Access information on Multilateral Environmental Agreements

( As adopted at the fourth Session of the Meeting of the Parties, which took place from 15 - 19 September 2008, Antananarivo, Madagascar.)

1.         Field of Application

1.1       The Action Plan is applicable to the populations of migratory waterbirds listed in Table 1 to this Annex (hereafter referred to as"Table 1").

1.2       Table 1 forms an integral part of this Annex. Any reference to this Action Plan includes a reference to Table 1.

2.         Species Conservation

2.1       Legal measures

2.1.1    Parties with populations listed in column A of Table 1 shall provide protection to those populations listed in accordance with Article III, paragraph 2(a), of this Agreement. Such Parties shall in particular and subject to paragraph 2.1.3 below:

            (a)   prohibit the taking of birds and eggs of those populations occurring in their territory;

            (b)   prohibit deliberate disturbance in so far as such disturbance would be significant for the conservation of the population concerned; and

            (c)   prohibit the possession or utilization of, and trade in, birds or eggs of those populations which have been taken in contravention of the prohibitions laid down pursuant to subparagraph (a) above, as well as the possession or utilization of, and trade in, any readily recognizable parts or derivatives of such birds and their eggs.

            By way of exception for those populations listed in Categories2 and 3 in Column A only and which are marked by an asterisk, hunting may continue on a sustainable use basis where hunting of such populations is a long-established cultural practice. This sustainable use shall be conducted within the framework of special provisions of a species action plan at the appropriate international level.

2.1.2    Parties with populations listed in Table 1 shall regulate the taking of birds and eggs of all populations listed in column B of Table 1. The object of such legal measures shall be to maintain or contribute to the restoration of those populations to a favourable conservation status and to ensure, on the basis of the best available knowledge of population dynamics, that any taking or other use is sustainable.  Such legal measures, subject to paragraph 2.1.3 below, shall in particular:

            (a)   prohibit the taking of birds belonging to the populations concerned during their various stages of reproduction and rearing and during their return to their breeding grounds if the taking hasan unfavourable impact on the conservation status of the population concerned;

            (b)   regulate the modes of taking;

            (c)   establish limits on taking, where appropriate, and provide adequate controls to ensure that these limits are observed; and

            (d)   prohibit the possession or utilization of, and trade in, birds and eggs of the populations which have been taken in contravention of any prohibition laid down pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph, as well as the possession or utilization of, and trade in, any readily recognizable parts or derivatives of such birds and their eggs.

2.1.3    Parties may grant exemptions to the prohibitions laid down in paragraphs2.1.1 and 2.1.2, irrespective of the provisions of Article III, paragraph 5, of the Convention, where there is no other satisfactory solution, for the following purposes:

            (a)   to prevent serious damage to crops, water and fisheries;

            (b)   in the interest of airsafety or other overriding public interests;

            (c)   for the purpose of research and education, of re-establishment and for the breeding necessary for these purposes;

            (d)   to permit under strictly supervised conditions, on a selective basis and to a limited extent, the taking and keeping or other judicious use of certain birds in small numbers; and

            (e)   for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or survival of the populations concerned.

            Such exemptions shall be precise as to content and limited in space and time and shall not operate to the detriment of the populations listed in Table 1. Parties shall as soon as possible inform the Agreement secretariat of any exemptions granted pursuant to this provision.

2.2       Single Species Action Plans

2.2.1    Parties shall cooperate with a view to developing and implementing international single species action plans for populations listed in Category 1 of Column A of Table 1 as a priority and for those populations listed with an asterisk in Column A of Table 1. The Agreement secretariat shall coordinate the development, harmonization and implementation of such plans.

2.2.2    Partiesshall prepare and implement nationalsinglespeciesaction plansfor the populationslisted in Column A of Table 1 with a view to improving their overall conservationstatus. Thisaction planshall includespecial provisionsfor those populationsmarked with an asterisk. When appropriate, the problem of accidental killing of birdsby huntersasa result of incorrect identification of thespeciesshould be considered.

