Jul 2006

no. 71 july 2006 bulletin
The bionet* bulletin is published by BioNET-INTERNATIONAL’s Secretariat.
It is available in English, Spanish and French and online @ www.bionet-intl.org.
BioNET is a not-for-profit initiative that promotes taxonomy via capacity building, advocacy and
its affiliated local partnerships (LOOPs) so that all countries can know and
identify their biodiversity and thereby address sustainable
development and conservation priorities.
New Developments
BioNET-PACINET website launch
PACINET, the Pacific LOOP of BioNET, is proud to launch its Website containing news on
taxonomic capacity building projects, ethnobiodiversity and more. The support of the
Pacific Biodiversity Information Forum (PBIF) in implementing and hosting the site is
greatly appreciated. Contact PACINET Coordinator: Dr Gilianne Brodie Email:
gilianne.brodie@jcu.edu.au
BioNET-ANDINONET: Literature donated for Andean biodiversity research
ANDINONET has secured a contribution of a valuable journal, the Boletin de la Sociedad
Aragonesa de Entomología. The Society will donate one copy of each issue to a library in
each of the Andean Community countries, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and
Venezuela. Access to literature is one of the most fundamental impediments to doing
taxonomy, so this donation will become a valuable resource. Contact: ANDINONET
Coordinator: Dr Jose Clavijo Email: pepeclavijoa@gmail.com Links:
http://www.andinonet.org.ve/
BioNET-SAFRINET: South Africa’s Plant Protection Research Institute joins CBOL
PPRI, home to the national and regional coordinators of BioNET-SAFRINET, has joined
the Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL). The decision to join CBOL was taken by
PPRI director, Rami Kfir, following BioNET-SAFRINET’s support as co-organiser of the
first regional DNA barcoding workshop in Cape Town, April 2006. As the number of
taxonomists in South Africa continues to decline, PPRI has a particular interest in
developing barcode approaches to support identification of agricultural and quarantine
pests in South Africa and the region. Contact: Connal Eardley | Gerhard Prinsloo
Access & Benefit Sharing - Good practice guide for academic research on genetic
resources
The Good Practice guide book developed by the Swiss Academy of Sciences, with support
from the Federal Office of the Environment, has been made available online. It targets the
research community in Switzerland but the authors expect it can readily be adapted for
other nations. A website has also been launched, providing supplementary information
including guidance, international policy news, downloads and contacts. Scientists are
invited to post research experiences and case studies regarding genetic resources. The
developers are also interested in testing the “Good Practice” guidance in a research
situation. Email: abs@scnat.ch Links: http://abs.scnat.ch
Access and Benefit Sharing Management Tool – working draft
The International Institute for Sustainable Development, with support from the Swiss State
Secretariat for Economic Affairs, has developed a voluntary tool to help users and
providers of genetic resources to implement the Bonn Guidelines on Access to Genetic
Resources and Fair and Equitable Sharing of the Benefits Arising out of their Utilization,
bionet* bulletin bionet@bionet-intl.org www.bionet-intl.org
In this publication, the registered trademark BioNET-INTERNATIONAL®
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under the Convention on Biological Diversity. The draft is available in English, French and
Spanish and the Project Team invites input and comment. Email: dboyer@iisd.ca Links:
http://www.iisd.org/abs/
Young Professionals’ Platform for Agricultural Research for Development (YPARD)
The newly formed Young Professionals’ Platform for Agricultural Research for
Development (YPARD) held its first strategic planning meeting in Wageningen,
Netherlands, 2-5 May 2006. Formation of the Platform follows discussion of the results of a
stakeholder dialogue at the Annual General Meeting of the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research in Morocco, December 2005. The 70 discussants
concluded that a global platform under the GFAR umbrella would be an important first step
towards addressing the issues of young professionals in ARD. YPARD will officially be
launched on 8 November 2006 during the GFAR triennial conference (9-11 November
2006) in New Delhi, India. BioNET and YPARD are actively exploring opportunities for
collaboration. Contact: Balasubramanian (Bala) Ramani: Email: isc.ypard@gmail.com
New European Commission Action Plan on Biodiversity
On 22nd May 2006 the European Commission adopted a “Communication on Halting the
Loss of Biodiversity by 2010 - and Beyond: Sustaining Ecosystem Services for Human
Well-being”. The Communication spells out what needs to be done to halt biodiversity loss
in the EU and to meet the international commitments to reduce biodiversity loss worldwide.
Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said "We know what needs to be done. The
Communication on halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 will help us pull all the actors
and resources together so that we meet our commitments”. In an important departure
from the past, the Communication provides an EU Action Plan, which specifies concrete
actions and outlines the responsibility of community institutions and Member States in
relation to each. More...
E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation launch
A new Foundation has been named after the highly acclaimed scientist, ant specialist,
conservationist and populariser of the term “biodiversity”, Professor E.O. Wilson. The
Foundation was launched on 22 June 2006 with a mission “...to preserve biological
diversity in the living environment by inventing and implementing business and educational
strategies in the service of conservation.” Its founder President and Chairman is Dr. Jay M.
Short, who comes with a track record in biotechnology-based businesses. For an opinion
on the prospects for the Foundation, see Donat Agosti's Biodivcontext blog. Source:
Taxacom list. Links: http://www.eowilson.org/
South American countries agree scientific integration
On 30th May 2006 Ministers and government officials of 9 South American countries
agreed to work on a programme for the integration of science, technology and innovation
for the period 2006-2010. The Declaration of Buenos Aires was signed in the Argentinean
capital by representatives of MERCOSUR (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) and
the 5 associated states (Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Colombia y Ecuador). Source: SciDev.net
G8 'should help diaspora boost home science'
The G8 countries should create initiatives to help scientists who have emigrated from
developing countries contribute to development in their home countries, say researchers in
Science (16 June). Source: SciDev.net
Blog: Proposed Australian Institute of Taxonomy
Frank Talbot (Blog moderator and past Director, Australian Museum) says “the blog is to
encourage support for an urgently needed increase in taxonomic research in Australia.
Taxonomy defines biodiversity and underpins ecology, conservation, agriculture and
bionet* bulletin bionet@bionet-intl.org www.bionet-intl.org
In this publication, the registered trademark BioNET-INTERNATIONAL®
has been abbreviated for presentational purposes to bionet* but all
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fisheries, biosecurity and bioexploration. Yet there is a serious skill shortage and a lack of
permanent positions”. More...
Pest recognition without the use of scientific keys
PaDIL - Pests and Diseases Image Library “...offers pest recognition without the use of
scientific keys…” using high-quality colour diagnostic images and information on pests and
diseases. PaDIL helps protect against invasive threats to Australia's plant health. Guarding
against pest and disease invasion is a key component of Australia's National Plant Health
Strategy. Rapid recognition of Emergency Plant Pests is critical to ensure appropriate
response strategies are implemented. PaDIL is one tool that can greatly enhance this
process. Links: http://www.padil.gov.au/
South Pacific plant may be missing link in evolution of flowering plants
More… Source: Plant Genetic Resources News from the Pacific
Events | Only newly posted events are listed here. For a full listing, click here.
7-11 August 2006
Bamboo and Rattans Development and Management: Low Cost Training Courses for Field
Staff, Farmers and Artisans. Dehradun, India. Contact: Dr Sas. Biswas, Email:
biswassas@icfre.org | biswassas1@rediffmail.com
20-30 August 2006
Eight Annual Bioecon Conference on “Economic Analysis of Ecology and Biodiversity",
Kings College Cambridge, UK. Contact: Dr Andreas Kontoleon: Email: ak219@cam.ac.uk
More...
4-8 September 2006
Urban Forestry and Landscaping, Dehradun, India. Urban Forestry and Landscaping:
Short Term Training Course, Forest Research Institute. Contact: Dr Sas. Biswas, Email:
biswassas@icfre.org | biswassas1@rediffmail.com
2-27 October 2006
Third Course on Biological Diversity: Studies of Entomological Diversity in Latin America,
Guatemala. Contact: Email: cursobiogeografia@gmail.com More...
9-11 November 2006
GFAR Triennial Conference 2006: "Reorienting Agricultural Research to meet the
Millennium Development Goals". Delhi, India.
Contact: Dr Ajit Maru, Email: gfar2006@fao.org More...
26 November-1 December 2006
II Colombian Congress of Zoology, Santa Marta, Colombia.
More... Contact: Email: iiconzool_fcbog@unal.edu.co
17-22 June 2007
7th Flora Malesiana Symposium 2007, National Herbarium, Leiden, The Netherlands.
More...
Publications
New DNA Barcoding Blog
A new illustrated science blog provides regular commentary on developments and
bionet* bulletin bionet@bionet-intl.org www.bionet-intl.org
In this publication, the registered trademark BioNET-INTERNATIONAL®
has been abbreviated for presentational purposes to bionet* but all
references should be taken to refer to the trademark in full.
