The Saiga antelope (Saiga spp.) is a critically endangered migratory ungulate of the steppes and semi-deserts of Eurasia. Until the late 1980s more than a million saigas used to roam the arid regions of Eurasia. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, saiga populations declined by more than 90% - primarily due to poaching for the species’ meat and horn. This population collapse is one of the fastest observed in a large mammal in recent decades.

Throughout saiga range states it is illegal to hunt saiga. Yet overexploitation remains the primary threat to the species. Urgent action is required to halt the decline and to restore populations throughout the species range. In 2002 the sub-species Saiga tatarica tatarica which includes several transboundary populations was listed on CMS Appendix II; since 2008 the entire species has been listed in CMS Appendix II. Already in 1995 was the saiga included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to primarily address the illegal trade in saiga horn. CITES and CMS work closely together to contribute towards the international conservation of this flagship species of the Eurasian steppes.

Conservation efforts of this species are critically dependent on international collaboration between the range states. Several populations are transboundary and the length of the species migratory journeys in between summer and winter ranges can exceed 1000 km. To coordinate conservation measures throughout such a large range the close collaboration of range states, NGOs, scientists, local people and the international community at large is required. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conserve the saiga antelope under the auspices of CMS has been in force since the First Meeting of Signatories in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in September 2006 to facilitate this cooperation.

The status of the MoU in 2010 was as follows: Range states of the MoU on Saiga spp. are Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the Russian Federation, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. All eligible range states have signed the instrument. Cooperating Organisation that have signed are Fauna and Flora International, the Frankfurt Zoological Society, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), the IUCN Species Survival Commission, the Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF International, The Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK) and the Saiga Conservation Alliance (SCA).

Activities

The CMS MoU together with the associated Action Plan provides a road map to guide the implementation of conservation action for the saiga antelope in the range states and in those countries which import saiga produce, such as the species’ horns. The Action Plan has been drafted in consideration of biological, economic and social research, as well as practical information provided by a range of stakeholders. Activities focus on the following objectives:

- Improved monitoring of the status of individual populations, including participatory monitoring with local people
- Application of the same recommended monitoring methodology throughout range states
- Assessment of species’ distribution, spatial and temporal variation in breeding pastures and migratory routes
- Reduction and control of saiga poaching
- Creation of alternative livelihood options in rural villages that depend on poaching for income and employment; creation of incentives for conservation at local level
- Awareness raising (regional, national and international levels)
- Improvement of the protected area network, focussing on birth and rutting areas and including transboundary protection areas
- Application of captive breeding where appropriate; knowledge transfer on techniques
- Reduction and control of illegal trade in saiga produce; compliance with CITES provisions
- Assessment of long-term conservation solutions, including sustainable use if populations have recovered to a level that would allow for such use

Activities that contribute to the implementation of the CMS MoU and Action Plan are collected and communicated to stakeholders and interested individuals through Saiga News, a bi-annual newsletter of the Saiga Conservation Alliance, which is published in six languages.