At the IUCN’S global conference in Abu Dhabi, Born Free’s Chief Scientist, Professor Claudio Sillero, and 300 other leaders of the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission (SSC) urged governments, international agencies and the private sector to take emergency action to halt species decline and human-driven extinctions by 2030, and introduce measures to bring about widespread population recovery by 2050.  

Claudio Sillero, Chair of the SSC Canid Specialist Group overseeing the conservation of all wolf, fox and dog species, said: “Born Free welcomes the call for stronger concerted actions to protect threatened wildlife.  Species are the building blocks of biological diversity, and through greater focus on species conservation we can have a positive impact protecting habitats and ecosystem services upon which the health of our earth depends.”  

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species reveals that a quarter of all species face a high risk of extinction, with human activity having severely altered more than 75% of the Earth’s land and freshwater areas, and 66% of oceans.

In an official release, the IUCN stated that: “The global community must recognise the irreplaceable and vital role of species and their populations and massively scale-up efforts to conserve all species; to ensure that their use is sustainable, and that their benefits are equitably shared. We call for global action based on optimism, shared responsibility, commitment and collaboration to guarantee the survival of all species sharing this planet.”

CONSERVATION

© T Grobert