Bonn, 27 May 2008 - During CBD CoP9 in Bonn, the Executive Secretary of CMS, Robert Hepworth, gave the keynote address at the ceremony held at the German Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection to mark the first CIC “Markhor” Award for outstanding conservation performance.

The first winners of the award from Tanzania and Mozambique were honoured for their work in creating a wildlife corridor and reserve linking two African countries with major wildlife sources. Both projects employ hunting and sustainable use as a means to sustain rural livelihoods and at the same time conserve elephants, African wild dogs and lions amongst other species, and to manage a total conservation area of 120,000km2. Tanzania is a longstanding CMS Party whilst Mozambique will become the newest Party when it joins the Convention later this year.

The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) presented the joint Markhor Award for outstanding conservation performance to Gilberto Vincente, Mozambique, and to David Ngalla from Tanzania. The Mozambican Niassa Game Reserve and the 29 villages of the Selous-Niassa Corridor in Tanzania received the award jointly. Robert Hepworth highlighted the importance of local people in ensuring the success of the project in his keynote address.

The Executive Secretary of CMS welcomed the decision by CIC to use the Markhor as its flagship species for its new award to honour conservation projects that are community-based and that successfully use hunting as a tool for rural development. The Markhor (Capra falconeri) inhabits some of the most magnificent high altitude mountain ranges of Pakistan, Central Asia and India. One of the most rugged regions where the rarest and largest of these wild goats, the Sulaiman Markhor, is found is known as the Torghar Mountains of Pakistan. The species is not only famous for its valuable horns, but has also become known for a highly successful community-based conservation project. The Convention on Biological Diversity refers to this project as the single best example of “best practices” of sustainable use. The hope is that the Niassa Game Reserve and Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor will soon follow within the footsteps of the Torghar Markhor project.

During his speech, Robert Hepworth also stressed the important role of partners including the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) in supporting CMS objectives. He said “ Partnerships from right across the spectrum are a distinctive feature of CMS. We have a tradition of strong science coupled with conservation commitment and tolerance, which means we partner sustainable hunters, tourist enterprises, zoos and other ex situ conservation bodies, mainstream conservation bodies and organisations, which blend conservation and animal welfare. I hope and believe that my Parties will continue that tradition at our next COP in Rome in December. We have co-operated with CIC in a number of areas and perhaps most notably so far on the Avian Influenza Task Force.”