International Bear Association
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (November 2007) |
The International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA), also known as the International Bear Association, is a non-profit tax-exempt organization open to professional biologists, wildlife managers and others dedicated to the conservation of the world’s eight bear species.
With over 550 members from some 50 countries, the organization supports the scientific management of bears through research and distribution of information and sponsors international conferences on all aspects of bear biology, ecology and management. Many of the conference papers are published as peer-reviewed scientific papers in the journal Ursus, the IBA's annual journal. The association also publishes a quarterly newsletter, International Bear News.
Through the members of the Bear Specialist Group (BSG), the IBA is part of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the Species Survival Commission.
The IUCN lists six of the eight bear species as vulnerable or endangered, and even "least concern" species such as the brown bear are at risk of extirpation in certain countries.
The IBA staged its 18th International Conference on Bear Research and Management in Monterrey, Mexico in November 2007. The 19th International Conference on Bear Research and Management will be held in November 2009 in Tbilisi, Georgia.
[edit] IBA Mission statement
The goal of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) is to promote the conservation and restoration of the world’s bears through science-based research, management and education.
