8 ASAP Species Conservation Grants awarded in 2021

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8 ASAP Species Conservation Grants awarded in 2021 For the second year running, the ASAP Species Conservation Grants opened for applications in 2021 to support conservation efforts for ASAP species with a focus on species that receive less conservation attention. We received an overwhelming response with over 60 pre-proposals and are excited to share the recipients of the ASAP Species Conservation Grants and their efforts to save 11 ASAP species from the brink of extinction.   Organisation: Yayasan Kolaborasi Inklusi…

IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020 Highlights

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IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020 Highlights The IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020 wrapped up on 11 September 2021. After over a year of delays due to the pandemic, the one week event was held in a hybrid format in Marseille. The event was a chance to bring leaders from government, civil society, indigenous peoples, business, and academia together to brainstorm and tackle conservation issues. While many topics were raised during the Congress, the emphasis on the Green Status of Species…

The fight against Saola extinction: there’s still time if we act now

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The fight against Saola extinction: there’s still time if we act now The IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) has today released a position statement that shows we must act now unless we want to lose Saola forever. It is a call to action for one of the most imperiled mammals on the planet. The beautiful species lives in the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam and Lao PDR. Much of what is known about the elusive creature comes from local people, a…

Latest Red List update means 24 tortoises and freshwater turtles in Southeast Asia are now listed as Critically Endangered

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Latest Red List update means 24 tortoises and freshwater turtles in Southeast Asia are now listed as Critically Endangered The recent update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM saw five freshwater turtles in Southeast Asia newly listed as Critically Endangered. These latest assessments bring the total number of Critically Endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles in the region to 24. In addition, there were seven freshwater fishes newly assessed as being on the brink of extinction. This brings the…

Urgent action needed as 16 freshwater fish in Southeast Asia declared Extinct in latest Red List update

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Urgent action needed as 16 freshwater fish in Southeast Asia declared Extinct in latest Red List update The latest update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, published last week, saw 31 species moved into the globally Extinct category. Among these were 16 freshwater fish from Southeast Asia, a substantial portion of which were endemic to Lake Lanao and its outflow stream in the Philippines. The update also saw 24 species in Southeast Asia newly listed as Critically Endangered,…

First Rapid Action Fund grants made amid COVID-19 impacts

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First Rapid Action Fund grants made amid COVID-19 impacts After recently launching the first ASAP species grant programmes exclusively for ASAP Partners, we are excited to have already been able to award 5 grants under the ASAP Species Rapid Action Fund, addressing urgent conservation needs of ASAP species. Response to the ASAP Species Conservation Grants was overwhelming, with over 50 applications submitted. Only a limited number of projects can be supported, and we will be announcing successful projects in December. …

Bali Myna to benefit from first ASAP emergency grant amid COVID-19 impact

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PRESS RELEASE Bali Myna to benefit from first ASAP emergency grant amid COVID-19 impact The Bali Myna in Indonesia is the first species to benefit from a Rapid Action Fund from the IUCN SSC Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP). The grant will fund critical conservation action for the bird in Bali, Indonesia where COVID-19 has paralysed tourism and impacted conservation efforts. The first grant from ASAP’s Rapid Action Fund, launched in May this year, has been awarded to the Friends…

Another 5 Southeast Asian primates now Critically Endangered

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Another 5 Southeast Asian primates now Critically Endangered The latest update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM sees five Southeast Asian primates newly listed as Critically Endangered. The update brings the total number of ASAP species to 235, with new turtle and fish additions too. Our closest biological relatives, primates, make up the largest proportion of the new ASAP species in the latest update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ in July. Five Southeast Asian species…

ASAP Chair awarded 2020 Blue Planet Prize

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ASAP Chair awarded 2020 Blue Planet Prize   We are delighted that Dr. Simon Stuart, Chair of the ASAP Governing Council, has been awarded the 2020 Blue Planet Prize. The prestigious international environmental award, now in its 29th year, is sponsored by the Asahi Glass Foundation. Every year, two individuals are recognized for their significant contribution to solving global environmental problems. Dr. Stuart was selected out of 127 nominated candidates, and was awarded alongside fellow nominee, Prof. David Tilman. Dr….

Assessing to Plan for Freshwater Fish

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With over 70 Critically Endangered species in Southeast Asia, freshwater fishes are currently the largest group of ASAP species. The fishes include some of the smallest in the world such as Parosphromenus ornaticauda, which is known only from peat swamp forests in Indonesian Borneo. They range in size up to the Mekong Giant Catfish Pangasianodon gigas, the largest freshwater fish in the world, which can grow up to 3 metres long. Fishes are the most often neglected of the ASAP…