[Birdbycatch] threatened seabird website forum

[liz mitchel atsea]

Hello,

This was forwarded to me from Deon Nel:


      BirdLife International's Globally Threatened Bird Update

      BirdLife International's ‘Globally Threatened Bird Update’ aims to
feed the latest information on threatened birds into the 2004 IUCN Red
List of threatened species and, most importantly, into setting
priorities for bird conservation. The project will build on the wealth
of information already compiled by BirdLife and others on the status of
the world's birds, including, for example, Threatened birds of the world
(2000) and Threatened birds of Asia (2001).

    We’d like to invite you to take part in this important project. An
exciting component is the launch of discussion forums on BirdLife's
website, where contributors can share information on Globally Threatened
Birds. Specifically you can 1) see which species are proposed for
revised threat status; 2) contribute comment or new information on the
proposed revisions; 3) suggest other species that may need revising. The
discussions forums are organised by region and in some cases by species
group (e.g. seabirds).

       We are now launching the Threatened Seabirds forum, and invite
you to join in. For background to the project and links to the forums,
click the Globally Threatened Bird Update button on the BirdLife
homepage <http://www.birdlife.net> or go straight to
<http://www.birdlife.net/gtbirds/index.cfm>. You can browse the
discussions as a guest, but to post a comment or to contribute new
information you will need to login. It’s very easy to use the forums.
Click ‘How to use the forums’ in the right-hand menu of the forums
homepage for details.

       You don’t need to keep visiting the forum through the web. You
can choose to receive emails with new postings automatically, or daily
or weekly digests. These can cover the whole forum or particular species
only. You can also contribute your information by replying to email
messages.

       The new system will make it much easier to credit information
from particular contributors, and to acknowledge the large pool of
experts whose participation is vital for ensuring that accurate and
up-to-date data are used in assessing the threat status of these birds.
The Threatened Seabird Forum will be moderated by Deon Nel
<dnel@savethealbatross.org.za>, whilst the global initiative will be
co-ordinated by Stuart Butchart <Stuart.Butchart@birdlife.org.uk>.

       Here are a few examples of the initial list of topics for
discussion in the Threatened Seabirds Forum:

       ·          Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross: new data from Tristan
da Cunha and Gough Island suggest decline rates that imply this species
should be upgraded from Near Threatened to Critical. Is this warranted?

       ·          Sooty Shearwater: although this species is extremely
numerous there have been persistent signs of decline in several
populations. Should it be listed as Near Threatened or even Vulnerable?

       ·          Ivory Gull: the Russian and Spitzbergen populations of
this species appear to be declining. Further information is required to
determine if this species should be listed as Near Threatened.

       ·          Kittlitz's Murrelet: new information suggests severe
declines that may warrant upgrading this species to Critical status. Is
this appropriate?

       Other species under discussion include: Balearic Shearwater,
Flesh-footed Shearwater, Marbled Murrelet, Red-legged Kittiwake, and
Bank Cormorant. Other species and issues will be added in due course,
and contributors can suggest new topics for discussion.

       We expect the discussion forums to be an ongoing process and part
of an annual cycle to review the status of threatened birds. For this
round, we will aim to reach decisions on revised assessments by July
2003. This will allow them to feed into the 2004 IUCN Red List, which
will comprise a major review and revision of several taxonomic groups.

       BirdLife is the official Listing Authority for birds for the IUCN
Red List. While we provide coordination and facilitation, the quality
and relevance of the information itself rely fundamentally on the
participation of thousands of individual experts and key organisations,
notably the bird specialist groups. We hope very much that you will want
to be part of this important project, and look forward to your
contributions.

************************************************
Deon Nel
BirdLife International - Seabird Conservation Programme
BirdLife South Africa
P.O. Box 1586, Stellenbosch 7599
South Africa
Tel:      +27 (0)21 886 9222
Fax:     +27 (0)21 886 9223
Mobile: +27 (0)72 485 4570
Email:  dnel@savethealbatross.org.za
Websites: www.savethealbatross.org.za and www.birdlife.net
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