European Species Action Plans

Alexander Kozulin The globally threatened Aquatic Warbler is one of Europe's most endangered birds Zoom In | Hi-Res

Species action plans are widely used in Europe to guide the conservation of the most threatened species. For example, the European Union has adopted 54 Species Action Plans since 1993 for threatened species and subspecies listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive. Since their approval, the implementation of at least 31 species action plans has been formally monitored and reviewed by BirdLife and the information collected in this process was used to update and revise the plans and inform future conservation actions. Action plans are also produced and endorsed by the the Berne Convention, the Convention on Migratory Species and the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Waterbirds (AEWA). BirdLife puts a lot of effort in improving and promoting Species Action Plans and BirdLife Partners play a key role in their implementation

The Species Action Plans (also known as Recovery Plans) are produced in a participatory way by conservationists, scientists, nature managers and relevant stakeholders. The documents use the latest knowledge about the status and threats to the species. Most importantly, they set agreed conservation objectives and a framework of actions that help to focus the conservation efforts and limited resources on the solution of the most important problems. Because they are developed and adopted by international organisations, the action plans set the framework for coordinated actions at the most suitable geographic scale.

The Species Action Plans (SAPs) are conservation documents that :

• provide a framework for action for international treaties, national governments and governmental agencies, NGOs and scientists
• provide an official basis for actions since they are endorsed through intergovernmental agreements
• are a reference for fundraising and for targeting funding by public and private donors

The preparation and implementation of action plans at national level is a responsibility of the national governments arising from the Convention of Biodiversity (CBD). Each country can chose its own flexible mechanism for implementing them at a national level. In some countries they are required by law, in others they are only voluntary. New scientific information comes in every day and our knowledge and understanding of each species may improve significantly over time. Political and economic circumstances may cause changes in threats, meanwhile activities carried out by Governments and NGOs may result in the need to re-define the priority of the actions. Therefore, the action plans should be reviewed and if necessary revised on a regular basis, as part of monitoring and evaluation exercise.

Reports

Review of the Implementation of Species Action Plans for Threatened Birds in the European Union, Final Report (2011)
In 2008-2010 BirdLife helped the European Commission to develop several new species action plans, as well as to review the implementation and revise some of the already working plans. The results of this project are now available in the following report.

• Main text of the report (2011)
• Annex List of species accounts
• Species Accounts produced in 2010
  - Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii
  - Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus
  - Blue chaffinch Fringilla teydea
  - Bonelli’s eagle Aquila fasciata
  - Cinereous vulture Aegypius monachus
  - Dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus
  - Dark-tailed laurel pigeon Columba bollii
  - Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
  - Eleonora’s falcon Falco eleonorae
  - Fea’s Petrel Pterodroma feae
  - Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus
  - Lesser spotted eagle Aquila pomarina
  - Little bustard Tetrax tetrax
  - Madeira laurel pigeon Columba trocaz
  - White-tailed laurel pigeon Columba junoniae
  - Zino’s Petrel Pterodroma madeira
• Species Accounts produced in 2008
  - Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris
  - Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola
  - Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti
• Species Accounts produced in 2009
  - Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis
  - Azores bullfinch Pyrrhula murina