ADVISORY ROLES

THE EARTH CHARTER INTERNATIONAL

Andy Mydellton endorsed the Earth Charter and was the FES delegate to the Earth Charter + 5 Conference at Amsterdam in November 2005. As a result of that conference, FES and the Wildlife Zone have built their programmes and media activities on many of the relevant Earth Charter principles. Raising Awareness of all environmental and wildlife issues is still paramount, although educating the next generation is also vital.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION
(IOC)

The IOC is the United Nations body for ocean science, ocean observatories as well as for ocean data and information exchange. Its mission is to promote international cooperation and to coordinate programmes in research, services and capacity building to learn more about the nature and resources of the oceans and coastal areas. They will apply this knowledge to improve management, sustainable development and protection of the marine environment and decision making processes.

Its main activities include;

  1. the prevention and reduction of the impacts of marine hazards
  2. safeguarding the health of ocean ecosystems
  3. the mitigation of impacts and adaptation to Climate Change and variability
  4. the management procedures and policies leading to the sustainability of coastal and ocean environment and resources

FES members have taken part in UNESCO subject led seminars at the United Nations Palace in Geneva. FES also took part in other meetings which furthered the charity's projects at the headquarters of the International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).

Since then Andy Mydellton has taken part in another seminar at the UN General Assembly in New York and paid a diplomatic visit to the nearby American UNESCO offices.

The Top Predator

Sharks are just one animal which is over hunted. Whales have also been over hunted in the past, along with other animals including tuna, sea cucumbers and many others.

Sharks are the 'hoovers' of the oceans, a top predator which keeps the seas clean from unhealthy, injured, dead and dying animals. Without them in proper numbers, the oceans' food chains and eco-systems will degenerate.

FES and the Wildlife Zone are members of the IOC because they monitor man-made problems which affect the oceans such as climate change, global warming and pollution which is leading to the acidification of the oceans. Habitat pollution could destroy eco-systems and food chains which could lead to another 'mass extinction of the species'.

The link for the IOC is - http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/ioc-oceans/about-us/ .

Andy Mydellton is an 'Ocean Expert' with the IOC and can be traced with this link:-

http://www.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_oe&task=search&orderby=name&field=expert&searchText=andy+mydellton Otherwise go onto the IOC site and type in 'Andy Mydellton'

PARTNERSHIP FOR ACTION AGAINST WILDLIFE CRIME (PAW)

The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime UK (PAW UK) helps statutory and non-government organisations to work together to reduce wildlife crime.

The PAW objectives are to;-:

  1. raise awareness of wildlife legislation and the impacts of wildlife crime
  2. help and advise on wildlife crime and regulatory issues
  3. make sure wildlife crime is tackled effectively

The UK's wildlife crime priorities are set every 2 years. The general wildlife crime priorities are:

  1. badger persecution
  2. bat persecution
  3. illegal trade in CITES species
  4. freshwater pearl mussels
  5. poaching (deer, fish & hare coursing)
  6. raptor persecution
The tiger is a major concern in CITES

FES has been a member of PAW for 15 years because it supports wildlife law enforcement both in the UK and worldwide. FES' policy is that our protective laws must be actively enforced, otherwise they become notional and a wasted opportunity to help wildlife. Enforcement is necessary because some people will always steal things which are valuable; and our natural heritage and wildlife is no exception. FES has helped with CITES, since we went to Geneva and Gland to discuss the most important things in the world. Another major FES input is raising awareness of wildlife legislation and the impact of wildlife crime.

Wildlife crime includes egg theft of rare birds, poaching, illegal hunting, persecution, the ivory trade and the trafficking of live animals as well as body parts of corpses. Global wildlife crime totals billions of pounds every year and is only behind gun running and drug smuggling. One horrible example is that, perversely, when an animal becomes closer to extinction, its price increases due to its rarity; poachers then hunt them with increasing ferocity for even greater financial gain.

FES has given presentations to PAW at their Open Days, and has set up displays in the foyer to raise awareness of mutual aims. FES also distributes police and PAW leaflets, brochures and bric-a-brac.

To get to the PAW website, use the following link;-

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/partnership-for-action-against-wildlife-crime

Please contact: info@ffes.org.uk