Fifteenth Meeting of the Saker Falcon Task Force

The online meeting of the Saker Falcon Task force will finalise documents to be submitted to the CMS Scientific Council ahead of CMS COP15.

The STF mandate comes from CMS Resolution 11.18 (Rev.COP14).

Parties have instructed the STF to:  

a) Actively promote the implementation of the SakerGAP including by continuing to facilitate engagement, communication, cooperation and collaboration between the stakeholders; and coordinate its review;

b) Further develop, refine, and implement, where legally possible, and following best practice, an adaptive management and monitoring framework to improve the present conservation status of the Saker Falcon through, inter alia, regulated, and sustainable use;

c) Promote monitoring and research across the range of Saker Falcon, inter alia to fill information gaps on population size and trend, improve knowledge of the genetic structure of Saker Falcon populations, fill knowledge gaps regarding other key parameters needed for population modelling and contribute new information to any future IUCN global Red List reassessment for the species;

d) Work collaboratively with the CMS Energy Task Force (ETF) to ensure synergies and identify priority areas within the range of the Saker Falcon and promote mitigation measures that could reduce the impact of electrocution from power lines and related energy infrastructure on populations of the Saker Falcon;

e) In collaboration with the CMS ETF and other expert groups, continue to raise awareness of the serious issue of electrocution of Saker Falcon with energy companies and national governments; and

f) Ensure synergies with any relevant work proposed under the CMS Central Asian Flyway Initiative to minimise impacts of energy infrastructure on birds.