Moscow workshop _ a further step towards promoting Russian accession to AEWA

Bonn / Moscow, 20 April 2010 - The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat organized a two-day workshop together with the All-Russian Research Institute for Nature Conservation at the Moscow Zoo on 30-31 of March to promote the accession of the Russian Federation to the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA).

The Russian Federation is extremely important for migratory waterbirds – especially for populations breeding in the Russian Palearctic. Approximately 40 % of the Russian Federation falls within the African-Eurasian flyway and is geographically covered by the Agreement. In addition the Russian Federation hosts approximately 50 % of the migratory waterbird populations which are listed under AEWA and for which action is being taken under the Agreement’s framework.

Day one focused on the concept and importance of flyway conservation in general, on the Agreement itself, benefits and obligations of AEWA member states, waterbird protection in Russia including new data from international projects and an overview of waterbird species statuses in Russia in comparison to population statuses in the Agreement.

The second day was dedicated to the topic of hunting and the sustainable management of waterbird populations. It was stressed that truly sustainable management of migratory waterbird species can only be achieved through international cooperation. The Secretariat stressed that issues such as spring hunting and the phasing out of lead shot in wetlands should not be viewed as definite obstacles to joining the Agreement. Discussions on these and other outstanding issues still need to be conducted in detail.

Participants included representatives from the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ecology, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives from regional authorities, the Geese and Swans Study Group of Northern Eurasia, the Russian Bird Ringing Centre, various Russian Hunting organizations as well as NGOs. The workshop was also attended by representatives from CIC, Wetlands International and OMPO as well as the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture and the Dutch embassy in Moscow.

The workshop ended with the signing of a document containing conclusions and recommendations from the workshop participants to the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ecology and UNEP/AEWA Secretariat, highlighting amongst other issues the need to continue consultations aiming at Russian accession to the Agreement. The conclusions were signed by the workshop chair Dr. Gerard Boere, AEWA Executive Secretary Bert Lenten and the Director of the All-Russian Research Institute for Nature Conservation Andrey Subbotin.

This outcome is a step in the right direction but work still needs to be done on clarifying open questions as well as lobbying key decision makers on the importance of international waterbird conservation and the benefits therein. The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat and the All-Russian Research Institute for Nature Conservation pledged to report back on the continued negotiations to workshop participants by the end of 2010.

The workshop was funded by the Dutch Embassy in Moscow and the Swiss Federal Department for Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication.

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