2.3       Emergency Measures

            Partiesshall, in close cooperation with each other whenever possible and relevant, develop and implement emergency measuresfor populationslisted in Table 1, when exceptionally unfavourable or endangering conditionsoccur anywhere in the Agreement Area.

2.4     Re-establishments

            Partiesshall exercise the greatest care when re-establishing populationslisted in Table 1 into partsof their traditional range where they no longer exist. Theyshall endeavour to develop and follow a detailed re-establishment plan based on appropriatescientificstudies. Re-establishment plansshould constitute an integral part of national and, where appropriate, internationalsinglespeciesaction plans. A re-establishment planshould include assessment of the impact on the environment andshall be made widely available. Partiesshall inform the Agreementsecretariat, in advance, of all re-establishment programme for populationslisted in Table 1.

2.5       Introductions

2.5.1    Partiesshall, if they consider it necessary, prohibit the introduction of non-nativespeciesof animalsand plantswhich may be detrimental to the populationslisted in Table 1.

2.5.2    Partiesshall, if they consider it necessary, require the taking of appropriate precautionsto avoid the accidental escape of captive birdsbelonging to non-nativespecies.

2.5.3    Partiesshall take measuresto the extent feasible and appropriate, including taking, to ensure that when non-nativespeciesor hybridsthereof have already been introduced into their territory, thosespeciesor their hybridsdo not pose a potential hazard to the populationslisted in Table 1.

3.           Habitat Conservation

3.1       Habitat Inventories

3.1.1    Parties, in liaison where appropriate with competent international organizations,shall undertake and publish national inventoriesof the habitatswithin their territory which are important to the populationslisted in Table 1.

3.1.2    Partiesshall endeavour, asa matter of priority, to identify allsitesof international or national importance for populationslisted in Table 1.

3.2       Conservation of Areas

3.2.1    Partiesshall endeavour to continue establishing protected areasto conserve habitatsimportant for the populationslisted in Table 1, and to develop and implement management plansfor these areas.

3.2.2    Partiesshall endeavour to givespecial protection to those wetlandswhich meet internationally accepted criteria of international importance.

3.2.3    Partiesshall endeavour to make wise and sustainable use of all of the wetlandsin their territory. In particular they shall endeavour to avoid degradation and lossof habitatsthat support populationslisted in Table 1 through the introduction of appropriate regulationsor standardsand control measures. In particular, they shall endeavour to:

            (a)  ensure, where practicable, that adequatestatutory controlsare in place, relating to the use of agricultural chemicals, pest control proceduresand the disposal of waste water, which are in accordance with international norms, for the purpose of minimizing their adverse impactson the populationslisted in Table 1; and

            (b)   prepare and distribute information materials, in the appropriate languages, describingsuch regulations,standardsand control measuresin force and their benefitsto people and wildlife.

3.2.4    Partiesshall endeavour to developstrategies, according to an ecosystem approach, for the conservation of the habitatsof all populationslisted in Table 1, including the habitatsof those populationsthat are dispersed.

3.3       Rehabilitation and Restoration

            Partiesshall endeavour to rehabilitate or restore, where feasible and appropriate, areaswhich were previously important for the populationslisted in Table 1.

4.         Management of Human Activities

4.1       Hunting

4.1.1    Partiesshall cooperate to ensure that their hunting legislation implementsthe principle ofsustainable use asenvisaged in thisAction Plan, taking into account the full geographical range of the waterbird populationsconcerned and their life history characteristics.

4.1.2        The Agreementsecretariatshall be kept informed by the Partiesof their legislation relating to the hunting of populationslisted in Table 1.

4.1.3    Partiesshall cooperate with a view to developing a reliable and harmonizedsystem for the collection of harvest data in order to assessthe annual harvest of populationslisted in Table 1. Theyshall provide the Agreementsecretariat with estimatesof the total annual take for each population, when available.

4.1.4    Partiesshall endeavour to phase out the use of leadshot for hunting in wetlandsassoon aspossible in accordance withself-imposed and published timetables.

4.1.5    Partiesshall develop and implement measuresto reduce, and asfar aspossible eliminate, the use of poisoned baits.

