Meeting IMCG / IPS
November 2, 2003 Amsterdam, Netherlands

This year the annual meeting between the IMCG and the International Peat Society took place in Amsterdam on November 2. For IMCG Jan Sliva, Michael Trepel, Piet-Louis Grundling, Hans Joosten, Andrej Sirin, Tatiana Minaeva, Faizal Parish, and Tang Yiew Chee were attending. IPS was represented by Gerry Hood, Jean-Yves Daigle, Donal Clarke, Jack Rieley, Markku Mäkelä, Raimo Sopo, Gerfried Caspers, Tomasz Brandyk, and Magnus Brandel.

With respect to the marketing of The Wise Use of Mires and Peatlands book (WUMP) we discussed the sales and costs to date. Some questions remained to be discussed between the IMCG and the IPS secretariat. It was agreed that the surplus funds would be split 50/50 between the two organisations. It was suggested that additional steps could be taken to sell the book, using the flyer drafted by Stuart Brooks, by addressing university libraries. IMCG wished to ensure a copy of the book would be sent to each country’s National Library as this would make it widely available. It was agreed this would be done from residual stocks as soon as the agreement with NHBS permitted. Furthermore we agreed that we should monitor the impact of the Wise Use project by preparing a report on what had happened by November 2005 with an interim review as of November 2004. In anticipation of the review, actions should be taken to encourage the use of the Wise Use framework in practice, e.g. by holding of seminars for land-use planners. Reports were given on actions already taken in Finland, Ireland, and Canada to promote the book among decision-makers. Projects under way in S.E. Asia were cited as current examples of action being taken. A number of suggestions were made for ways of translating the theoretical framework of the book into more user-friendly formats, such as the development of training modules. It was noted that the Wise Use Statement summarised the essence of the book for lay readers. It was suggested that a simpler document (“Wise use for children and ministers”) would be useful.

The meeting of the Ramsar Co-ordinating Committee for Global Action on Peatlands for 5 and 6 November 2003 in Wageningen was discussed. Several speakers held the view that the Ramsar bureau was seeking to downgrade peatlands and water down the Global Action Plan as they did not feel it had the resources to support the Plan. It appeared that the Ramsar bureau wished to transfer responsibility for implementing the Plan to the IPS and the IMCG whereas Resolution VIII.17 clearly assigned this responsibility to contracting parties.

A list of actions taken by the IPS and the IMCG consistent with the GAP was presented. It was agreed that IPS and IMCG would seek co-chairing of the Co-ordinating Committee. It was further agreed that IPS and IMCG would co-operate as far as possible in providing information and technical assistance towards the implementation of the GAP.

The meeting of the Global Peatland Initiative (GPI) scheduled for 3 November 2003 in Amsterdam was prepared. It was noted that the funding for GPI had hitherto been provided by the Dutch Government, but that the latter had not accepted projects for funding beyond 31/12/2003. Many speakers agreed that the GPI concept was a good one, but that it had hitherto functioned as a funding mechanism rather than an initiative. It was agreed that IMCG and IPS would continue to co-operate with the GPI for the time being.

Some discussion took place on the Certification of peat and peatlands. An internal IPS document had been circulated before the meeting to illustrate one possible shape of a certification system. It was noted that the peat industries in Canada and Finland were examining different forms of certification or labelling, and the idea was also under study in Russia. A presentation was made on a process for agreeing indicators and criteria which could be used in a certification system. The meeting was informed that the question would be discussed by the industrial member of the IPS at a Commission II meeting on Monday 3 November 2003.

There was no IPS consensus on the matter. Some industrial members were inclined to favour some form of licensing or labelling, others were agnostic or disinclined. The IMCG had not, either, come to any view on the matter. IMCG expressed the view that IMCG and IPS would likely approach the issue differently. The aim for peat producers would be to find an instrument for the protection of peat use and commerce and the IPS would thus be inclined to develop a “good versus bad” system of certification. IMCG would see the issue as labelling peat as “bad, worse, and worst”. If a system might get rid of the worst things first then perhaps IMCG members might consider it. IMCG considered that certification/ labelling was primarily a matter for peat producers, who should agree among themselves if they think it is something worth pursuing and if so why they would do it.

It was agreed that the issue would be pursued by IPS Commission II and that the IMCG would be kept informed of developments on an ongoing basis.

With respect to the International Peat Journal the meeting recognised the value of the journal in disseminating peer-reviewed information on aspects of peatlands not dealt with by any other scientific journals, and in publishing descriptive material. IPS was concerned with the difficulties in obtaining sufficient contributions of adequate quality, the low circulation, the heavy workload imposed on the editor and, at times, the additional burden on the IPS secretariat.

IMCG made a proposal for co-operating on a successor journal, and suggested that Dr Olivia Bragg could succeed Dr J Rieley as Editor when he gave up the position in 2004. It was agreed that IPS and IMCG would co-operate to produce a high-quality, refereed journal which would appear on a regular basis and would be freely available on the Internet. It was suggested that the successor Journal could make a valuable contribution by translating some Finnish articles from ‘Suo’ and some German articles from ‘Telma’.

On several other items information was exchanged including on the progress of the IMCG Global Peatland Classification and Terminology Project; the IMCG universal mire lexicon work of Ronald Hofstetter; the IPS work on restoration terminology under Dr Blankenburg; and the IPS Peat Dictionary project. The IMCG would seek assistance from IPS members for its classification work. The IMCG outlined its current work in preparing a worldwide overview of the status of mires and peatlands, including their condition, uses, and expected trends. IPS members were anxious that this material be presented as comprehensively as possible at the Tampere Congress.

The meeting was briefed on an IMCG overview of criteria and indicators to value mires and peatlands and a checklist for identifying mires and peatlands of international importance with respect to biodiversity conservation. This overview is available under http://www.imcg.net/docum/criteria.htm

A mechanism would be useful whereby when a conflict arose each organisation could contact the other with a view to mediation or resolution. It was agreed that the contact should be between the secretariats or chairmen.

The meeting was informed that a group of companies was funding the preparation of a ‘Wise Use’ DVD which would follow the format and tone of the WUMP. An information paper had been produced which would be communicated to IMCG. IMCG expressed concern that the concept ‘Wise Use’ had been agreed between the IPS and the IMCG in the WUMP context and said that it would not be acceptable if it were taken out of context in support of an IPS-associated project. It was agreed that the latest drafts of the DVD material would be communicated to IMCG.

Information on the GEF project Integrated Management of Peatlands for Biodiversity and Climate Change and on the related ASEAN Peatland Management Initiative was provided by the Global Environment Centre.

IMCG made a proposal that a special round table be arranged at Tampere to forecast or vision the future of peatland forestry, agriculture, conservation, other peatland functional uses, and peat extraction. This proposal was agreed. The need to arrange a time during the Congress and to pick presenters was emphasised.

It was noted that on occasion seminars or other events in different countries were arranged for the same dates and clashed with each other. It was agreed that all organisers of peatland-related events should be encouraged to liaise with the IPS and the IMCG and check their websites for event programmes.

It was noted that there were opportunities to co-operate on valuable joint research projects for which EU funding might be available. It was agreed that a small group from the two organisations might communicate further on this.

The attention of the meeting was drawn to the 11th IMCG Congress on ‘South African Mires and Peatlands’ which is scheduled to take place from 10 to 27 September 2004 in South Africa and Lesotho.

It was agreed that the next meeting should take place in November 2004: further details would be agreed in Tampere in June 2004.

(based on the full minutes of the meeting made by Donal Clarke and available under http://www.peatsociety.fi/events/ipsimcgminutesamsterdam.doc)