Given future projected declines in the Cape Parrot population and the identification of novel threats facing the species, an updated plan building on previous plans and reviews was required to guide future and ongoing conservation efforts. Consequently, the Cape Parrot Action Plan workshop was convened in September 2019, in partnership with the IUCN Species Survival Commission Conservation Planning Specialist Group, with the aim to review the current status and threats to Cape Parrots, and to develop a Conservation Action Plan for the species, setting reasonable and measurable targets for species recovery with the inclusion of all relevant stakeholders. Specifically, the Action Plan Workshop involved 48 stakeholders representing
23 organisations, departments and institutions. The benefits of developing a Cape Parrot Action Plan through a multi-stakeholder workshop are (a) that it facilitates the documentation of coordinated conservation actions required to protect the Cape Parrot and its habitat; and (b) the process engages with a diversity of stakeholders, providing clarity on their roles and responsibilities, and in so doing, fosters an environment of inclusion and shared responsibility for the conservation of the species. Importantly it reinvigorates communities, organisations, institutions, governmental departments, businesses, and individuals to be involved in Cape Parrot conservation.
An open standards approach was used to guide the workshop process. On day one, participants reviewed the species’ status; defined conservation aims; identified threats; and proposed priority conservation strategies surrounding: i) species and research; ii) habitat and landscape; iii) community engagement; and iv) law enforcement and policy development. On day two, working groups prioritised and outlined activities needed to achieve each strategy, including the delineation of timeframes; responsible organisations; and methods to monitor success.