Archived News

ACAP’s Breeding Sites Working Group met in South Africa in the coastal town of Hermanus in the Western Cape Province on 19 August 2008, under the chair of Dr Richard Phillips from the United Kingdom.  Members and observers from nearly all the ACAP Parties, and observers from several range states and NGOs, attended the group’s meeting.

The working group meeting commenced with a discussion of rules for the access and use of status and trends and breeding sites data submitted to, and maintained by, ACAP.  Plans were then discussed to complete the register of breeding sites, notably of Southern Giant Petrels Macronectes giganteus colonies in Antarctica, and to define breeding sites at colony, island and island-group levels.

Classification of and capturing past, existing and potential threats to breeding sites were considered, with an emphasis on prioritizing existing threats.  Discussions were also held on prioritizing breeding sites for management or research, best-practice guidelines for mitigation of selected threats, project proposals received by the group and on the revised work programme.  In addition, a demonstration was given of progress with ACAP’s data base and data portal.  Documents considered at the meeting may be found at http://www.acap.aq/en/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=93&Itemid=33.

The Working Group’s report will be considered at the Fourth Meeting of ACAP’s Advisory Group, to be held in Somerset West, South Africa from 22-25 August 2008.

 Information from Richard Phillips, Convenor, ACAP Breeding Sites Working Group and John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, posted 20 August 2008