers behind the fisheries. In order to characterise the elasmobranch fisheries of the islands, Zoya’s team reviewed existing literature, conducted fish landing surveys and interviewed stakeholders to document the diversity, species-specific life history characteristics, socio-economics and attitudes of stakeholders towards the fishery. They documented 57 elasmobranch species and provide information on the socio-economic factors driving fisheries. The results were disseminated in the form of outreach material, popular articles and peer-review journals and the team also conducted education and awareness programs through interactions, presentations, and workshops, aimed at increasing awareness among local communities. Read the full final report.
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Conservation Assessment of the Arabian Dragon’s Blood Tree (Dracaena serrulata) in Oman (2017)
Team Leader: Ghudaina Ahmed Al Issaey
The project’s key objective was to reassess the conservation status of Arabian dragon blood tree (Dracaena serrulata) in Oman. In 2018, 43,683 individual trees were recorded and mapped within an area of 120 km2 where trees were confined to steep mountain slopes between 400m and 1,155m. This was the first quantitative census for D. serrulata in Oman and provides a solid baseline from which all future conservation monitoring can be based. Using the population distribution data, an IUCN Red List national assessment was carried out which confirmed that D. serrulata is Endangered in Oman. Propagation trials including seed germination, vegetative propagation and in vitro trial of the species at Oman Botanic Garden proved unsuccessful. Traditional knowledge, practices and local perceptions of D. serrulata were recorded via photographs, video, audio and written means – these data are archived at Oman Botanic Garden. The education and community outreach activities were very successful; nine local schools with a total of 1,601 students were visited. The project has provided new information, highlighted conservation concerns and raised awareness regarding D. serrulata in Oman. Read the full final report.
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Newsletter issue: September 2021
Ongoing protection of red siskins in South Rupununi, Guyana (2014)
Team Leader: Leroy Ignacio
The red siskin (Sporagra cucullata) is an Endangered bird with an important population recently discovered in South Rupununi, Guyana. In this project, the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS) has continued to monitor and protect red siskin populations to better understand their populations and behaviours, and to improve local understanding of and engagement in broader environmental and conservation issues. The project has allowed the SRCS to empower local communities with necessary skills, resources, and opportunities in grassroots conservation activities, and to give locals a voice in wider conservation policy discussions. Read the full Final Report.
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Newsletter issue: May 2021
Agrosilvopastoral systems: a win-win strategy for tropical Mexico (2016)
Team Leader: Marinés de la Peña Domen
Worldwide, animal agriculture is the leading cause of habitat destruction, species extinction, and a large contributor to greenhouse emissions. Conversely, it represents the main economic activity of many rural communities. We are faced with an immense challenge; to maintain biodiversity and local people’s livelihoods. This 2016 CLP project established agrosilvopastoral systems to replace conventional grazing systems in rural cattle ranching communities in Mexico. Overall, 16 species of trees, including Leucaena fruit trees (as a foraging tree), were planted and the successful establishment of 40% these trees was achieved. A rotation system among local people was also successfully initiated, and after several workshops, there are now more people interested in Leucaena and other foraging trees. A reduction in the costs of maintenance was also observed because people were no longer depending on external inputs for food. Livestock production improved because calves gained weight faster, and cattle became ill less frequently and had fewer ticks, resulting in a decrease in the use of agrochemicals. There was also an increase in the amount of food for cattle in the dry season, and because cattle were not having to forage so much, the land was less eroded by cattle encroachment. The team will ensure the continuity of the project by making a general evaluation of the system in summer 2021, if the COVID conditions in the country and the state have improved. Read the full Final Report.
