Positive Wildlife News 2024

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With new protections, a critical fishery gets new lease on life

Fishing is a way of life in Peru.

And two out of every three fish consumed in Peru is caught in the Mar Tropical de Grau, one of the South American country’s most important fisheries. Fed by a convergence of currents, this region supports a wealth of marine life, including whales, sea turtles and whale sharks.

But this area is not immune from human-made pressures — oil and gas mining, overfishing, coastal development and unregulated tourism — that threaten to disrupt it.

Now, this fishery is getting a new lease on life.

On April 26, the Peruvian government established a marine protected area here that bans mining and regulates fishing. And as marine protected areas go, it’s quite small — only 1,155 square kilometers (446 square miles), an area just larger than New York City. Like the Big Apple, though, the newly minted Mar Tropical de Grau National Reserve is densely populated, housing roughly 70 percent of Peru’s marine wildlife.

Needless to say, conservationists praised the move.

“We’ve waited a decade for this,” said Cynthia Cespedes, ocean lead at Conservation International-Peru. “With these bold protections, the Mar Tropical de Grau will be a refuge for marine life to thrive.”

With new protections, a critical fishery gets new lease on life
 
Uzbekistan plants a forest where a sea once lay
  • The Aral Sea, once the lifeblood of peoples in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, is parched, shrouded in a layer of toxic salt and dust.
  • Officials from both countries are working with locals to plant a new forest of drought-resistant plants in the dried-out lakebed, to prevent sandstorms and mitigate the health impacts of breathing in the toxic dust.
  • The initiative in Uzbekistan has so far planted 1.7 million hectares (4.2 million acres) of forest, with up to 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) of new forest planned for 2024.
  • Forestry and climate researchers say the nature-based solution shows promise, but that the afforestation project must follow important steps to succeed and may struggle in the face of increased droughts.
Between the borders of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the Aral Sea, once the lifeblood of peoples in both countries, is parched, shrouded in a layer of toxic salt and dust that’s now taking a heavy toll on the health and farmlands of these very communities.

Uzbekistan plants a forest where a sea once lay
 
Texas Makes History by Granting First-Ever Protections for Mountain Lions

In a significant win for Texas’ mountain lions, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has taken the first step to actively manage the state’s mountain lion population. At a Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting on May 23, commissioners unanimously voted to ban canned hunting of mountain lions and to require that live mountain lions not be held in traps for longer than 36 hours.

With this historic ruling, Texas now stands with all 16 states home to breeding mountain lions in regulating the hunting and trapping of the species.

Texas Makes History by Granting First-Ever Protections for Mountain Lions | Panthera
 
Nature Conservancy of Canada buys British Columbia grasslands for new conservation area

The Nature Conservancy of Canada says a new conservation area north of Cranbrook, B.C., will protect important bird habitat and preserve grasslands in the province's southeast.

The conservancy says money from the federal government and private donors went to buying up 271 hectares of land in the Skookumchuk Prairie in the province's southeast corner.

Nature Conservancy of Canada buys B.C. grasslands for new conservation area
 
Indigenous Guardianship Contributed to Pacific Island’s Forest Recovery After Cyclone, Study Finds

The remarkable case of Vanuatu serves as a powerful example of the vital role of customary land practices in protecting biodiversity, to be remembered on International Day for Biological Diversity.

In the wake of one of the most severe cyclones in recorded history, Cyclone Pam, which struck the Pacific nation of Vanuatu in 2015, the island of Tanna suffered devastating damage, with significant impacts on its biodiversity.

Four years after Cyclone Pam, new research conducted by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the Vanuatu Department of Forestry, and four other institutions shows Indigenous customary stewardship practices have contributed to a remarkable forest recovery in Tanna.

Indigenous Guardianship Contributed to Pacific Island’s Forest Recovery After Cyclone, Study Finds
 
Kazakhstan to create nature reserve to protect rare mammal

Kazakhstan is preparing to create a state nature reserve to preserve the Endangered Caspian Seal.

The reserve will be located in the Caspian Sea on the Mangistau and Atyrau regions. The total area will be 109,558 ha and the area of the protected zone will be approximately 69,839 ha.

