XXXth IUGB Congress and Perdix XIII

The 30th Congress of the International Union of Game Biologists (IUGB) and Perdix XIII was held at the ‘Hotel Juan Carlos I’ in Barcelona, Spain, from 5 to 9 September 2011. The event was organised by the University of Barcelona, the Regional Government of Catalonia Department of Agriculture, Farming, Fish, Food and Environment, the Spanish Institute of Game Resources Research (IREC), and the British Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust. Every two years since the mid–1950s, the International Union of Game Biologists (IUGB) has brought together international wildlife biologists, forestry scientists, veterinarians, game managers, hunters and others with an interest in game or wildlife biology. The IUGB encourages the exchange of scientific and practical knowledge in the field of game and wildlife management, the broad field of game biology, and international co–operation in game and wildlife management. The aim of the conference is to build bridges between scientists, wildlife managers and authorities, and those studying the human dimensions of wildlife management. Following the meetings in Limassol (Cyprus) in 2001 and Braga (Portugal) in 2003, Perdix XIII joined the IUGB Congress series for the third time in its history. Founded in the 1960s, the Perdix series has traditionally attracted partridge, quail and francolin researchers and conservationists from across Europe and North America. To make the Perdix series even more attractive to gamebird biologists, specialists in any Galliform species —whether pheasants, cracids, megapodes or grouse— is welcomed. This joint congress provided a forum to share current developments in gamebird and mammal wildlife research and management, offering an excellent opportunity to identify research gaps, to determine conservation action needs, and to co–ordinate research projects. The congress was attended by 397 researchers and wildlife managers from 37 different countries from the five continents, and included many of the world’s leading wildlife biologists. The general topic was ‘Human–wildlife conflicts and peace-building strategies’. The objective was to summarise the general philosophy of the organising and scientific committees to try to overcome the simple collection of problems derived from human–wildlife interactions by proposing solutions on the basis of scientific knowledge of wildlife and management. A total of 260 contributions were presented. Sixty–eight Perdix XIII communications were related to galliform species (38 oral communications and 30 posters). Additionally, keynote plenary lectures were given by renowned experts, each of whom opened one of the eight main topics of the Conference: – First plenary session: ‘Veterinary aspects of wildlife and conservation’ Bushmeat hunting regulates ebola emergence. Speaker: Dr. Peter D. Walsh – Second plenary session: ‘Species extinctions and population dynamics’ Galliform species and species extinctions: what we know and what we need to know. Speaker: Dr. Philip K. J. McGowan Third plenary session: ‘Wildlife law and policy’ Policy responses to human-wildlife conflicts. A perspective from the convention of migratory species (CMS). Speaker: Dr. Borja Heredia – Fourth plenary session: ‘Conservation and management of migratory species’ Conservation and management of the Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) in Europe: past, present and future. Speaker: Dr. Manel Puigcerver – Fifth plenary session: ‘Wildlife biology, behaviour and game species management’ The Grey partridge in the UK: population status, research, policy and prospects . Speaker: Dr. Nicholas Aebischer – Sixth plenary session: ‘Interactions humans–wildlife’ Managing conflicts between conservation and gamebird management. Speaker: Dr. Steve Redpath – Seventh plenary session: ‘Methodologies, models and techniques’ Molecular genetic tools and techniques for improving management of wildlife and game species. Speaker: Dr. Lisette Waits – Eigth plenary session: ‘Human dimensions of game wildlife management’ Sustainable hunting: an exploration along ecological and social dimensions. Speaker: Dr. John Linnell Of these eight lectures, four were clearly focused on Galliformes species and the others were of general interest to the audience. Six specific workshops were also presented during the Conference, three of which were of particular interest to Perdix attendees: – Sustainable management of migratory birds – what may hunters and game biologists expect from each other?, led by Dr. Yves Lecocq and Dr. Conor O’Gorman. – GALLIPYR: Pyrenean Network for the mountain game fowl, led by Dr. Virginie Fabre ([email protected]) and sponsored by the GALLIPYR INTERREG Project. – Reconciling agricultural management, small game production and biodiversity conservation: recommendations for the CAP reform, led by Drs. J. Viñuela, F. Casas, F. Ros, D. Villanúa, P. Ferreras, J. Torres, I. Leranoz, J. Ardaiz, V. Alzaga, A. Cormenzana and E. Castién. Further information can be found on the Conference web page (www.iugb2011.com) where the final programme, the abstract book (in PDF format), and extended abstracts of some contributions can be downloaded. Some of the most outstanding contributions, selected by the scientific committee of the Conference, are now published in this special issue of the international scientific journal Animal Biodiversity and Conservation. We wish to thank the scientific and organising committees, the sponsors, and the participants for making this meeting such an interesting, friendly and highly valuable event.