Response indicators

Protection and sustainable use of biodiversity in the Management Units for Wildlife Conservation (Umas)

One of the strategies aimed at preserving and making a sustainable use of biodiversity is the System of Management Units for Wildlife Conservation (SUMA, for its acronym in Spanish), implemented in 1997 by Semarnap. Management Units for Wildlife Conservation (Uma) encompass sites such as intensive or extensive farms, zoos, plant nurseries and botanical gardens in which wildlife species are managed. Since their creation, Umas have aimed to provide opportunities for the legal and sustainable utilization of wildlife while promoting alternative production schemes compatible with environmental protection, by means of the rational, orderly and planned use of the renewable resources they harbour, and halting or reversing environmental degradation processes (Semarnat, 2008). The indicator Management Units for Wildlife Conservation (Umas) reflects the government’s efforts to preserve and make sustainable use of the country’s ecosystems and their biodiversity.

Biodiversity rescue at the Centers for Wildlife Conservation and Research (CIVS)

As part of the 1997-2000 Program for Wildlife Conservation and Productive Diversification in the Rural Sector, Centers for Wildlife Conservation and Research (CIVS) were established within the System of Management Units for Wildlife Conservation (SUMA). The centers are responsible, among other functions, for the reception, protection, recovery, reintroduction and relocation of wildlife specimens that have been rescued, voluntarily surrendered or seized by the General Attorney's Office (PGR, for its acronym in Spanish) and the Federal Prosecutor for Environmental Protection (Profepa, for its acronym in Spanish) (Semarnap, 1997; Semarnap-INE, 2000; Profepa, 2008). The indicator Specimens collected by the Centers for Wildlife Conservation and Research (CIVS) and reintroduced into their habitat reflects the aim to reverse the consequences of wildlife extraction.

Priority Species Program

One of the core objectives of the 1997-2000 Program for Wildlife Conservation and Productive Diversification in the Rural Sector was to formulate strategies for the conservation and recovery of Mexican plant and animal species which, according to experts, should be deemed priority species. Some of the criteria for species selection were their risk of extinction, feasibility of recovery and management, and their charismatic, cultural or economic value or interest. The establishment of committees and subcommittees for the Recovery of Priority Species brings together efforts and resources from different sectors and institutions around a particular species or group of species, thus ensuring continuous, long-term operation (Semarnap, 1997; Semarnap-INE, 2000). In this regard, the Number of consolidated subcommittees for the conservation, management and sustainable use of priority species is an indicator of efforts made by the government and various social sectors aimed to the conservation and recovery of those species.