The Government of Kazakhstan has tasked the Fishing Industry Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture to define the borders of the reserve, which will be financed from the national budget.

Kazakhstan to create nature reserve to protect rare mammal - BirdGuides
 
India's forests have steadily increased over the past 15 years

India ranks globally as third in net gain of average annual forest area between 2010 and 2020. They have prioritized biodiversity and conservation with an expanded network of protected areas.
  • India's forest area has increased over the past 15 years.
  • India ranks globally as third in net gain of average annual forest area between 2010 and 2020.
  • India has prioritized biodiversity and conservation with an expanded network of protected areas.
India's forests have steadily increased over the past 15 years
 
Critical site to become state’s second special wildlife reserve
  • The Miles Government will declare Edgbaston Reserve, near Longreach in Central Queensland, as a special wildlife reserve.
  • Owned by Bush Heritage Australia, Edgbaston Reserve will be the second property in Queensland to be declared a special wildlife reserve, which provides national park-level protection.
  • Edgbaston is home to the most significant natural springs for global biodiversity in the entire Great Artesian Basin and one of the most important in the world.
The Miles Government has reached agreement with Bush Heritage Australia (BHA) and Bidjara Traditional Owners to safeguard a key Lake Eyre Basin property by declaring it as a special wildlife reserve.

Edgbaston Reserve, an around 8,000-hectare property north-east of Longreach, is owned by BHA and is home to the most significant natural springs for global biodiversity in the entire Great Artesian Basin and one of the most important in the world.

It will be the second special wildlife reserve to be established in Queensland, meaning the environmentally-significant property will be safeguarded against commercial activity under Queensland law for future generations.

The reserve provides critical habitat for 26 plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world, including one of Australia’s smallest and most threatened freshwater fish, the critically endangered red-finned blue-eye.

Edgbaston has also been the cornerstone of many discoveries of new species including 15 types of plants and the yet-to-be-described Edgbaston shrimp and amphipod.

Although already declared a nature refuge in 2014, BHA expressed interest to the Queensland Government to enhance the level of protection to the estate by declaring it a special wildlife reserve.

Special wildlife reserves are established on private land to protect areas with exceptional natural and cultural resources and values.

They receive legal protection, like national parks, from incompatible land uses including commercial timber harvesting, commercial grazing, and petroleum and mineral resource extraction.

Edgbaston’s formal declaration as a special wildlife reserve is scheduled to take place later in 2024.

Its establishment under this category of protected area follows the Queensland Government’s landmark establishment of Pullen Pullen Special Wildlife Reserve in 2020, which was the first protected area of this kind for private land in Australia.

Critical site to become state’s second special wildlife reserve
 
Effective fisheries management doubles benefits for conservation of reef sharks in protected areas

Marine protected areas (MPAs), which legally protect important marine and coastal ecosystems, often have more reef sharks than non-protected areas. A new study in Nature Ecology and Evolution finds that conservation benefits double when MPAs are established in countries that also limit or gear restrictions.

The study was done by Curtin University, Mote Marine Laboratory, Wageningen Marine Research, and others. It was based on the world’s largest reef shark and ray survey, Global FinPrint, a project funded by The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. These findings emphasize that nations should use both approaches (the use of MPAs and effective fisheries management) to rebuild reef shark populations, which have declined globally by 63 percent on average.

Nature Today | Effective fisheries management doubles benefits for conservation of reef sharks in protected areas
 
Ontario’s first butterfly reintroduction: a conservation success story

WPC is working to bring the mottled duskywing back to Ontario as part of the Ontario Butterfly Species at Risk Team. Together, we are spearheading an innovative effort to reintroduce the duskywing to Pinery Provincial Park in southwestern Ontario.

The mottled duskywing reintroduction to Pinery Provincial Park began in 2021, and celebrated its fourth year of monitoring on May 6th, 2024! Since the beginning of this season, our team has been working incredibly hard to monitor the first generation of adult butterflies. Throughout the majority of its range in Ontario, the mottled duskywing only has one flight period, but historically in areas of southwestern Ontario, where it was once present- it had two generations. Incredibly, the reintroduced population at Pinery has reverted to two generations of adults throughout the summer!

