Positive Wildlife News 2023

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Sharks, spatial data, and a conservation success story

It's hard out there for a shark. A critical barometer to the health of ocean ecosystems, shark and ray populations have faced significant global declines from overfishing, habitat loss, and environment degradation. Add to the mix a slow reproductive cycle—female great white sharks take approximately 30 years to reach sexual maturity, for instance—and the broader logistical challenges of trying to monitor animals with ranges that can exceed 10,000 nautical miles, and the task of protecting sharks becomes even more daunting.

But there is some good news for sharks and rays: Researchers from Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment are part of a group of scientists that used temporal and spatial comparisons to reveal that extinction risks can be significantly reduced by having effective fisheries management and policies in place to ensure the survival of these vulnerable species. The results were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Sharks, spatial data, and a conservation success story
 
UngulateNerd92 said:
Oregon Butterfly Is Endangered Species Act Success

Fender’s Blue Butterfly Moved From Endangered to Threatened Status.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the Fender’s blue butterfly will be downlisted from endangered to threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. This action is based on the recovery of butterfly populations in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

“The Endangered Species Act has ensured the full recovery of more than 50 species, and the Fender’s blue is now well on its way,” said Quinn Read, Oregon policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “This little butterfly was nearly lost to Oregon, but now we can celebrate its recovery along with the 50th anniversary of the landmark law that saved this species.”

Oregon Butterfly Is Endangered Species Act Success
Click to expand...

Here is another relevant article.

This butterfly was once thought extinct. Now it's off the endangered species list

The Fender's blue butterfly has fluttered away from the brink of extinction.

The species, once so rare it was thought to be extinct, is no longer considered endangered, according to a January 11 news release from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The organization reclassified the species from "endangered" to "threatened" and also finalized a rule to make it easier for landowners to manage the species.

"This is a tremendous success story -- to go from nearly extinct to on the road to recovery," Craig Rowland, acting state supervisor for the service's Oregon office, said in the release. "We've only reached this point of being able to downlist because of successful partnerships with landowners, conservation agencies, businesses, other agencies, and the work of our national wildlife refuges to conserve Fender's butterfly.

This butterfly was once thought extinct. Now it's off the endangered species list - CNN
 
Western monarch populations reach highest number in decades
  • The western monarch butterfly population reached its highest number since the year 2000, with more than 335,000 butterflies counted during the annual Thanksgiving Western Monarch Count in California and Arizona.
  • Western monarchs winter in California and migrate thousands of miles every year, in a migratory cycle that takes three or four generations. They are counted annually in their by volunteers at these sites.
  • The population rebound is a positive development, but the species is still considered endangered and far from its population numbers in the 1980s when millions of butterflies could be seen in the trees.
  • Conservation efforts include protecting overwintering sites, planting native plants, reducing pesticide use and supporting conservation initiatives; the public can also participate in community science projects and make simple changes in their gardens and communities.
  • The population of western monarch butterflies reached its highest numbers since the year 2000, with more than 335,000 butterflies counted at their California and Arizona overwintering sites during the 26th annual Thanksgiving Western Monarch Count.

    “We can all celebrate this tally,” Emma Pelton, a conservation biologist at the Xerces Society and western monarch lead said in a press release. “A second year in a row of relatively good numbers gives us hope that there is still time to act to save the western migration.”

    More than 250 individuals took part in the 2022 Western Monarch Count, in which they examined sites along the California coast and a few others in California’s interior and Arizona in November and December. The volunteers counted groups of monarchs as they came together to spend the winter in groves of trees, often made up of nonnative eucalyptus species.
https://news-mongabay-com.cdn.amppr...but-its-still-a-long-journey-to-recovery/amp/
 
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New Oregon Coastal Protections Will Help Nature and Communities

Safeguards cover tide pools, kelp forests, and other habitats vital to wildlife, economy, and culture.

Tourist visits to Oregon’s rugged coast are higher than to any other part of the state. Nearly half of this coastline is rocky, featuring tide pools, headland cliffs, offshore rocks and islands, and submerged reefs—all of which support abundant marine wildlife and hold significant economic, social, and cultural value. Now, after more than three years of collaboration among coastal residents, community groups, and policymakers, Oregon’s Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) approved new conservation designations for six rocky intertidal and offshore areas on Dec. 9.

