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Global Conservation Strategy for the Great Apes and Action Plans

Introduction
There is an urgent need for the development and implementation of a global conservation strategy to save all great ape populations within their dynamic and evolving natural eco-systems. Currently, conservation efforts are being made in a piecemeal fashion, where opportunities present themselves and resources are available. Such efforts would have a greater impact if they were seen to be part of a systematic approach to a globally defined problem, while still taking into account local circumstances. Such a global strategy must also be integrated with the development objectives of range states and be sympathetic to the needs of local communities.
The Global Strategy will give cohesion to the existing work of many agencies, organizations and individuals; this will allow resources to be used more effectively and help to identify areas that are currently neglected. The UNEP has shown a leadership in this line by having announced the Special Envoy for the Great Apes and GRASP (the Great Ape Survival Project) in May 2001. Thus, it would not be an insurmountable task to identify what needs to be done to ensure the survival of those ape populations.

Aims and Objectives
The prime purpose of the Global Strategy is to coordinate efforts to halt the decline in great ape populations and to ensure their long-term survival in their natural habitat. Where possible, this should be done in tandem with the sustainable development objectives of the Great Ape Range States. To achieve this aim, the following steps must be taken:

1. At the level of the United Nations
(1) Formulate the concept of the World Heritage Species, apply the concept to the great apes, and officially accept global responsibility for their conservation.
(2) Undertake an investigation into the role of foreign companies in the bushmeat trade and act to protect the great apes from incidental extermination.
(3) Appoint a Special Envoy (SEGA) and National Ambassadors (NAGA) for the Great Apes. The SEGA is responsible for the formulation and implementation of the Global Great Ape Conservation Plan to halt the decline in great ape populations and to ensure their long-term survival in their natural habitat in harmony with a sustainable lifestyle of the local communities. SEGA will liaise with, and coordinate efforts between, Range States, other inter governmental bodies (e.g. CITES, CBD, ITTO, FAO), aid agencies, donor countries, and NGOs with relevant projects in great ape range states. SEGA will achieve this by hosting regular meetings of the NAGAs, other conservation specialists, and scientists to integrate information from all of the range countries and monitor the progress of conservation activities. SEGA will reside in the capital of one of the Range States. In its initial work, a task of the utmost priority is to investigate the role of foreign companies in the bushmeat trade and to act to prevent future involvement.
The NAGA, as an experienced supervisor for conservation residing in each habitat country or area, should help to establish the national Great Ape Survival Plan (GASP) and monitor the implementation of GASP until great apes are protected effectively. This will need to be done with a reasonable budget that is supported by national and international communities.
GASP should include law enforcement, strict prohibition of hunting, eating and trading great apes, monitoring of the current situation of the great apes including land use in their habitat such as firewood collection and agriculture, advice on how to reduce damage by subsistence activities, technical advice on sustainable exploitation of the forest, building sanctuaries that accomodate orphans, and alternative economic plans, such as eco-tourism and use of non-timber forest resources. In particular, GASP should include a powerful campaign and education measures to broadcast that No Eating of Apes to be permitted; No Trade in Apes to be permitted; and No Capturing of Apes, except for their benefit or to protect humans.

2. At the level of the Great Ape Range States
At a National Level:
The government of each Great Ape Range State should develop, adopt and implement a national Great Ape Survival Plan (GASP). The NAGA should work with the government in a range country to establish the national GASP. This would gather and organize the current knowledge of each species' population and distribution, relevant legislation, and other pertinent factors. Where deficiencies are found, research would be undertaken to remedy them within a designated time frame.
Each GASP would seek to:
(1) Determine the current situation and recent trends of each ape population and of all remaining ape habitats. Where this information is lacking, immediate surveys should be undertaken to provide this basic data. The GASP should include maps to show the extent of ape habitat now and in the recent past, with national parks and reserves superimposed. Recommendations should be made to:
- Improve the level of protection of all areas of ape habitat.
- Maximize the area of habitat available to apes (not necessarily in National Parks if multiple uses are possible that are compatible with ape conservation and welfare).
- Reclaim corridors of land between fragmented areas of ape habitat.
(2) Assess the existing national legislation to establish whether it adequately protects great apes and their habitat and recommend revisions or new laws where necessary to achieve the following objectives:
- The hunting, eating, trading and private ownership of apes as well as the destruction of ape habitat should be illegal.
- The harvesting of timber and non-timber forest products, mining of minerals, building of roads and buildings and agricultural development should be permitted in areas of ape habitat only where such activities and their consequences are not detrimental to the survival of the apes.
(3) Assess the level of law enforcement and, where this is inadequate, identify and recommend measures needed to protect great apes and their habitat, for example:
- Where necessary, law enforcement agencies (police, customs, wildlife officers and rangers, etc.) should be given increased manpower, training, equipment and resources.
- Where communities live in or adjacent to ape habitat, measures should be taken to encourage active participation in ape conservation.
(4) Assess the environmental impact on great apes of extractive industries such as logging, mining, and oil exploration. Then, in conjunction with the appropriate government ministries, CEOs of the companies concerned, and development agencies such as the World Bank and the EU, identify ways to mitigate this impact, for example:
- Logging concessions should be awarded for periods longer than the generation time of the tree species being harvested, to encourage long-term planning.
- The awarding of contracts should be contingent upon the activity being ecologically sustainable.
- The workforce of the company should not engage in, nor be nutritionally dependent upon, hunting for bushmeat.
- Access roads should be disabled after use, unless they are part of a planned road network with appropriate measures to control the commercial bushmeat trade.
(5) Encourage the development of sustainable projects to benefit people living in or near great ape habitat, such as eco-tourism based on carefully controlled ape-watching and use of non-timber forest products. Ape-tourism has already been developed with mountain gorillas in DRC and Rwanda and some populations of chimpanzees in Tanzania and Uganda. Apes are seen as an important economic resource that can improve the lives of neighboring communities.

