A Call from the Wild
The newsletter of IUCN Save Our Species and the Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme
“Restoring Ocean Health” was one of the seven main themes at the IUCN World Conservation Congress that came to a close in Marseille last month. The current climate emergency and the future of our oceans are interlinked, as climate change directly affects the oceans’ temperature and pH levels. Changes in water temperature and ocean acidification directly impact the diversity of marine life, and jeopardise the ecosystems which people depend on.
Out of 137 Motions approved during this Congress cycle, 37 related to oceans, 52 to species conservation, and 20 to both oceans and species. Motions approved at Congress are the backbone of IUCN’s decision-making process as they can become Resolutions and Recommendations, which are IUCN’s most effective means of influencing conservation policy. This is why the prominence of oceans at Congress is so significant for the future of species conservation and the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
In order to contribute to the resilience of marine ecosystems and the communities dependent upon them, IUCN Save Our Species is happy to announce that we will be funding a project in 2021 to protect the Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale under our Lacoste x IUCN Save Our Species initiative.
Untangling the Northern Right Whale
Get all the information about the latest project under our Lacoste x IUCN Save Our Species initative. Read more
Accidental capture by fisheries is one of the reasons marine species such as whales and dolphins are rapidly decreasing in numbers. One of the motions voted at Congress aims to implement policies and work with all kinds of stakeholders in order to reduce or eliminate bycatch of marine animals by 2023. Another asks states to reinforce protected areas for the most highly threatened marine mammals. In 2020, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ downgraded the North Atlantic Right Whale from Endangered to Critically Endangered, declaring it was one step closer to extinction. Indeed, warmer sea temperatures are pushing them further north, where they are more exposed to the risks of bycatch.
What if whales disappeared?
Find out how whales affect the entire ecosystem, including humans. Click here
Without significant intervention, the North Atlantic Right Whale could become extinct in our lifetime. It is more apparent than ever that we must do all we can to #KeepNatureStanding. Sincerely,
The IUCN Save Our Species team
The first ever IUCN Save Our Species webinar
Are you interested in hearing our grantees share insights on how their projects improve the lives of their local community? Then join us for our “What Makes Community Livelihoods Work?” webinar on Wednesday, 10 November 2021 at 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM CET. REGISTER NOW!
Our oceans need help
Read the latest IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ update 37% of the world’s sharks and rays now threatened with extinction. Make a difference, donate now.
Missed out on Congress?
Get the inside scoop Find out what IUCN Save Our Species was up to during this year’s IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille.
Latest funding opportunities
Rapid Action Grants As a part of our SOS African Wildlife initiative, co-funded by the European Union, Rapid Action Grants are still available for projects implemented in South Africa and responding to threats linked to the COVID-19 crisis.
Thank you to our partners
About us
IUCN Save Our Species contributes to the long-term survival of threatened species, their habitats and the people who depend on them by supporting civil society organisations. It aims at building the capacity of many of these organisations and communicating about the successes to inspire more people to support this universal cause. This is IUCN's response to the challenges identified by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ mobilising IUCN's unique knowledge and expertise of the members of the Species Survival Commission and its many Specialist Groups.
The Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme (ITHCP) or ‘Tiger Programme‘ is an initiative funded by the German Cooperation via KfW Development Bank, which contributes to the global effort to double tiger numbers in the wild by 2022 by supporting landscape level conservation work benefiting species, communities and habitats. Coordinated actions enhancing conservation skills, developing new livelihoods and improving governance and infrastructure are delivering results in terms of better protected tigers across these landscapes. Visit website
Photography credits Northern Right Whale: Nick Hawkins Tuna: Martin Gil Gallo / CC BY-NC IUCN Congress: Maud Williams