These designations will increase state agency attention to managing these areas, and because the designation process galvanized community leaders, they should also enhance collaboration between state agencies and local communities. The designations also will make it easier for the state to secure future funding and protection for these areas. Several designations, including those at Cape Lookout, Cape Foulweather, and Ecola Point, establish modest limits on the harvest of marine plants and invertebrates such as mussels to balance human use with the needs of wildlife and the whole ecosystem.

Local conservation advocates were instrumental in achieving these designations, both by providing testimony to the state that established the scientific case for protecting bull kelp forests, which rely on subtidal rocky areas, and by ensuring that OPAC established a process through which the public can propose new protections in the future.

Here are highlights of the six new protected areas along the Oregon coast:

New Oregon Coastal Protections Will Help Nature and Communities
 
Once Biologically Dead, the River Mersey in England is “Best Environmental Story in Europe”

Famous more as a cultural feature than as a natural one, the pace at which the River Mersey is recovering to a fishy wonderland has ecologists stunned.

Splitting The Beatles’ home city of Liverpool in two, a recent survey found 37 different species of fish, more than two-and-a-half-times as many as were found in the previous survey 20 years ago.

Five different species of sharks were also found, along with huge eels and sea scorpions. ‘Holiday species’ as one local fishermen called them, like turbot, smelt, and cod, have also been caught.

Scientists at the Mersey Rivers Trust, a public/private charity-driven partnership for nature in the area believe that these species are breeding in the 3 mile-wide estuary.

Once Biologically Dead, the River Mersey in England is “Best Environmental Story in Europe”
 
Australia blocks coal mine to protect Great Barrier Reef

For the first time in history, Australia has blocked the creation of a coal mine under environmental laws.

The government on Thursday rejected a proposal for a new mine about 10km (6.2 miles) from the Great Barrier Reef.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the project posed an unacceptable risk to the World Heritage area, which is already highly vulnerable.

The mine's owner, the controversial Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, has not yet responded to the rejection.

His firm, Central Queensland Coal, had proposed to build an open-cut mine about 700km north-west of Brisbane, that would produce both thermal and coking coal and operate for about 20 years.

Ms Plibersek had last year flagged that the federal government might block the mine. After opening it to public consideration, her department received more than 9,000 submissions in 10 days - the majority calling for the project to be stopped.

https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-62431331.amp
 
Republic of Congo Expands National Park to Include Gorilla-Rich, Unlogged Forest

Inclusion of Djéké triangle, a 95 square kilometer (36 square mile) forest area adjacent to Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, will benefit wildlife and communities.

The “Djéké Triangle,” an unlogged forest rich in Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas, is now part of Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. Inclusion of the 95 square kilometer (36 square miles) forest comes after more than 25 years of scientific research in the area, and an extensive community consultation to design a management plan that benefits both the local communities and wildlife.

“The inclusion of the Djéké triangle into the park not only provides protection for this area of high-integrity forest and its unique biodiversity , but also secures the customary rights of the communities to access and benefit from resources they depend on, such as honey or caterpillars, since we are now assured that this forest will remain intact in perpetuity,” explains WCS's Ben Evans, the park's management unit director.

Republic of Congo Expands National Park to Include Gorilla-Rich, Unlogged Forest (English and French)
 
A Conservation Victory - Saving the Mountain Gorillas

Virunga National Park, the oldest national park in Africa, is home to more than a quarter of the critically endangered mountain gorilla's world population. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most biodiverse habitats on the planet. The park has 700 dedicated rangers that are currently protecting the parks against the pressures of illegal poaching, armed groups, and land encroachment.

The once critically endangered mountain gorillas,
Gorilla beringei beringei, have been downgraded to the 'endangered status' by IUCN in 2018.

A Conservation Victory - Saving the Mountain Gorillas
 
Chile creates a new marine protected area in Pisagua Bay following four Oceana expeditions
  • A crucial marine ecosystem located in northern Chile, the Pisagua Sea, was declared a marine protected area (MPA).
  • This announcement follows four expeditions led by Oceana and Universidad Arturo Prat to collect key information to secure the area’s protection.
  • The Pisagua Sea is the first MPA in Chile to protect not only marine species, but also local artisanal fishing communities.
Today, the Council of Ministers for the Sustainability of Chile declared ‘Pisagua Sea’ a new marine protected area (MPA) following Oceana’s scientific recommendation to protect this biodiverse ecosystem.

