International Conference on the Waterfowl of Northern Eurasia

Katsumi USHIYAMA,
Coordinator of EAAFP Anatidae Working Group

A joint conference of the 5th Conference of the Goose, Swan and Duck Study Group of Northern Eurasia and the 17th Conference of the Goose Specialist Group of IUCN-Species Survival Commission and Wetlands International was held at Salekhard, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Autonomous Okrug, Russia from 30 November to 6 December 2015. 120 people from 16 countries attended the conference.

International Conference on the Waterfowl of Northern Eurasia

? Katsumi Ushiyama

Basic topics of the conference included recent fundamental studies on waterfowl biology, waterfowl and climate change, innovative methods and approaches to waterfowl research and conservation, migrations and flyway approach to the population studies and much more. On the second day, a workshop of the EAAFP Anatidae Working Group was held and 12 speakers gave presentations on the current state of waterfowl populations of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. The program and abstracts of the conference is available from the website (http://onlinereg.ru/Salekhard2015).

Over all, the conference was a great opportunity to grasp an overview of the Anatidae population which is actually geographically continuous from Europe to East Asia. Such view point was highlighted from the findings that some species, such as the recently decreasing Bewick’s Swans and Common Pochard, wintering in Europe and East Asia share the same breeding grounds in Russia. More tracking studies is needed for a better understanding of the migratory connectivity, especially in East Asia and Central Eurasia where less is known, and cooperation between the eastern and western nations is also required for a comprehensive management of Anatidae species.

From the above, the EAAFP Anatidae Working Group has started a discussion for international coorporation for tracking studies and also is starting to contribute to the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) Lesser White-fronted Goose Action Plan in order to have a network of conservation for the entire world population. The conference resolution including these points will be updated in the website in the near future.

International Conference on the Waterfowl of Northern Eurasia

? Katsumi Ushiyama

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