Health surveillance for an osprey (Pandion haliaetus) reintroduction project in south of Portugal

Abstract

The magnitude, impact, and escalation of the biodiversity crisis call for strategic conservation actions that can be engaged immediately for short or long-term benefit. Translocations can have powerful effects for species and affected ecosystems; however, these impacts can range from being profoundly beneficial to irreversibly damaging. Conservation translocation is the intentional movement and release of a living organism where the primary objective is a conservation benefit. Systematic reviews will illustrate that such translocations are now increasingly ubiquitous, frequent, and taxonomically diverse. Several lines of evidence will be presented to suggest that conservation translocations may be more successful than they were believed to be 20 years ago. The 2013 IUCN Guidelines for Reintroductions and other Conservation Translocations not only encompass reinforcements and reintroductions within the indigenous range of species, but also ecological replacements and assisted colonization outside of indigenous range. All conservation translocations require careful planning, monitoring, and evaluation across numerous parameters, concerning not only the release candidates but also affected species, ecosystems, and human communities. Dilemmas can arise if best-practice considerations conflict, and the resolution of such issues may not only depend on structured decision making but also upon differences in values or risk tolerance. Conservation translocations will continue to push the boundaries of risk, as assisted colonization becomes more frequent, engineering of novel ecosystems may ensue, and the de-extinction of lost species becomes more likely. Escalating risks need to be weighed carefully and decisions need to be struck cautiously, but the consequences of fearful inaction must also be considered within the global context of escalating extinctions.