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publications related to DNA barcoding as a tool for species identification and discovery.
More information on the DNA barcoding initiative is available at websites for Consortium
for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) and Barcode of Life Database (BOLD).
TaroPest: an identification and information kit for pests
The first beta-version of TaroPest, an identification and information kit for pests (diseases,
insects, nematodes, etc) of taro in the South Pacific is now available. TaroPest is the
product of an ACIAR funded project involving the SPC Plant Protection Service, PNG
National Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection Agency, and the Queensland University of
Technology. TaroPest is aiming to be a one-stop-shop for information concerning regional
pests of taro, with the target audience being quarantine/biosecurity officers, plant
protection workers and field extension officers. While currently web based, TaroPest will
eventually be available on CD-Rom, with printable hard-copy options. The product is free
to access and use. More...Source: Sarlesh Kumar on Plant Genetic Resources News from
the Pacific.
New publications from CABI
* Policy Reform & Adjustment in the Agricultural Sectors of Developed Countries
* Integrated Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health
* Parasitic Flatworms: Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Immunology and Physiology
* Fish Diseases and Disorders, Vol 1: 2nd edition: Protozoan and Metazoan Infections
* WTO Negotiations and Agricultural Trade Liberalization: The Effect of Developed
Countries' Policies on Developing Countries
Email orders@cabi.org
Grants
Training Fellowships for Women Scientists in Sub-Saharan Africa
The Third World Organization for Women in Science. Closing date: 31 July 2006. More...
Vacancies
Two vacancies for Programme Officer positions in the GBIF Secretariat
There are two vacancies for Programme Officer positions in the Global Biodiversity
Information Facility Secretariat in Copenhagen, Denmark:
*Programme Officer for NODES
*Programme Officer for Data Access and Database Interoperability (DADI)
Deadline: 16 July 2006 More...
bionet* bulletin bionet@bionet-intl.org www.bionet-intl.org
In this publication, the registered trademark BioNET-INTERNATIONAL®
has been abbreviated for presentational purposes to bionet* but all
references should be taken to refer to the trademark in full.
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BioNET LOOP contacts
Established LOOPs
LOOPs under
development
ANDINONET
http://www.andinonet.org.ve
Regional Coordinator:
Prof José Clavijo:
clamiche@telcel.net.ve
CARINET
http://carinet.ecoport.org
Regional Coordinator:
Dr Ron Barrow:
carinet@trinidad.net
EAFRINET - profile
Regional Coordinator:
Dr Wanja Kinuthia:
eafrinet@africaonline.co.ke
NAFRINET - profile
Regional Coordinator:
Prof Mohammed Rejdali:
nafrinet@yahoo.fr
SAFRINET
http://safrinet.ecoport.org
Regional Coordinator:
Dr Connal Eardley:
EardleyC@arc.agric.za
LATINET – South America
Southern Cone - profile
Contact Dr Mercedes Lizarralde de
Grosso
ticky@csnat.unt.edu.ar
MesoAmeriNET - profile
Interim Regional Coordinating
Institute: INBio, Costa Rica
Contact Alvaro Herrera:
alherrer@inbio.ac.cr
ASEANET - profile
http://www.aseanet.org
Secretariat:
Dr Soetikno Sastroutomo:
s.soetikno@cabi.org
EASIANET
http://www.easianet.nies.go.jp/hk
Regional Coordinator:
Dr Kevin D. Hyde: kdhyde@hkucc.hku.hk
EuroLOOP
Regional Coordinator:
Dr S. Ulenberg ulenberg@science.uva.nl
PACINET - profile
Regional Coordinator:
Dr Gilianne Brodie
gilianne.brodie@jcu.edu.au
WAFRINET profile
Regional Coordinator:
Dr Braima James: b.james@cgiar.org
NEURASIANET
Interim Regional Coordinators:
Dr Alexander Ryss: nema@zin.ru and
Dr Valery Neronov: mab.ru@relcom.ru
SACNET – South Asia
http://www.biodiversityasia.org/sacnet
Interim Regional Coordinating Institute:
IUCN-Regional Biodiversity Programme,
Asia.
Contact Bhujangarao Dharmaji:
bhujang@sltnet.lk
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In this publication, the registered trademark BioNET-INTERNATIONAL®
has been abbreviated for presentational purposes to bionet* but all
references should be taken to refer to the trademark in full.
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