The new MPA, located in Pisagua Bay in northern Chile, measures 181,622 acres. Pisagua Sea is the first multipurpose coastal MPA of the Tarapacá region, recognized for its fisheries abundance.

https://oceana.org/press-releases/c...isagua-bay-following-four-oceana-expeditions/
 
Tongass roadless protections reinstated: 4 reasons that’s great news

Biden admin action key for Indigenous communities, boosts climate solutions
The Biden administration has officially reinstated roadless forest protections in the Tongass National Forest, one of the world’s last intact temperate rainforests.

For years, Indigenous communities in Southeast Alaska have been the driving force behind efforts to prevent destructive logging and other forms of development in the wildest parts of the Tongass. This news is the culmination of their efforts.

“Through the leadership of the Indigenous peoples of Southeast Alaska, we have made our voices heard and will see over 9 million acres of ancestral homeland and invaluable old-growth forest protected from harmful development,” said Meda DeWitt, senior specialist for Alaska at The Wilderness Society, in a joint statement.

The move is also an example of the kind of big, bold steps we need to take in conserving U.S. forests in the future—especially mature and old-growth forests, which are such vital allies against climate change and uniquely suited to supporting plant and animal life.

Tongass roadless protections reinstated: 4 reasons that’s great news
 
New reserve in Ecuador secures over 3 million acres of forest
  • The Tarímiat Pujutaí Nuṉka Reserve covers 1,237,395 hectares (3,057,671 acres) of Andean and Amazonian forests in the Morona Santiago province of eastern Ecuador.
  • The area has cloud forests, sandstone plateaus, Amazonian lowlands and floodplain forests that are home to thousands of species, many of them endemic.
  • The reserve is intended to help protect against drivers of deforestation like mining, logging and cattle ranching.
  • Indigenous Shuar and Achuar communities participated in a thorough consultation process to ensure that the reserve was meeting their vision for the future of the area.
    Ecuador this month recognized a new reserve in the Amazon rainforest in hopes of protecting Indigenous land from threats like mining and livestock.

    The Tarímiat Pujutaí Nuṉka Reserve covers 1,237,395 hectares (3,057,671 acres) of Andean and Amazonian forests in the Morona Santiago province of eastern Ecuador, where numerous Shuar and Achuar communities have for years been fending off numerous drivers of deforestation.

    “This is an initiative that will not only allow us to preserve, but also enjoy our forests and climate, to offer the world a healthy environment,” said Governor of Morona Santiago, Rafael Antuni.

    The area is home to cloud forests, sandstone plateaus, Amazonian lowlands and floodplain forests, among other ecosystems. They contain over a thousand species of birds — dozens of them endemic to the region — as well as large mammals like jaguars (Panthera onca), tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) and spectacled bears (Tremarctos ornatus).

    The reserve, officially recognized on February 1, is intended to act as a corridor for these species because it’s connected to other protected areas in eastern Ecuador and northern Peru, according to the Andes Amazon Fund.

    The province has nearly 200,000 inhabitants, most of them members of Shuar and Achuar Indigenous communities like Taisha, Morona, Sucúa, Logroño, Méndez, Tiwintza, Limón Indanza, San Juan Bosco and Gualaquiza.
https://news-mongabay-com.cdn.amppr...r-secures-over-3-million-acres-of-forest/amp/
 
Texas National Wildlife Refuges Grow by Nearly 6,000 Acres in 2022

In 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added nearly 6,000 acres of public land to the National Wildlife Refuge System in Texas. This brings the total number of Service-managed lands in the state to nearly 700,000 acres at 21 National Wildlife Refuges and three National Fish Hatcheries.

The acquisitions protect a variety of ecosystems across the state, including Columbia bottomlands habitat on the mid-Texas coast, freshwater wetlands on the upper Texas coast, bottomland hardwood and pine forest habitat in East Texas, and Tamaulipan thornscrub habitat in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

“We are grateful for all of the partners who assisted us in acquiring and conserving these extraordinary properties for the benefit of wildlife and the American people,” said Amy Lueders, the Service’s Southwest Regional Director. “Each of these acquisitions protects a unique piece of the Texas landscape along with the resident and migratory wildlife that call it home. I encourage everyone to visit a National Wildlife Refuge to experience these wondrous places in person.”

