Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds

1. 
   Ensure that, in principle, hunting legislation affords adequate protection to Lesser White-fronted Goose;
   
2. 
   Ensure that sufficient human and financial resources are allocated for enforcement of hunting legislation, and that these resources are deployed to control and manage hunting effectively and sustainably;
   
3. 
   Ensure that sufficient human and financial resources are allocated for identifying the traditional flyway and stop-over sites, and making that flyway safe for the geese.
   
4. 
   Ban goose hunting at all key sites for Lesser White-fronted Goose (as listed in Annex 3 to this Action Plan) during the period when Lesser White-fronts are usually present, given the difficulty of reliably distinguishing goose species in flight (especially the near impossibility of separating Greater and Lesser White-fronts, even from relatively close range and in good light);
   
5. 
   Plant lure crops to direct Lesser White-fronted Goose away from areas where hunting pressure is known to be high and towards refuge zones;
   
6. 
   As far as possible, redirect hunting from adults to juveniles in areas where Greater White-fronts and Lesser White-fronts occur together away from key sites.
   
7. 
   Implement obligatory training as outlined by the Hunting Charter of the Bern Convention (Nov 2007) for hunters particularly in Eastern European countries.
   
8. 
   Carry out an information campaign to engage local and European hunting organisations and nature protection NGOs.
   
9. 
   Upgrade level of protection from illegal hunting within existing protected areas through training and improved enforcement.
   

These actions are applicable in all Range States, but especially in those countries of the staging and wintering range where hunting pressure is known to be particularly high, e.g. Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Ukraine.

1. 
   Ensure that all key sites for Lesser White-fronted Goose (breeding, staging and wintering) are afforded appropriate protected area status at national and international levels, including classification as Special Protection Areas in EU Member States;
   
2. 
   Ensure that all key sites for Lesser White-fronted Goose have a management plan that addresses the conservation requirements of Lesser White-fronted Goose and that is resourced, implemented, monitored and periodically updated;
   
3. 
   Monitor habitat quality in the breeding range to ensure that any anthropogenic pressures, including the potential impacts of climate change, are identified as early as possible;
   
4. 
   Take measures to restore and/or rehabilitate Lesser White-fronted Goose roosting and feeding habitat in the staging and/or wintering range.
   

These actions are applicable in all of the Range States.

1. 
   Avoid infrastructure development and other sources of human disturbance, including recreation/tourism liable to have an adverse impact on the know core breeding areas;
   
2. 
   Take measures to avoid overgrazing and nest trampling if/where this is known to be a problem;
   
3. 
   Take measures, where feasible, to minimise predation, where this is shown to be a significant limiting factor;
   
4. 
   Take measures to eliminate waterbird hunting on the breeding grounds (Russian Federation and Norway) and in all staging areas close to the breeding grounds (Fennoscandia, Russian Federation).
   

These actions are applicable in the few Range States that share the species’ entire breeding range, namely Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russian Federation.

The Scientific Council’s findings proved controversial and the AEWA Secretariat conducted a series of consultations with the key Range States in 2007 resulting in an agreement between the parties concerned. The conclusions set out in this agreement form the basis of the Single Species Action Plan’s approach to this issue. They are detailed on pages 35-37 and in Annex 10. The following is a summary only of the key points agreed by the parties:

• 
  The main priority for the conservation of the Lesser White-fronted Goose is the preservation of the wild populations breeding in Fennoscandia and Russia and that the work on the SSAP and any decisions should follow the code of transparency and accountability so that they can be subject to scientific scrutiny at any time. Particular attention shall be paid to mortality due to hunting and urgent targeted measures should be implemented to reduce the magnitude of this threat, the success of which shall be promptly and regularly reviewed and evaluated.
  

• 
  An International LWfG Working Group should be established, consisting of governmental representatives of all Range States, who would be free to bring in their own experts and use their support. The group will be chaired by the AEWA Secretariat.
  

• 
  A Committee for LWfG captive breeding, reintroduction and supplementation in Fennoscandia should be established under the auspices of the International Lesser White-fronted Goose Working Group.
  

• 
  The long-term future of all captive breeding programmes will be reviewed by the Committee for LWfG captive breeding, reintroduction and supplementation in Fennoscandia.
  

In the meantime:

• 
  A captive stock of wild Fennoscandian birds should be established, subject to the conclusions of a feasibility study.
  

• 
  The Swedish captive breeding programme should continue as long as it is based on wild birds only.
  

• 
  The current free-flying flock, breeding in Sweden and wintering in the Netherlands, will remain in the wild, subject to genetic screening and refinement.
  

• 
  The implementation of the pilot experimental project of the NGO ‘Aktion Zwerggans’ will be postponed.
  

• 
  A review and evaluation of relevant and published studies on LWfG genetics should be undertaken by an independent expert with adequate scientific expertise and experience.
  

1. 
   Locate sources of possible financial support for further conservation-oriented research;
   
2. 
   Use a combination of satellite tracking and field surveys to locate the key breeding grounds for the bulk of the Western main population;
   
3. 
   Assess the hunting pressure at key sites and identify any factors that may make Lesser White-fronted Geese more vulnerable to being shot than other goose species;
   
4. 
   Use a combination of satellite tracking and field surveys to locate the key breeding, staging and wintering sites for the Fennoscandian population;
   
5. 
   Conduct a Population Viability Assessment (PVA) for the remaining wild Fennoscandian population;
   
6. 
   Use a combination of satellite tracking and field surveys to locate the key staging and wintering grounds for the bulk of the Central Asian population;
   
7. 
   Undertake further field surveys of suitable breeding habitat and staging areas on the Kola Peninsula to update the estimate for the Fennoscandian subpopulation;
   
8. 
   Establish an effective network of coordinated counts in the wintering grounds (or main staging areas if wintering areas are not known), to monitor overall population trends as accurately as possible;
   
9. 
   Evaluate spatial use patterns at the habitat level to identify areas where hunting directly threatens Lesser White-fronts and to direct local conservation efforts (e.g. planting of ‘lure’ crops) to hunting-free refuges and corridors;
   
10. 
    Conduct diet and habitat use studies particularly for LWfG wintering sites
    
11. 
    Continue to refine genetic knowledge and the techniques deployed for genetic assessments;
    
12. 
    Develop a strategy for genetic management of the species both in the wild and in captivity based on previous agreements such as the 2007 AEWA negotiation mission and the findings of the CMS Scientific Council in 2005;
    
13. 
    Assess the current status of key sites for Lesser White-fronted Goose with regard to the species’ ecological requirements, taking into account protected area status, habitat quality, conservation management and active threats.
    
14. 
    Increase knowledge of breeding site fidelity for males and females and exchange with other populations;
    
15. 
    Undertake studies on predation by White-tailed Eagle;
    
16. 
    Investigate the importance of small mammal cycles on reproduction of Lesser White-fronted Goose.
    

These activities apply to all Range States and non-Range States, since international cooperation, including financial and technical support, will not be limited to the countries where additional research is actually conducted.

• 
  AEWA: Azerbaijan, Greece (signatory but entry-into-force is pending ratification), Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan²⁴, Russian Federation, Turkey, Turkmenistan
  
• 
  Bern Convention: Russian Federation
  
• 
  CBD: Iraq
  
• 
  Ramsar Convention: Turkmenistan (joining in Oct 2008)