4.1.6    Partiesshall develop and implement measuresto reduce, and asfar aspossible eliminate, illegal taking.

4.1.7    Where appropriate, Partiesshall encourage hunters, at local, national and international levels, to form clubsor organizationsto coordinate their activitiesand to help ensuresustainability.

4.1.8    Partiesshall, where appropriate, promote the requirement of a proficiency test for hunters, including among other things, bird identification.

4.2       Eco-tourism

4.2.1    Partiesshall encourage, where appropriate but not in the case of core zonesof protected areas, the elaboration of cooperative programmesbetween all concerned to developsensitive and appropriate eco-tourism at wetlandsholding concentrationsof populationslisted in Table 1.

4.2.2    Parties, in cooperation with competent international organisations,shall endeavour to evaluate the costs, benefitsand other consequencesthat can result from eco-tourism atselected wetlandswith concentrationsof populationslisted in Table 1. Theyshall communicate the resultsof anysuch evaluationsto the Agreementsecretariat.

4.3       Other Human Activities

4.3.1    Partiesshall assessthe impact of proposed projectswhich are likely to lead to conflictsbetween populationslisted in Table 1 that are in the areasreferred to in paragraph 3.2 and human interests, andshall make the resultsof the assessment publicly available.

4.3.2    Partiesshall endeavour to gather information on the damage, in particular to cropsand to fisheries, caused by populationslisted in Table 1, and report the resultsto the Agreementsecretariat.

4.3.3        Partiesshall cooperate with a view to identifying appropriate techniquesto minimize damage, or to mitigate the effectsof damage, in particular to cropsand to fisheries, caused by populationslisted in Table 1, drawing on the experience gained elsewhere in the world.

4.3.4    Partiesshall cooperate with a view to developingsinglespeciesaction plansfor populationswhich causesignificant damage, in particular to cropsand to fisheries. The Agreementsecretariatshall coordinate the development and harmonization ofsuch plans.

4.3.5    Partiesshall, asfar aspossible, promote high environmentalstandardsin the planning and construction ofstructuresto minimize their impact on populationslisted in Table 1. Theyshould considerstepsto minimize the impact ofstructuresalready in existence where it becomesevident that they constitute a negative impact for the populationsconcerned.

4.3.6    In caseswhere human disturbance threatensthe conservation statusof waterbird populationslisted in Table 1, Partiesshould endeavour to take measuresto limit the level of threat. Special attention should be given to problem of human disturbance at breeding coloniesof colonially-nesting waterbirds, especially when they are situated in the areaswhich are popular for outdoor recreation. Appropriate measuresmight include, inter alia, the establishment of disturbance-free zones in protected areas where public access is not permitted.

4.3.7    Parties are urged to take appropriate actionsnationally or through the framework of Regional FisheriesManagement Organisations(RFMOs) and relevant international organisationsto minimise the impact of fisheries[1] on migratory waterbirds, and where possible cooperate within these forums, in order to decrease the mortality in areas within and beyond national jurisdiction; appropriate measuresshall especially address incidental killing and bycatch in fishing gear including the use of gill nets, longlines and trawling.

4.3.8    Parties are also urged to take appropriate actionsnationally or through the framework of Regional FisheriesManagement Organisations(RFMOs) and relevant international organisationsto minimise the impact of fisherieson migratory waterbirdsresulting in particular from unsustainable fishing that causesdepletion of food resourcesfor migratory waterbirds.

4.3.9    Partiesshall establish and effectively enforce adequatestatutory pollution controlsin accordance with international normsand legal agreements, particularly asrelated to oilspills, discharge and dumping ofsolid wastes, for the purpose of minimizing their impactson the populationslisted in Table 1.

4.3.10 Partiesshall establish appropriate measures, ideally to eliminate or otherwise to mitigate the threat from non-native terrestrial predatorsto breeding migratory waterbirdson islandsand islets. Measuresshould refer to contingency planning to prevent invasion, emergency responsesto remove introduced predators, and restoration programmesfor islandswhere predator populationsare already established.

