Steps to protect globally threatened goose species taken in South-West Russia

Bonn 23rd June - The Interregional Meeting on the Optimization of the Use of Waterfowl at the Kumo-Manych stopover site in Kalmykia Republic, Stavropol Krai and Rostov Oblast took place on 15 of June in Elista, in the south-western Russian Republic of Kalmykia. Participants included representatives from the local governments of the three regions mentioned above, hunters’ organizations, scientists and conservationists as well as other stakeholders.

The Kumo-Manych Depression is one of the most important stopover sites for globally threatened waterbirds such as the Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus) and the Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis). Illegal hunting is the main threat to these species and hunting pressure along the Russian flyways and stopover sites is deemed to be especially high, resulting in a need for vigorous conservation efforts in these areas.

As a result of the discussions in Elista on the need to regulate the hunting of waterbirds at Kumo-Manych as an urgent measure to protect threatened species using the area during spring and autumn migration, the administration of Rostov Oblast decided to close spring hunting of waterfowl for the next five years. Spring hunting within the Kumo-Manych Depression area in the Republic of Kalmykia has been closed since 2009 and a further commitment was made at the meeting not to re-open spring hunting. The meeting also strongly recommended that the administration of Rostov Oblast increase the extent of the hunting ban within the buffer zone of the Biosphere State Reserve “Rostovsky”.

Participants stressed the need for international cooperation in the monitoring and protection of the Lesser White-fronted Goose and the Red-breasted Goose. The necessity to apply for foreign support and funding, especially for the implementation of urgent measures to regulate hunting, was highlighted. There was also agreement on the need for better schooling of hunters and it was decided to organize a series of seminars for hunters with a focus on the identification of rare species before the start of the autumn hunting season.

An Interregional Working Group was established to continue work on these issues. A draft Action Plan for the optimization of the use of waterfowl at the Kumo-Manych stopover site will be updated and submitted to the local governments for adoption.

The meeting was organized as part of the ongoing project “Regulation of Spring and Autumn Hunting on Waterbirds in the Kumo-Manych Depression” which is being coordinated by Ms. Sonia Rozenfeld from the Geese, Swans and Ducks Study Group of Eastern Europe and North Asia (RGG).

The Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management has provided the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat with a grant within the framework of the implementation of the International Single Species Action Plan for the Lesser White-fronted Goose, which is in part being used to support the above-mentioned project.



For more information, please contact:

Ms. Nina Mikander, Coordinator for the Lesser White-fronted Goose