Why “The Year of the Frog”?
30 January 2008
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During the Summit on conservation of amphibians in 2005 organized by IUCN and society of International Nature Conservation (INC), the Program on Conservation of Amphibians (PCA) was also worked out. On this meeting realization of ex-situ aspects of PCA was entrusted to the Captive Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) attached to IUCN and to the Species Survival Commission (SSC).
One year later CBSG, Group of Specialists on Amphibians (GSA) attached to IUCN/SSC and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) worked out a mutual program called “Amphibian Ark” (AA) with the purpose of development, assistance and guidance of short-term measures on protection of species ex situ, which made possible a long-term survival in the wild of the amphibian species for which at present it is impossible to guarantee a sufficient degree of protection in the wild. AA co-ordinates the programs ex-situ, carried out by the partners all over the world, it pays a special attention to the programs in the countries in which certain species occur, and it constantly controls fulfillment of our duty on combining of the conservation measures of species ex situ with the efforts on protection and restoration of species in their natural habitats.
Two years have already passed since the time when the necessity of establishing of AA was realized. Since that time a considerable number of amphibian species was probably lost (possibly, 10 species in a year), and survival of other species remains undecided. Distribution of infection of Archimycetes fungi, because of which now a crisis has burst out, does not stop and does not become weaker, that is why an appeal to action is now urgent as never before. The best solution is to establish “Populations Guaranteeing Species Conservation” in Zoos, but this demands unprecedented efforts and investments. Before this takes place it is necessary to inform the general public.
That is why the year 2008 was announced “The Year of the Frog”, to be able to use in a best way the possibilities which will become available owing to a special attention to amphibians during this year, and to ensure self-sufficiency of the “Populations Guaranteeing Species Conservation” by the way of establishing of a money foundation for this work on protection of nature which will be continues during a long time also after the year 2008.