The First National Congress for the Preservation of Aruban Wild

WildAruba 2008

The overall goal of the Congress is to disseminate information about Aruba wildlife and develop a plan to preserve Aruba’s natural heritage.  The program is to develop a forum in the form of a national meeting (a congress) on Aruba to review the current status of Aruban wildlife, review the main issues concerning its conservation, and develop a conservation action plan.  The conference will focus on all aspects of Aruban wildlife including the marine and terrestrial ecosystems.   The meeting will be in two distinct parts:    

The first part, on August 25 and 26, will be a general symposium of presentations on the current knowledge about and status of Aruban wildlife, the Aruban ecosystems, and the challenges facing conservation on the island.  The symposium will be open to any individual that registers to attend, as well as Aruba wildlife stakeholders including government departmental/ministry representatives, national park representatives, and members from non-governmental conservation organizations.  Appropriate presenters will be solicited for the symposium and a general “call for papers” will be issued to allow other presenters to participate.

The second part, on August 27, 28 and 29, will be a facilitated workshop of the stakeholders of Aruban wildlife and its conservation.  The workshop will focus on developing a prioritized list of the most urgent issues concerning conservation on the island.  This list will then be used as the foundation of an integrated five-year conservation action plan.  The plan will include mutually agreed upon protocols, including organizational and structural elements, that will further define the tasks and responsibilities of the different groups managing wildlife on the island and identify and promote the most effective channels of communication for cooperation.

WildAruba is organized by:

• The ministry of Public Health, Environment, Administrative Affairs and Immigration (Inspection Public Health and the Veterinary Service)

• The Ministry of Labor, Culture and Sports (Department of Agriculture, Husbandry and Fishery)

• The Ministry of Education, Social Affairs and Infrastructure (Department of Infrastructure and Planning, Department of Education)

• Foundation Parke Nacional Arikok

• Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA)

• The Toledo Zoological Society and Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA )

• Participating NGOs include: STIMARUBA, FANAPA (Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance), TURTUGARUBA, and others