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UAE To Host International Forum On Dugong Conservation |
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A galaxy of scientists, researchers and experts on marine mammals will join representatives from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) and NGOs for the First Official Signatory State Meeting of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their Habitats throughout their Range to be held from 4-6 October 2010 at Radisson Blue Hotel, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The United Arab Emirates, represented by the Government of Abu Dhabi and the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), is hosting the marine platform as part of their partnership of the UNEP and out of its commitment and substantial contribution to conserving biological diversity and especially migratory species at an international level. The Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their Habitats throughout their Range (UNEP/CMS Dugong MoU) entered into force on 31 October 2007 after being signed by 7 range states (Australia, Eritrea, France, Madagascar, Myanmar, the United Arab Emirates and the United Republic of Tanzania) and they have since been joined by four additional signatories (India, the Comoros, Kenya and the Philippines) to raise the number of signatories to 11 range states to date. The UAE became the first Arab country to sign the Memorandum of Understanding. The UNEP/CMS Dugong MoU provides a platform for the long-term survival of the Dugong by coordinating conservation and management throughout its extensive range. The MoU is designed to facilitate national level and trans boundary actions that will lead to the conservation of dugong populations and their habitats. The CMP provides the basis for focused species and habitat-specific activities, coordinated across the Dugong’s migratory range. The CMP has the following objectives: * Reduce direct and indirect causes of dugong mortality; * Protect, conserve and manage habitats for dugong; * Improve our understanding of dugong habitats through research and monitoring * Raise awareness of dugong conservation; * Promote implementation of the MoU; * Improve legal protection of dugongs and their habitats; * Enhance national, regional and international cooperation on capacity building. The upcoming Abu Dhabi meeting will serve to review implementation of the Dugong Conservation and Management Plan (CMP) and to provide guidance in terms of the priorities and future policy directions in relation to implementation of the Dugong MoU, in general. Signatories are invited to inform the meeting of progress made in the implementation of the MoU. The participants will review various global initiatives to which the Dugong MoU can contribute including regional initiatives such as Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME), Regional Organization for Conservation of Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA), Coral Triangle Initiative, work on marine protected areas and the effects of climate change on dugongs. On the financial and administrative matters, the meeting will discuss how to encourage voluntary contributions, consider the current work programme and associated budget, and provide guidance on how to seek additional sources of funding for implementation of the CMP. During the two-day forum, the Memorandum of Understanding will be opened for signature by duly accredited representatives of additional States, during a short ceremony to be held immediately after the Welcoming Remarks, in order to allow them to participate in the meeting as de facto Signatory States. The UNEP/CMS Office - Abu Dhabi is introducing side events as a new feature to the meeting agenda. Delegates will participate in a workshop on National Reporting: template, national priorities ’&’ self assessment to provide feedback on the draft national reporting template and report on national priorities; regional priorities as determined from sub-regional meetings; and guidance on draft self-assessment process for implementation of CMP. Another workshop will consider data analysis, extension of application to other range states; how to use the data to address risks to dugong populations and how to progress mitigation of risks to dugong population. A Presentation on Addressing and Reducing Risks at Different Scales will provide information on how to deal with current risks to the conservation and management of dugongs at the global, regional and national/local scale. The Secretariat will report on developments since the Technical Workshop and Meeting to sign the Dugong MoU (Abu Dhabi, October 2007; and the Informal meeting of Signatory States to the CMS Dugong MoU (Bali, August 2008). Helene Marsh, professor of environmental science at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia, and lead author of Dugong Status Reports and Action Plans for Countries and Territories, will give a presentation on ’’Update on Global Status of Dugongs." The Dugong, commonly known as the sea cow, is a sea grass-dependant marine mammal of tropical and subtropical coastal waters, with high genetic biodiversity value. It is the sole member of the genus dugong, which is the only extant member of the Family Dugongidae . Amongst the marine mammals, the dugong is unique in being the only species that is completely herbivorous. Throughout their range which includes at least 48 countries from east Africa to Vanuatu between about 26 degrees north and south of the Equator, dugongs are under pressure from a range of human activities. Dugongs are vulnerable to human-related influences due to their life history and their dependence on sea grasses that are restricted to coastal habitats, and which are often under increased pressure from human activities . Currently dugongs are classified as vulnerable to extinction under the 2009 World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, which indicates that they face a high-risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future. The Dugong MoU is serviced by the UNEP/CMS Abu Dhabi Office being hosted by the Government and the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD). The Office represents a major collaboration between UNEP and the United Arab Emirates to conserve migratory species for the benefit of present and future generations. The UNEP/CMS Project Office provides a framework with a coordinating role to tackle major threats and identify effective tools to reverse declining trends and to secure a favourable status for regionally important migratory species including dugongs, birds of prey and marine turtles, under the auspices of UNEP/CMS. The Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) signed on October 12, 2009 a Donor Agreement to establish a UNEP/Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) office in Abu Dhabi. The agreement follows an offer by EAD to fund and host an out posted office of the UNEP/CMS Secretariat, which will service CMS Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia. |
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