Experts convene to develop National Forum framework

The National Forum for the Conservation of Arabian Tahr has begun in the capital with the participation of conservationists and Arabian tahr biologists from the UAE, Oman and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN.
The two-day forum, held under the patronage of Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, aims to promote national collaboration towards species conservation through the involvement of relevant institutions on a national level.
The forum is a joint effort between the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Al Bustan Zoological Centre (ABZC), with the support and guidance of the Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW) and facilitated by representatives of IUCN.
The main objectives of the forum are to provide these institutions with an overview of the in- and ex-situ population status within the UAE, and provide a platform to share information and lessons learned in ex-situ species management, including animal husbandry, captive breeding programmes and animal health issues. It also aims to initiate the process of developing a National Population Management Strategy and identifying possible re-introduction sites within the UAE and discussing the issues regarding these sites and the processes to be followed.
Speaking about the forum, Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, EAD's Secretary-General, said, "We are very pleased to see national, regional and international specialists gathering for two days to deliberate on an endemic Arabian species, the Arabian tahr, which is a unique species that occupies a very specialised habitat in the mountains of the UAE and Oman. This uniqueness makes it even more vulnerable to threats such as habitat destruction, hunting, predation and climate change. Through this forum, we hope to develop a framework that will serve as a strong baseline for all efforts towards the conservation of the species in their natural habitat for future generations." Dr. Shaikha Al Dhaheri, EAD's Executive Director, Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector and Chairman of the Arabian tahr Steering Committee, spoke at the forum on the introduction of the Arabian tahr to Sir Bani Yas Island.
The Arabian tahr release on Sir Bani Yas has been termed a Conservation Introduction according to the Guidelines for Reintroductions and Other Conservation Translocations (IUCN, 2013).
"Our overall vision is to restore the Arabian tahr to its suitable habitat within its former range in the mountains of the northern UAE to balance ecological, cultural and heritage values through raising awareness of Arabian tahr by the successful conservation introduction on Sir Bani Yas Island," said Dr. Al Dhaheri.
A breeding population of the Arabian tahr from Sir Bani Yas Island will be used for such re-introduction and release programmes. EAD's education and awareness programmes will support this project with the aim of improving public understanding of this unique species.
Source: WAM