CSG WEST AFRICA SUB-REGIONAL WORKSHOP
For a variety of reasons, language among
them, the Crocodile Specialist Group of the IUCN-SSC has not been particularly
effective in extending its activities into Francophone Africa, despite there
being important crocodile populations located there, and conservation,
management and sustainable use being pursued at different levels by different
countries.
At the 18th Working Meeting of the CSG in
Montelimar, France (June 2006), the first steps at overcoming this problem were
taken. In consultation with West African countries that attended, the CSG
decided to hold a working meeting in West Africa, during 2007. A meeting which
could be attended by regional countries, and serve as a forum for open exchange
of information about crocodiles.
From a CSG perspective, the key goals of
the meeting are to :
(a)
Obtain a summary of the
current and historical status of crocodiles, as best it is known, in each of
the countries concerned.
(b) (b) Become familiar with the aims and aspirations of regional countries
with regard to the conservation, management and sustainable use of crocodiles,
and where appropriate, the constraints preventing those goals from being
achieved.
(c) To assess areas where the CSG may be able to offer technical assistance
in the future ; and,
(d) To foster such contacts and networking that may be possible within West
Africa, and between West Africa and the international community, to increase
activities with crocodiles within the region.
(e) To agree on some attainable priorities for regional action in the
short-term.
In
order to achieve these goals, it is proposed that the agenda of the Workshop
should include, among other things, three major themes :
(1)
The CSG to give an
overview of crocodilian conservation, management and sustainable use around the
world, with particular reference to the diversity of different types of
programs implemented successfully in different countries with different
socio-economic contexts, with their crocodile populations at different stages
of recovery.
(2) Regional countries each present brief summary national reports, of the
current and historical status of crocodiles, as best they are known, describing
the aims aspirations and the factors constraining their achievement.
(3) Separate working groups address 4-6 of the common priorities identified
in (2) above, and draft resolutions for action, that can be considered, amended
and endorsed by all participants during a plenary session. These will
constitute the main recommendations of the Workshop, and which can be used
independently by each participant to further the interests of crocodile
conservation, management and sustainable use.
Outputs
General
information papers ; 2. National reports summarising status of each species
from each country ; 3. Workshop recommendations (resolutions) ; and, 4.
Contact/networking information
Suggested format for National Reports
To
ensure that the key elements associated with crocodile conservation, management
and sustainable use in each country are included in the summary National
Reports, so they are comparable, delegations/participants could be provided
with a standard template for the reports, with the same headings, and perhaps
some explanation. This should make it easier for those compiling the
information.
The
oral presentation should aim to be no more than 10 minutes per country, given
that the written papers will be available, ideally in advance. There are
various ways this could be structure like : 6 talks + 10 minutes discussion at
the end to constitute a 70 minute session. So you would need 3 sessions : 2
sessions (140 minutes) + a coffee break of 20 minutes (total = 160 minutes)
then 1 session of 70 minutes (total of 230 minutes).
Suggested
headings for the summary national reports are :
A.
Title : Conservation and management of crocodiles in ............... B. Species
present : historical and current (1 paragraph) C. Distribution : historical and
current (1-3 paragraphs + perhaps some maps) D. History of conservation,
management and use : (1-4 paragraphs) E. Current status (a) Legislation (1-2
paragraphs) (b) Protected Areas (1-3 paragraphs) (c) Uses of wild populations
(1-3 paragraphs) (d) Human crocodile conflicts (1-2 paragraphs) (e) Domestic
trade (1-2 paragraphs) (f) Farming (1-2 paragraphs) (g) International trade
(1-2 paragraphs) (h) Research (1-2 paragraphs) (i) Population monitoring (1-2
paragraphs) F. Aims and aspirations - the future (2-10 paragraphs) G.
References H. Contact names, positions and details
Suggested overview papers by CSG
Paper
1. Crocodiles : conservation and sustainable use (20 min) Paper 2. Crocodiles : management
case histories (60 min)
Working Group Meetings
Separate
working groups (4-6) should be allocated a problem and asked to draft a
resolution concerning it, within a 2-3 hour period. The final plenary, session,
in which these are discussed and debated, edited and agreed, should take 2
hours.
Opening
addresses, closing addresses social protocols.
Whatever is considered appropriate ?
To
see the CSG website, click
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/crocs.htm
Ralf
Sommerlad
Regional
Vice Chair, IUCN/SSC Crocodile Specialist Group