IUCN GUIDELINES FOR REINTRODUCTIONS AND CONSERVATION TRANSLOCATIONS OF SPECIES – PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
DIANA ZLATANOVA
Department of Zoology and anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St.Kliment Ohridski”
*Corresponding author: zlite2@gmail.com
Keywords: reintroduction, conservation translocations
Abstract: The current impact of the human civilization on the Earth’s biodiversity leads to a rapid population decline and even extinction of many species. Due to this, conservation organizations and institutions undertake efforts for reintroductions of locally extinct species or other conservation translocations. Many of these efforts are without feasibility studies, nor proper assessment of the local situation or a local consent which often is a costly failure. This leads to the clear necessity of setting up rules and identifying potential pitfalls when initiating a reintroduction or other conservation translocation attempt. Such issues are addressed in the IUCN’s Guidelines for reintroductions and other conservation translocations developed by the Task Force of the Reintroduction and Invasive Species Specialist Groups (2010 – 2012). The IUCN’s view on the definitions and classification of translocations, the needs and objectives, the feasibility studies and planning phase, the design of the translocations, the release and implementation stage, the monitoring and continuing management and the risk assessment on every step of the translocations are presented with a discussion of pitfalls and critical examples of existing translocation projects.