The first Arctic Biodiversity Congress, organized by EAAFP Partner Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) aimed to promote the conservation and sustainable use of Arctic biodiversity through dialogue among scientists, policy-makers, government officials, industry, civil society and indigenous peoples (Programme). The goals of the meetings were to present and discuss the main scientific findings in the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA); to facilitate inter-disciplinary discussion, action and status updates on the ABA recommendations among scientists, government officials, policy makers, traditional knowledge holders, indigenous peoples and industry representatives; to provide scientific, indigenous, policy, NGO, academia and industry audiences the opportunity to collaborate around the themes of the ABA; to advise the Arctic Council’s CAFF on national and international implementation of the ABA recommendations and on development of an ABA Implementation Plan for the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in 2015; to highlight the work of CAFF and the Arctic Council in circumpolar biodiversity conservation and sustainable development; and to mainstream biodiversity and ecosystem services ensuring that the recommendations of the ABA are implemented by not just government, but many organizations and people, and across sectors.
Mr. Spike Millington, Chief Executive of the EAAFP, participated in the congress and co-organised a workshop on the Arctic Migratory Bird Initiative (AMBI). AMBI is one of the main initiatives of CAFF, building on the ABA and was discussed at a session in the Congress and throughout Congress events. It was also the subject of a one day workshop on 5 December to finalize the AMBI plan for submission to the Arctic Council in early January 2015. Spike facilitated the workshop session on the AMBI Plan for EAAF. Evgeny Syroechkovskiy (Russia), Rick Lanctot (USA), Nicola Crockford (Birdlife) and Taej Mundkur (Wetland International) were among EAAFP Partners participating in the workshop. There was a great deal of discussion about prioritizing EAAF among the different flyways used by Arctic breeding migratory birds, since the situation is much worse in EAAF compared to other flyways. One recommendation is to include an AMBI Coordinator for EAAF, potentially based at EAAFP Secretariat. The finalized AMBI Plan will go to the CAFF Board in early February before going to Senior Arctic Officials for approval.
Spike also participated in High-Level Roundtable at Congress, participated in Roundtable on Congress Recommendations, and had discussions with Partners and key persons on such as AMBI, Caring for Coasts to further migratory waterbirds conservation. He discussed with Braulio Dias, the Secretary General of the Convention on Biological Diversity to develop a CBD Notice to all parties to provide information on migratory birds and include this in their NBSAPs.
Related link: http://www.arcticbiodiversity.is/reporting