4.3.11  Parties are urged to establish appropriate measuresto tackle threatsto migratory waterbirdsfrom aquaculture, including environmental assessment for developmentsthat threaten wetlandsof importance for waterbirds, especially when dealing with new or enlargement of existing installations, and involving issuessuch aspollution (e.g. from residuesof pharmaceutical treatmentsused in aquaculture or eutrophication), habitat loss, entanglement risks, and introduction of non-native and potentially invasive species.”

5.         Research and Monitoring

5.1       Partiesshall endeavour to carry outsurvey work in poorly known areas, which may hold important concentrationsof the populationslisted in Table 1. The resultsofsuchsurveysshall be disseminated widely.

5.2       Partiesshall endeavour to monitor the populationslisted in Table 1. The resultsofsuch monitoringshall be published orsent to appropriate international organizations, to enable reviewsof populationstatusand trends.

5.3       Partiesshall cooperate to improve the measurement of bird population trendsasa criterion for describing thestatusofsuch populations.

5.4       Partiesshall cooperate with a view to determining the migration routesof all populationslisted in Table 1, using available knowledge of breeding and non-breedingseason distributionsand censusresults, and by participating in coordinated ringing programmes.

5.5       Partiesshall endeavour to initiate andsupport joint research projectsinto the ecology and population dynamicsof populationslisted in Table 1 and their habitats, in order to determine theirspecific requirementsaswell asthe techniqueswhich are the most appropriate for their conservation and management.

5.6       Partiesshall endeavour to undertakestudieson the effectsof wetland lossand degradation and disturbance on the carrying capacity of wetlandsused by the populationslisted in Table 1 and on the migration patternsofsuch populations.

5.7       Partiesshall endeavour to undertakestudieson the impact of hunting and trade on the populationslisted in Table 1 and on the importance of these formsof utilization to the local and national economy.

5.8       Partiesshall endeavour to cooperate with relevant international organisationsand tosupport research and monitoring projects.

6.         Education and Information

6.1       Partiesshall, where necessary, arrange for training programmesto ensure that personnel responsible for the implementation of thisAction Plan have an adequate knowledge to implement it effectively.

6.2       Partiesshall cooperate with each other and the Agreementsecretariat with a view to developing training programmesand exchanging resource materials.

6.3       Partiesshall endeavour to develop programmes, information materialsand mechanismsto improve the level of awarenessof the general public with regard to the objectives, provisionsand contentsof thisAction Plan. In thisregard, particular attentionshall be given to those people living in and around important wetlands, to usersof these wetlands(hunters, fishermen, tourists, etc.) and to local authoritiesand other decision makers.

6.4       Partiesshall endeavour to undertakespecific public awarenesscampaignsfor the conservation of the populationslisted in Table 1.

7.               Implementation

7.1       When implementing thisAction Plan, Partiesshall, when appropriate, give priority to those populationslisted in Column A of Table 1.

7.2       Where, in the case of populationslisted in Table 1, more than one population of thesamespeciesoccurson the territory of a Party, that Partyshall apply conservation measuresappropriate to the population or populationsthat have the poorest conservationstatus.

7.3       The Agreement secretariat, in coordination with the Technical Committee and with the assistance of expertsfrom Range States, shall coordinate the development of conservation guidelinesin accordance with Article IV, paragraph 4, of thisAgreement to assist the Partiesin the implementation of thisAction Plan. The Agreement secretariat shall ensure, where possible, coherence with guidelinesapproved under other international instruments. These conservation guidelinesshall aim at introducing the principle of sustainable use. They shall cover, inter alia:

            (a)  singlespeciesaction plans;

            (b)   emergency measures;

            (c)   preparation ofsite inventoriesand habitat management methods;

            (d)   hunting practices;

            (e)   trade in waterbirds;

            (f)   tourism;

            (g)   reducing crop damage; and

            (h)   a waterbird monitoring protocol.

7.4       The Agreementsecretariat, in coordination with the Technical Committee and the Parties,shall prepare aseriesof international reviewsnecessary for the implementation of thisAction Plan, including:

            (a)   reportson thestatusand trendsof populations;

            (b)   gapsin information fromsurveys;

            (c)   the networksofsitesused by each population, including reviewsof the protectionstatusof eachsite aswell asof the management measurestaken in each case;

            (d)   pertinent hunting and trade legislation in each country relating to thespecieslisted in Annex 2 to thisAgreement;

            (e)   thestage of preparation and implementation ofsinglespeciesaction plans;

            (f)   re-establishment projects; and

            (g)   thestatusof introduced non-native waterbirdspeciesand hybridsthereof.