This spring, the first generation of adults emerged from overwintering larvae (yes, overwintering!) in the beginning of May, which produced the earliest flight records in Ontario! They are expected to fly until mid-June, a time in which they will mate and females will lay eggs. Some of the resulting caterpillar larvae from the first generation will mature into adults in July and produce the second flight generation, while other caterpillars from the first generation will enter diapause (a period of suspended development). For those that go on to produce the second generation of mottled duskywings adults, the offspring of these butterflies will also enter diapause and spend the upcoming winter tucked away in little leaf nests. How cool is that! How do they know how to do this?! Is this why I love them so much?

Ontario’s first butterfly reintroduction: a conservation success story - Wildlife Preservation Canada News and Events
 
LIFE with Bison: 14 European bison brought to Romania from Germany and Sweden

Fourteen European bison were brought to Romania’s Southern Carpathians last week, marking the first transports from the "LIFE with Bison" program co-financed by the European Union, as well as 10 years since the arrival of the first bison in Țarcu Mountains. The transport was supervised by Rewilding Romania and WWF Romania.

The 14 bison were brought to Romania from Germany (namely 10 from the Kiel, Sababurg, Wielbur, and Donaumoos centers) and Sweden (4 from the Avesta center).

https://www-romania--insider-com.cd...-brought-romania-germany-sweden-june-2024?amp
 
Historic donation to The Nature Conservancy supports protection of unique biodiversity haven by Queensland Government

A $21 million donation to The Nature Conservancy - most likely the single largest donation to buy land for conservation in Australian history - has supported the purchase of more than 300,000 hectares of Channel Country in western Queensland for the national park estate.

Dr. James Fitzsimons, The Nature Conservancy’s Global Protection Senior Advisor, said the acquisition was slightly larger than the Yosemite National Park in the United States, and was a significant achievement for conservation in Queensland and in Australia.

Historic donation to TNC supports protection of unique biodiversity haven
 
Peru approves the creation of long-awaited marine protected area
  • Experts have called the creation of the Grau Tropical Sea National Reserve, which took more than 10 years to be approved, a milestone as it is rich in biodiversity.
  • Observers expect the reserve to allow for greater control and monitoring of the area to prevent illegal fishing.
  • However, some industrial fishing, including trawling, is permitted in the new reserve, a decision criticized by marine conservation experts who say Peru needs “no-fishing areas.”
  • This is the first in a series of stories covering the Peruvian fishing industry and originally published on Mongabay’s Latam site.
In April, after 10 years of negotiations, Peru’s Council of Ministers approved the creation of the Grau Tropical Sea National Reserve. To Peruvians, it is a much-awaited marine protected area, as it’s one of the most biodiverse stretches along the country’s coastline.

The reserve covers just over 115,675 hectares (285,840 acres) of sea off the departments of Piura and Tumbes in northern Peru. Although small, it is significant due to the rich biodiversity found there, according to experts. The IUCN ranked the area among the 70 most important places in the world for marine biodiversity conservation.

The head of the National Service of Natural Protected Areas (SERNANP), José Carlos Nieto Navarrete, pointed out that the reserve’s creation will allow Peru to progress towards complying with international commitments for marine area conservation.

The creation of the Grau Tropical Sea National Reserve (RNMTG) has been described by experts as a milestone for the country. However, the challenges Peru faces in conserving its seas remain great. Including the new reserve, Peru has protected less than 10% of its marine territory and remains far from the internationally agreed goal of protecting 30% of marine habitat by 2030 (the so-called 30×30 goal). Furthermore, ensuring the effective conservation of this important newly created marine area will be a serious challenge given the existing hydrocarbon-extraction and fishing interests in the area.

Peru approves the creation of long-awaited marine protected area
 
Defenders Celebrates New Record for Mexican Gray Wolf Cross-Fostering Program

"It is crucial not only to enhance the genetic diversity of the wild population but also to remove artificial boundaries that hinder the wolves from accessing other secure habitats in the region. By doing so, we can greatly enhance the wolves’ chances of successful recovery."