At an International Level
Each Great Ape Range State should:
(1) Develop cooperative efforts with other Range States, in particular where areas of ape habitat are contiguous with similar areas in neighboring countries so that trans-frontier conservation agreements can be implemented. There should be no trade in bushmeat, live infants, or other ape products between countries.
(2) Participate in and cooperate with inter-governmental agreements such as CITES,CBD, ITTO, and FAO. In particular, the range states should support such initiatives as the CITES Bushmeat Working Group and the Lusaka Agreement Task Force for fighting wildlife crime.
(3) Include ape conservation as a key factor in programs funded by multi lateral and national aid agencies. In particular, the government should conduct rigorous and transparent Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) prior to any major development initiatives in or around ape habitats. The NAGA or designated person should be involved in EIA.
(4) Consult with and agree appropriate work plans with all stakeholders, including local communities and relevant NGOs, to ensure that they share ownership of the GASP.

3. At the Level of Donor or Developed Countries
(1) Governments of the developed countries (GODC) such as France, Germany, Japan and Malaysia that have logging companies in the great ape habitats should require these companies to adopt a Code of Conduct designed to minimize the impact of their activities on wildlife. The Code of Conduct should be worked out with the Government of the host country.
(2) GODC should allocate substantial amount of ODA money to support, where needed, the implementation of the GASP by each habitat state and provide support for training and capacity building. It will also be important for GODC to communicate serious concern over great ape conservation to habitat countries when negotiating local ODA plans. Where political will is not forthcoming, ODA should be reassessed and, if necessary, reduced or cancelled.
(3) GODC should financially help the newly formed CITES Bushmeat Working Group to bring the international component of the illegal bushmeat trade under control.
(4) GODC should provide more research funds to encourage field scientists to conduct scientific research on the great apes in various parts of Africa, Borneo and Sumatra. The US has recently passed the Great Ape Conservation Act, which will provide funding for some of the initiatives needed. It has become apparent that the presence of researchers in the field is one of the most effective ways to increase conservation of great apes, in addition to the benefits of gathering vital information on the current conditions of the great apes.
(5) Importers and consumers of tropical timber should ensure that all such timber has been certified by a body such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as being harvested from sustainably managed forests. Timber lacking this certification should be denied import permits.

Budget for Action Plan Expected of UNESCO
1. The Office of the Special Envoy for Great Apes.
The office of the Special Envoy for Great Apes, to be established in the capital city of one of the African range states, such as Libreville, at an annual cost of USD 135,000.
2. The Offices of National Ambassadors.
At least 10 prominent primatologists or conservationists resident or active in the country/region should be appointed as national ambassadors for great apes. Each ambassador should be assisted for residence, office and salary by each habitat country or NGOs. However, ambassador's cost of travel and communication with the SEGA, the fellow NAGAs and UNEP should be provided by the UN. Each NAGA should be provided with USD 10,000 for such cost. The following countries or areas should be considered as sites for the ambassadors.
(1) Far Western Africa (in charge of Senegal, Mali, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia)
(2) Cote d'IVoire (Cote d'IVoire, Ghana, and Nigeria)
(3) Cameroon
(4) Gabon (Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Angola)
(5) Congo (Congo and Central African Republic)
(6) West DRC (left bank and north-west area of right bank of Congo River)
(7) East DRC (north-east area of right bank of Congo River, Eastern part of DRC, and Sudan)
(8) Eastern Africa (Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania)
(9) Sumatra (Indonesia)
(10) Borneo (Indonesia and Malaysia)
3. Annual Funds Requested
Special Envoy
Salary $60,000
Salary for secretary $20,000
Cost for activities $40,000
Office $15,000
Total $135,000
Ambassador (per position)
Travel and communication costs $10,000
Total (=x10) $100,000
Annual Meeting
Travel cost $30,000
Conference rooms, etc. $5,000
Total $35,000

Overall total $270,000

Acknowledgements
We thank the following people for their co-operation and assistance in various forms during various stages of the manuscript preparation: Sally Coxe, Chie Hashimoto, Yasuhiro Inagawa, Shigeru Suzuki, Yuriko Suzuki, and Juichi Yamagiwa.

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