4.3.4. Conduct all species reintroductions and other conservation translocations according to IUCN guidelines and other specific guidelines building on the IUCN ones.
Primary tools and resources
IUCN Guidelines on Reintroductions and other Conservation Translocations
These Guidelines define terms and set out guidance on the justification, design, and implementation of any reintroduction or conservation translocation, including (i) reinforcement and reintroduction within a species’ indigenous range, and (ii) conservation introductions, comprising assisted colonisation and ecological replacement, outside a species’ indigenous range. The Guidelines focus on conservation translocations, namely a translocation that yields quantifiable conservation benefit. For this purpose, the beneficiaries should be the population or the ecosystem of the translocated species. Translocation needs rigorous justification. Feasibility assessment should include a balance of the conservation benefits against the costs and risks of both the translocation and alternative conservation actions. There are multiple risks in a translocation, affecting the focal species, their associated communities and ecosystem functions in both source and destination areas; there are also risks around human concerns. Any proposed translocation should have a comprehensive risk assessment.
How to use
- To download the guidelines: https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/10386
- To seek advice on translocations, and for details of training courses, contact the IUCN SSC Conservation Translocation Specialist Group at: https://iucn-ctsg.org/
- A comprehensive set of reintroduction case studies covering a wide range of flora and fauna is included in a series of books Reintroduction Perspectives. These are available to download at: https://iucn-ctsg.org/resources/
Species Recovery Manual for Plants
Botanic Gardens Conservation International and the International Association of Botanic Gardens have jointly published the BGCI and IABG Recovery Manual for Plants to guide projects on plant species recovery. The manual sets out the aims and purpose of species recovery and the steps involved, and indicates good practice. The manual is aimed at conservation practitioners but also includes comprehensive bibliographic references, which enable more in depth reading on the topics covered.
AEWA International Single and Multi-Species Action Planning Format and Guidelines
These guidelines are produced by the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds. The revised version includes Multi-Species Action as well as making AEWA Plans more implementable, accessible, and practical for implementing agencies. The guidelines also recognise the need for activities to be more targeted and aligned with the set objectives and goals.
Other tools and resources
IUCN SSC CPSG Species Conservation Planning Tools Library
The Species Conservation Planning Tools Library is coordinated by the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG) in collaboration with the IUCN SSC Species Conservation Planning Sub-Committee.
The Species Conservation Planning Tools Library is a new resource to connect species conservation practitioners to well-tested planning tools suitable for use in a variety of planning situations. This tools library is intended for use by species conservation experts that seek a practical and accessible reference to the many tools and processes available for designing and implementing a detailed and effective conservation planning approach. This resource will continually respond to the needs of the community and the evolving state of the science in the field of endangered species conservation.
The tools library is the product of a CPSG workshop held in Abruzzi, Italy in 2010. The full report from the workshop is available here.
Guidelines for reintroductions and other conservation translocations
These guidelines are designed to be applicable to the full spectrum of conservation translocations. They are based on principle rather than example and are designed to provide guidance on the justification, design and implementation of any conservation translocation.
