The Red-breasted Goose International Working Group.
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International action to save the Red-breasted Goose
25-03-2008
The Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis; Endangered) International Working Group (RbGIWG) has just updated the International Species Action Plan under the auspices of the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), following a successful workshop in Constanza, Romania. Delegates at the three-day meeting also started to formulate National Work Plans which will be implemented by the bird’s six principle range-states.
The intensive meeting (26-28 February) celebrated the successful conclusion of the EU-LIFE project entitled “Improving wintering conditions for Branta ruficollis at Techirghiol” - a brackish water estuary close to the Romanian Black Sea coast. It was acknowledged that the project has made a vital contribution towards international cooperation on Red-breasted Goose conservation.
"On a global scale, there are approximately 34,000 Red-breasted geese known to be left" —Dan Hulea, Executive Director of SOR, BirdLife Partner in Romania
The Red-breasted Goose is highly dependent on wetlands and farmed areas. Over recent years, the global population has declined by between 52 and 70%. The species is known to have a small wintering range, with 80-90% of the population concentrated in just five roost sites.
Twenty-five science and conservation experts were present. They represented countries all along the bird’s flyway, including: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia and Ukraine. The experts were also joined by delegates from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB; BirdLife Partner in the UK), Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), Wetlands International and the Romanian Water Authority.
The priority conservation objectives identified by the group will set the stage for effectively addressing the key threats through cooperative ‘on-the-ground’ activities. Progress can be closely monitored via the working group’s newly launched website – www.brantaruficollis.org
The workshop was organized by the Romanian Ornithological Society/BirdLife Romania and was attended by representatives of the AEWA Secretariat, RSPB, WWT, Wetlands International and the Romanian Water Authority. The workshop was generously supported by the European Commission through the EU-LIFE project, by the African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement, the RSPB, the WWT, Vogelbescherming Nederland (BirdLife Partner in the Netherlands), and the National Authority for Scientific Research from Romania.
For additional information contact:
Lavinia Raducescu, RbGIWG Coordinator (Romania), lavinia.raducescu@gmail.com
More news on the Red-breasted Goose workshop can be found at the AEWA website:
http://www.unep-aewa.org/news/latest_news.htm