Abstract
Conservation translocation is the movement of species by people for conservation purposes.
In the last few decades the numbers of reintroductions and other types of conservation
translocations in the UK and internationally have increased rapidly.
Often they are biologically and socially complex projects, requiring a range of multidisciplinary
and interdisciplinary expertise to ensure they are done well, and to give the species concerned
the best chance of surviving and thriving into the long term.
The increasing impact of climate and other environmental change has implications for how
such projects are designed, but conservation translocations can also be used to mitigate such
impacts.
During late 2023 a Churchill Fellowship research project was carried out in SW Canada, SE
Australia and SW Australia where a range of diverse, creative translocation projects have taken
place, and are taking place. This study involved a combination of desk-based research, meetings,
interviews, workshop sessions, conference attendance, field trips and visits to zoos, botanic
gardens and other facilities. The aims of this research were:
• To find out how general attitudes and practice relating to conservation translocation are
changing, and how this can influence strategic thinking
• To find out how conservation translocations are increasingly being used to help restore
ecosystems, in addition to improving the conservation status of individual species
• To find out how environmental change, in particular climate change and disease
transmission, is influencing conservation translocation work
• To find out how the value of genetic and genomic tools are increasingly recognised and
being applied in conservation translocations
• To find out how the importance of community and other stakeholder engagement is
being recognised, and the associated socio-economic risks and opportunities arising
from conservation translocations
• To collate these findings, identify lessons and applications in the UK context, and to
communicate this to policy makers, practitioners, academics and the wider public with a
view to influencing how we might improve the approaches we apply here and achieve
better conservation outcomes
In the last few decades the numbers of reintroductions and other types of conservation
translocations in the UK and internationally have increased rapidly.
Often they are biologically and socially complex projects, requiring a range of multidisciplinary
and interdisciplinary expertise to ensure they are done well, and to give the species concerned
the best chance of surviving and thriving into the long term.
The increasing impact of climate and other environmental change has implications for how
such projects are designed, but conservation translocations can also be used to mitigate such
impacts.
During late 2023 a Churchill Fellowship research project was carried out in SW Canada, SE
Australia and SW Australia where a range of diverse, creative translocation projects have taken
place, and are taking place. This study involved a combination of desk-based research, meetings,
interviews, workshop sessions, conference attendance, field trips and visits to zoos, botanic
gardens and other facilities. The aims of this research were:
• To find out how general attitudes and practice relating to conservation translocation are
changing, and how this can influence strategic thinking
• To find out how conservation translocations are increasingly being used to help restore
ecosystems, in addition to improving the conservation status of individual species
• To find out how environmental change, in particular climate change and disease
transmission, is influencing conservation translocation work
• To find out how the value of genetic and genomic tools are increasingly recognised and
being applied in conservation translocations
• To find out how the importance of community and other stakeholder engagement is
being recognised, and the associated socio-economic risks and opportunities arising
from conservation translocations
• To collate these findings, identify lessons and applications in the UK context, and to
communicate this to policy makers, practitioners, academics and the wider public with a
view to influencing how we might improve the approaches we apply here and achieve
better conservation outcomes
Original language | English |
---|---|
Number of pages | 51 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781838441357 |
Publication status | Published - 30 Aug 2024 |
Keywords
- Conservation translocation
- Reintroduction
- Climate change
- Assisted colonisation
- Reinforcement
- Nature conservation policy
- Ecosystem restoration