Title
Review of Progress on the Regional Action Plan for the Conservation of Chimpanzees and Gorillas in Western Equatorial Africa. 2013 Update
Author(s)
F. Maisels; G. Abitsi; E. Arnhem; T. Breuer; K. Cameron; C. Cipolletta; B. Curran; D. Greer; H. Ekodeck; A. Feistner; K. Jeffrey; R. Malonga; L. McGilchrist; B. Morgan; N. Nama; T. Nishihara; S. Ratiarison; T. Rayden; R. Parnell; P. Reed; A. Sanders; M. Starkey; R. Starkey; F. Twagirashyaka; H. Vanleeuwe; R. Zanre
Published
2013
Abstract
In 2005, over 70 participants convened at a meeting in Brazzaville, to draw up an Action Plan for western lowland gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla and central chimpanzees Pan troglodytes troglodytes. The participants included most of the conservationists and scientists active in great ape conservation in the region, plus representatives of all of the range states in which these two species occur. After the meeting, other experts who were not able to be physically present at the workshop were also asked to contribute their advice and to review the document. Because of this wide-ranging author and reviewer process, the result was the universally accepted Regional Action plan for the Conservation of Chimpanzees and Gorillas in Western Equatorial Africa (Tutin et al. 2005; Fig. 1).
The Action Plan identified priority areas for the conservation of western lowland gorillas and chimpanzees in the countries which contain all known populations of western lowland gorillas and of central chimpanzees (Figs. 2, 3). These are: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, a small area in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cabinda in Angola.
Priority areas (Fig. 4) were identified as a function of known or inferred population size, surface area, and importance for conservation and sustainable forest management--these last two points were assessed for the Congo Basin during a previous workshop in Libreville in 2000, also assisted by a large number of experts from across the region (Kamdem Toham et al. 2003).
For each priority area, the site-specific threats were listed, and a series of appropriate actions listed to mitigate these threats. Each also had a timeframe, potential partners, and an estimate of the budget needed to achieve the action. An example is provided in Fig. 5. The maximum timeframe was a five-year one, and the Regional Action Plan will soon, therefore, be out of date. Here we review what has, and importantly, what has not been done, to assist the next stage in strategic planning for great ape conservation across the region.
Access Full Text
Back
DMX3867800000