7.5       The Agreementsecretariatshall endeavour to ensure that the reviewsmentioned in paragraph 7.4 are updated at the following intervals:

(a) – everysession of the Meeting of the Parties; (b) – everysecondsession of the Meeting of the Parties; (c) – everysecondsession of the Meeting of the Parties; (d) – every thirdsession of the Meeting of the Parties; (e) – everysecondsession of the Meeting of the Parties; (f) – every thirdsession of the Meeting of the Parties; (g) - everysecondsession of the Meeting of the Parties.

7.6       The Technical Committeeshall assessthe guidelinesand reviewsprepared under paragraphs7.3 and 7.4, andshall formulate draft recommendationsand resolutionsrelating to their development, content and implementation for consideration atsessionsof theMeetingof the Parties.

7.7       The Agreementsecretariatshall regularly undertake a review of potential mechanismsfor providing additional resources(fundsand technical assistance) for the implementation of thisAction Plan, andshall make a report to each ordinarysession of theMeetingof the Parties.

Table 1a/

STATUS OF THE POPULATIONS OF MIGRATORY WATERBIRDS

KEY TO CLASSIFICATION

The following key to Table 1 isa basisfor implementation of the Action Plan:

Table 1a/

STATUS OF THE POPULATIONS OF MIGRATORY WATERBIRDS

KEY TO CLASSIFICATION

The following key to Table 1 isa basisfor implementation of the Action Plan:

Column A

Category 1:   (a)    Species, which are included in Appendix I to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratoryspeciesof Wild Animals;

  (b)    Species, which are listed asthreatened on the IUCN Red list of Threatened Species, asreported in the most recentsummary by BirdLife International; or

                     (c)    Populations, which number lessthan around 10,000 individuals.

Category 2:   Populations numbering between around 10,000 and around 25,000 individuals.

Category 3:   Populationsnumbering between around 25,000 and around 100,000 individualsand

  considered to be at risk asa result of:

                     (a)    Concentration onto asmall number ofsitesat anystage of their annual cycle;

                     (b)    Dependence on a habitat type, which isundersevere threat;

                     (c)    Showingsignificant long-term decline; or

                     (d)    Showing extreme fluctuationsin populationsize or trend.

Forspecieslisted in categories2 and 3 above,see paragraph 2.1.1 of the Action Plan contained in Annex 3 to the Agreement.

Column B

Category 1:   Populationsnumbering between around 25,000 and around 100,000 individualsand

  which do not fulfil the conditionsin respect of column A, asdescribed above.

Category 2:   Populationsnumbering more than around 100,000 individualsand considered to be in need ofspecial attention asa result of:

                     (a)    Concentration onto asmall number ofsitesat anystage of their annual cycle;

                     (b)    Dependence on a habitat type, which isundersevere threat;

                     (c)    Showingsignificant long-term decline; or

                     (d)    Showing extreme fluctuationsin populationsize or trend.

Column C

Category 1:   Populationsnumbering more than around 100,000 individualswhich could

  significantly benefit from international cooperation and which do not fulfil the

  conditions in respect of either column A or column B, above.

REVIEW OF TABLE 1

The Tableshall be:

(a)    Reviewed regularly by the Technical Committee in accordance with article VII, paragraph 3(b), of the Agreement; and

(b)    Amended asnecessary by the Meeting of the Parties, in accordance with article VI, paragraph 9(d) of the Agreement, in light of the conclusionsofsuch reviews.

DEFINITION OF GEOGRAPHICAL TERMS USED IN RANGE DESCRIPTIONS*

North Africa               Algeria,Egypt, the Libyan ArabJamahiriya,Morocco,Tunisia.

West Africa                 Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo.

Eastern Africa            Burundi,Djibouti,Eritrea,Ethiopia,Kenya,Rwanda,Somalia,Sudan,Uganda, the UnitedRepublicofTanzania.

