Conservation translocation’ was the center of discussion at the 20th edition of the Sharjah International Conservation Forum for Arabian Biodiversity (SICFAB), held at Arabia’s Wildlife Centre. Reintroductions, an important aspect of conservation translocation received the lion’s share of attention at the Forum. Organised by the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA), the first-day of the event also witnessed conservation experts, researchers, specialists and academicians discuss case studies, examples and key learning related to conservation translocation.
“Conservation translocation is key to a sustainable future, and to ensure that we fully achieve the targets set last year, this year’s Forum will not only introduce and define topics, but also underline key strategies and processes for protecting species and ecosystems,” said Prof Philip Seddon, Director of the Postgraduate Wildlife Management Program at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
The first day of the Forum also shed light on varied other aspects of conservation translocation including wildness spectrum, effects of captivity on translocation, genetic screening, and pre-release screening and preparation of founder animals.
Serving as a springboard for experts to connect and share best practices, the global gathering for conservation specialists also saw experts discuss and review the scope of conservation translocation on day two. The main topics of discussion on day two were post-release monitoring and interventions, ecological restoration and rewilding, as well as identifying species and sites for future translocations. The second day of the Forum also brought to focus the topic of poachers to protectors, which aims at engaging local communities in the conservation process.
In addition, day three of the Forum will witness key sessions across varied categories including Key Biodiversity Areas, Drones, and Conservation Medicine. Focusing on the Key Biodiversity Areas will highlight the importance of sites for freshwater, marine and terrestrial species. Similarly, the session on drones will highlight setup, planning and preparation, as well as provide insights on using drones for protected area management. Conservation medicine will entail experts discussing case studies about wildlife diseases, population oncology, and analysing the risks, decisions and consequences of these diseases.
A core segment of the mega event will be exercises, group discussions and key learnings, which will serve as a fundamental element on the last day of the Forum.
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