- Craig Miller, Senior Arizona Representative for Defenders of Wildlife

Twenty-seven captive-bred Mexican gray wolf pups have been successfully fostered this spring into wild packs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed. In partnership with FWS, Defenders of Wildlife sponsors wildlife technicians who work alongside the Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team to place pups into the wild.

Defenders Celebrates New Record for Mexican Gray Wolf Cross-Fostering Program
 
Shade cloth and poisonous dust: how the red-finned blue-eye was brought back from the brink

Numbers of the Australian native fish have grown from 1,000 to 5,000 in eight years, and Queensland has now declared its habitat a special wildlife reserve.

The red-finned blue-eye is no longer Australia’s rarest freshwater fish.

The last of its tiny kind – all but bullied to extinction by gambusia, an invasive fish that grows to twice the size and eight times the body mass – were a few years ago confined to a lone artesian spring in outback Queensland.

“It got very, very dire,” Bush Heritage Australia ecologist Dr Dean Gilligan says.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...nned-blue-eye-was-brought-back-from-the-brink
 
England's largest remaining area of temperate rainforest has now been protected as a National Nature Reserve.
Borrowdale Valley in Cumbria covers an area of 721 hectares and regularly experiences the highest rainfall in England. Previously, temperate rainforest covered a large area of England, almost entirely in the west, but now less than 1% remains intact.

More information can be found in the link below:
England's largest rainforest becomes protected reserve - BirdGuides
 
Colombian Reserve Grows with the Designation of New Protected Land

At Atuncela, an additional 3,200 acres of vital bird habitat are now protected.

An additional 3,262 acres (1,320 hectares) of tropical forest habitat are now under protection following a recent designation by the Valle del Cauca, Colombia environmental authority, Corporación Autónoma Regional del Valle del Cauca (CVC). This brings the total area protected in the Distrito Regional de Manejo Integrado (DRMI) Enclave Subxerofítico de Atuncela to 5,767 acres, or about the size of Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas.

Conserva Aves is a regional Initiative to create and expand subnational protected areas in Latin America. It is led by American Bird Conservancy (ABC), Audubon, BirdLife International, Birds Canada, and the Network of Environmental Funds in Latin America and the Caribbean (RedLAC).

Conserva Aves has innovative implementation mechanisms, either as Direct Investments or Calls for Proposals, both of which represent effective ways for the Initiative to advance its conservation objectives. Under the modality of direct investment, Corporación Ambiental y Forestal del Pacífico (CORFOPAL), an ABC partner, has been working on the expansion of the protected area on the western slopes of the Colombian Andes since 2022. Atuncela's original 2,506 acres (1,014 hectares) of dry shrubland first received protected status in 2007. The additional acreage included in the expansion creates a gradient of protected habitat, with shrubland transitioning to humid tropical forest as the elevation climbs. The expansion of the protected area was supported by the direct investment funds of the Conserva Aves Initiative and Rainforest Trust.

Colombian Reserve Grows with the Designation of New Protected Land
 
'Return of the big feline': Belgium has room for 75 lynx in the wild

Hundreds of years ago, the lynx disappeared from Belgium but it has recently been spotted several times in the Semois Valley. Now, a WWF report has found that Belgium and its neighbouring regions could provide suitable habitat for some 75 lynx in the wild.

The research, conducted by experts from Humboldt University in Berlin, shows that Belgium has room to welcome the iconic feline into the wild, and even has two concrete hotspots where the lynx could live: in the western Ardennes (on the border with the French Regional Nature Park) and in the Eifel region (on the border with Germany).

'Return of the big feline': Belgium has room for 75 lynx in the wild
 
Alto Calima: Colombia’s New Protected Area Benefiting People and Biodiversity

The Regional Autonomous Corporation of Valle del Cauca (CVC) has officially announced the designation of Alto Calima as a Regional Public Protected Area. This area, comprised of five ecosystems, covers 18,114.68 hectares, which accounts for 15.75% of the total area of the Calima El Darién municipality in Valle del Cauca.

Conserva Aves
 
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