Progress in the Conservation of the Grey Crowned Crane

Bonn, 7 August 2013 - The Government of Rwanda will host a stakeholder workshop aimed at developing an International Single Species Action Plan (ISSAP) for the Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) in Musanze, Rwanda from 10 to 13 September 2013, thereby laying the foundation for urgent conservation measures for this Endangered species. Grey Crowned Cranes, which are found in eastern and southern Africa, have faced a dramatic decline over the past decades, primarily due to loss or deterioration of their habitats and trade in live birds. The species is today classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

This AEWA ISSAP workshop will bring together government representatives and crane experts from the species’ key range states; its outcomes will provide the basis for the AEWA International Single Species Action Plan (ISSAP) for the conservation of the Grey Crowned Crane.

ISSAPs are the key tool developed under AEWA for the purpose of implementing coordinated measures to restore migratory waterbird species populations and their habitats at a favourable conservation status and to ensure their survival.

The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) is hosting the workshop which is organized by the African Crane Conservation Programme, a partnership of the International Crane Foundation (ICF) and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT). Funding for the workshop is being kindly provided by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) in the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication of Switzerland and the Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (NABU). In addition, the proceeds raised by a charity concert performed in Bonn by the Bologna Opera Choir on the occasion of World Migratory Bird Day 2013 are contributing to the development of the ISSAP.

YouTube Video: World Migratory Bird Day 2013 Benefit Concert in Bonn, Germany