Texas National Wildlife Refuges Grow by Nearly 6,000 Acres in 2022 | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
 
Sighting of European Visons in the wildlife crossing under the RD110 road that crosses the marais de Voutron in Charente-Maritime, France.
It proves the effectiveness of such crossings for this CR species, and even the mere persistence of this species in France, some specialists saying recently that this animal was even already extinct in the country!
La Charente-Maritime on Instagram: "#MaisQuivalà ? Des Visons d'Europe ont été observés ds les nouveaux passages installés par le #dept17 sur une portion de la RD 110 - marais de Voutron. Ces tunnels permettent aux animaux un franchissement du marais en toute sécurité. @lpo_idf"
 
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Recovery of Once Rare Wood Stork Is Latest Endangered Species Act Success

Ongoing Monitoring Still Needed in Southernmost Habitat

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it’s proposing to remove the wood stork from the endangered species list because the bird has recovered.

Wood storks were down to only 5,000 nesting pairs in the 1970s, but there are now more than 11,000 pairs across Florida, Georgia and other states in the Southeast.

“There’s no better way to celebrate the Endangered Species Act’s 50th anniversary than with the recovery of this magnificent bird,” said Stephanie Kurose, a senior policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The Act saved the wood stork, and it helped preserve and rebuild vital habitats throughout the Southeast. That has improved water quality and benefited countless other species who call the area home.”

Recovery of Once Rare Wood Stork Is Latest Endangered Species Act Success
 
Boundary Waters Protected For Next Twenty Years

Biden Administration Issues Mining Ban around America’s Most Visited Wilderness Area

Today, the Department of the Interior
finalized a 20-year mineral withdrawal in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the nation’s most visited Wilderness area, placing a mining moratorium on over 225,000 acres of land in the Superior National Forest.

“The Wilderness Society is thrilled to celebrate this victory for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the people who love this special place.” said Jamie Williams, President. “The Interior Department’s decision to finalize a 20-year mining moratorium recognizes the importance of safeguarding the Boundary Waters from pollution associated with extractive development, mitigating the extinction crisis, and helping to achieve the Biden administration’s America The Beautiful conservation goals. The movement to protect the Boundary Waters is truly a locally led initiative, and we are grateful for the thousands of Minnesotans who made their voices heard and said ‘no way’ to toxic mining at the doorstep of this national treasure.”

Boundary Waters Protected For Next Twenty Years
 
Press release: Lead ammunition finally banned from wetlands across the European Union

As of today, the 15th of February 2023, using lead shot ammunition in wetlands is illegal in all 27 EU countries, as well as Iceland, Norway, and Lichtenstein. The law comes into force following a 2-year period given to the EU countries to prepare for the change.

With this law in place, the lives of an estimated 1 million waterbirds which currently die of lead poisoning in the EU, will be saved and the perpetuation of extreme poisoning of wetland wildlife will be tackled once and for all. Exposure to lead can also have severe consequences for people should they be exposed to it, especially children.

Press release: Lead ammunition finally banned from wetlands across the EU
 
House of Representatives (Philippines) panel okays Kalayaan Islands as marine protected area

A committee in the House of Representatives has approved a measure seeking to designate certain areas in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as marine protected areas.

During its meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 25, the House Committee on Natural Resources passed House Bill (HB) No. 6373, which declared as Marine Protected Areas (MPA) the area three-nautical miles surrounding the KIG and Scarborough Shoal.

House panel okays Kalayaan Islands as marine protected area
 
Arenillas Municipal Conservation Area in Ecuador will Protect Key Dry Forest and Mangrove Ecosystems

The Andes Amazon Fund celebrates the creation of the Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area of Arenillas, finalized on December 8th, 2022. Located on the Southern coast of Ecuador in the El Oro province, this new conservation area encompasses 37,489 acres (15,171 hectares) of dry forest and mangroves, protecting water sources for thousands, and habitats for dozens of threatened species.

Arenillas
 
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