SCAR to assess the conservation status of Antarctica’s Southern Giant Petrels 

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) will hold a workshop entitled “Status of the Southern Giant Petrel in the Antarctic Region.  Reaching Consensus for an IUCN Endangerment Criterion Listing at the Regional Level to be Presented to the Committee for Environmental Protection in 2008”.  The workshop will be held at the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom on 19-20 May 2008. 

The sole aim of the workshop is reach consensus on whether, using the IUCN (World Conservation Union) criteria for assessment of endangerment, the Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus should be listed as a Specially Protected Species under Annex II of the Protocol on Environmental Protection.

SCAR is inviting all researchers and organizations working on Southern Giant Petrels to submit data for the assessment process.  Any researcher wishing to attend or organization wishing to send a representative is welcome to do so.  SCAR has limited funds available to facilitate travel for those data holders who can make a significant contribution to the assessments.

Expressions of interest for attendance should be submitted to the Executive Secretary of SCAR (Dr Colin Summerhayes – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), to whom data, which SCAR will keep confidential outside the workshop, should also be sent.

The Southern Giant Petrel is the only species listed within ACAP that breeds within the Antarctic Treaty Area. The findings of the workshop will thus be of interest to ACAP’s Advisory Committee.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer 

Posted 17 March 2008