 During
his recent mission to Brazil, CMS Executive Secretary
Robert Hepworth was able to open talks with the Brazilian
Minister, authorities and scientists on possible future
accession of the country to the Convention.
Robert Hepworth and Information and Capacity Building
Officer Francisco Rilla Manta participated in a workshop
to review Brazil’s already extensive programme on
migratory species, in particular marine turtles. Migratory
great whales, small cetaceans, avian migration, Amazonian
fish migration and Brazilian bats were on the agenda of
the workshop.
The Brazilian semi-governmental institution TAMAR has
more than 20 years of experience in running a comprehensive
turtle organisation. This includes science, research,
hatchling releases, nest protection, ecotourism, mitigation
of fisheries, bycatch and the development of artisanal
industries among poorer coastal communities. Larger programmes
for cetaceans, birds and other species are also building
up.
At a subsequent meeting with the Brazilian Environment
Minister Ms. Marina da Silva Vaz de Lima and several conservation
bodies a range of issues related to Brazilian conservation
management and possible future accession to CMS were elaborated.
The Minister felt that the accession of Brazil to the
Convention my soon become possible.
Based on the interest of Brazil in engaging with the Convention,
CMS and the parastatal body Chico Mendez Institute (CMI)
have agreed at the Minister’s suggestion to form
a partnership and joint work programme. Candidates of
the programme include small cetaceans, grassland birds,
avian influenza and bats. The translation of CMS literature
into Portuguese and a possible mission to Bonn to examine
how EUROBATS operates will also be considered as part
of the joint work plan with CMI: 80% of the country is
still largely unsurveyed for bats although Brazil has
four times as many bat species compared to the whole of
Europe.
This mission has initiated collaboration on migratory
species with the largest country in South America. “Conservation
of unique ecosystems and a stunning biodiversity will
be highly beneficial to both Brazil and the Convention”,
concluded Robert Hepworth.
UNEP/CMS and Brazil
www.projetotamar.org.br
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