North-west Africa       Morocco,AlgeriaandTunisia.

North-east Africa       Djibouti,Egypt,Eritrea,Ethiopia,Somalia,Sudan.

Southern Africa          Angola,Botswana,Lesotho,Malawi,Mozambique,Namibia,South Africa,Swaziland,Zambia,Zimbabwe.

Central Africa             Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe.

Sub-Saharan Africa     All Africanstatessouth of theSahara.

Tropical Africa            Sub-Saharan Africa excludingLesotho,Namibia,South AfricaandSwaziland.

Western Palearctic       As defined in Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (Cramp & Simmons 1977).

North-west Europe      Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Western Europe           North-west Europe withPortugalandSpain.

North-east Europe        The northern part of theRussian Federationwest of the Urals.

North Europe              North-west Europe andNorth-east Europe, asdefined above.

Eastern Europe           Belarus, theRussian Federationwest of the Urals,Ukraine.

Central Europe            Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Poland, the Russian Federation around the Gulf of Finland and Kaliningrad, Slovakia, Switzerland.

South-west Europe                                             France,Italy,Malta,Monaco,Portugal,San Marino,Spain.

South-east Europe       Albania, Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, FYR Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey.

South Europe              South-west Europe andSouth-east Europe, as defined above.

North Atlantic             Faroes,Greenland,Iceland,Ireland,Norway, the north-west coast of theRussian Federation,Svalbard, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

East Atlantic                Atlanticseaboard of Europe and North Africa from northernNorwaytoMorocco.

Western Siberia           The Russian Federation east of the Uralsto theYeniseyRiverandsouth to theKazakhstanborder.

Central Siberia             The Russian Federation from theYeniseyRiverto the eastern boundary of the Taimyr Peninsula andsouth to theAltai Mountains.

West Mediterranean   Algeria,France,Italy,Malta,Monaco,Morocco,Portugal,San Marino,Spain,Tunisia.

East Mediterranean      Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, the Syrian Arab Republic, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey.

Black Sea                   Armenia,Bulgaria,Georgia,RepublicofMoldova,Romania, theRussian Federation,Turkey,Ukraine.

Caspian                      Azerbaijan, IslamicRepublicofIran,Kazakhstan, South-westRussia,Turkmenistan,Uzbekistan.

South-west Asia          Bahrain, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic, eastern Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen.

Gulf                            the Persian Gulf,GulfofOmanand Arabian Sea west to theGulf of Aden.

Western Asia               Western partsof theRussian Federationeast of the Uralsand the Caspian countries.

Central Asia               Afghanistan,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan,Turkmenistan,Uzbekistan.

Southern Asia             Bangladesh,Bhutan,India,Maldives,Nepal,Pakistan,Sri Lanka.

Indian Ocean              Comoros,Madagascar,Mauritius,Seychelles.

KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS

bre:    breeding                                     win:     wintering

N:      Northern                                    E:         Eastern

S:       Southern                                    W:        Western

NE:    North-eastern                             NW:     North-western

SE:     South-eastern                             SW:      South-western

():      Populationstatusunknown. Conservationstatusestimated.

*:       By way of exception for those populationsmarked by an asterisk, hunting may continue on asustainable use basiswhere hunting ofsuch populationsisa long-established cultural practice (see paragraph 2.1.1 of Annex 3 to the Agreement).

NOTES

1. The population data used to compile Table 1 asfar aspossible correspond to the number of individualsin the potential breedingstock in the Agreement area. Thestatusisbased on the best available published population estimates.

1. Suffixes(bre) or (win) in population listingsaresolely aidsto population identification. They do not indicateseasonal restrictionsto actionsin respect of these populationsunder the Agreement and Action Plan.

1. The brief descriptionsused to identify the populationsare based on the descriptionsused in the fourth edition of Waterbird Population Estimates and the Handbook of the Birds of the World.

1. Slashsigns(/) are used toseparate breeding areasfrom wintering areas.

1. Where aspecies’ population islisted in Table 1 with multiple categorisations, the obligationsof the Action Plan relate to thestrictest category listed.