Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Thanks to conservation efforts, a total of 349 iguanas were released from the headstart programme between 1996 and 2017 [ ] 130 Saving the iguana Initial conservation efforts began with the formation of the Jamaican Iguana Research and Conservation Group (re-named in 2006 as the Jamaican Iguana Recovery Group) led by Dr. Peter Vogel and other local stakeholders, with significant support from international partners. Since the rediscovery of the species, conservation efforts have included protection of the core nesting sites in the Portland Bight Protected Area (the largest protected area in Jamai- ca), development of a comprehensive recovery plan for the species and the establishment of a headstart captive facility at the Hope Zoo. In 1993, local and international groups conducted a workshop in Kingston, Jamaica, which led to the development of a Population and Habitat Viability Assessment and comprehensive recovery plan, spon- sored by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The release of headstarted iguanas back into the core nesting area began in 1996, with other conservation activ- ities focusing on securing protection for the Hellshire Hills, recovery efforts for the remaining population and establishing a reintroduced pop- ulation on the Goat Islands. Conservation efforts have been successful, with a total of 349 iguanas being released from the headstart programme between 1996 and 2017. However, major threats to the igua- na’s persistence still exist, including predation from non-native predators, illegal deforestation and charcoal production, and large-scale develop- ment projects. Methods of mitigating the threats have been included in all of the recovery and management plans for the species that are current- ly in place. Ecological restoration in Portland Bight Protected Area The Government of Jamaica/Eu- ropean Union/United Nations Environment Programme Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Project ended in Decem- ber 2013. Building on the project, the National Environment and Planning Agency implemented a number of components to increase the resilience of selected coastal areas against po- tential climate change impacts. Adap- tive management strategies include rehabilitation of mangrove forests, seagrass beds and coral reefs within selected Marine Protected Areas. Mangrove rehabilitation was con- ducted in the Portland Bight Pro- tected Area, which suffered damage to thousands of acres of mangrove trees and blocked tidal channels due to Hurricane Ivan in 2004. After site assessment, interventions included restoration of the hydrology and introduction of nursery-reared man- grove seedlings. The seedlings have responded positively to the interven- tions and the constructed channel continues to fulfil the hydrological demands of the forest, allowing the area to generate its own seedlings. The project has surpassed the perfor- mance criterion of at least one man- grove per 4m 2 over 50 per cent of the area within two years from natural recruitment or active planting. J amaica’s largest terrestrial endemic vertebrate, the Jamaican Iguana (Cyclura collei), was common along the coastal plains and hills of southern Jamaica up until the late 1800s but by 1948, it was considered extinct. Following the rediscovery of the species in 1990, numbers rose again. Today, conservation efforts are as important as ever as the iguana is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss, over-harvesting and the introduction of non-native predators. Jamaican Iguana feeding Bobby Duperrouzel Jamaica