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Charity Name - Barbary Macaque Awareness & Conservation
Charity number 1188719
Registered address: 14 Lindsay Gardens, Tredegar, Gwent, NP22 4RP Wales
Trustees Dr Tracie McKinney (Chair), Dr Kimberley Hockings, Dr Amanda Webber, Dr Sian Waters.
Independent examiner : Mr Stephen Woollard
Trustees’ Report
The Trustees are pleased to present their report and the accounts for the year ended 5[th] April 2024 for Barbary Macaque Awareness & Conservation. The Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report are set out above.
Structure, Governance and Management. The charity is governed by a constitution adopted on 27[th] November 2019. The Board of Trustees manages the activities of the charity.
Charitable Objectives
The CIO’s purpose is to encourage the protection of Endangered primates by:
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Developing conservation and research initiatives that are inclusive, fair and sustainable.
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Raising awareness nationally and internationally about the illegal primate trade with particular reference to the Endangered Barbary macaque in its natural habitat in Morocco.
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Communicating research findings.
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Providing capacity building and training to students and conservation practitioners in the UK and internationally with regard to primate conservation, particularly that of the Endangered Barbary macaque.
Acknowledgements
We, as a charity, are aware of the importance of having volunteers and supporters who are generous with their time and financial help. Their support helps us to conduct our work and we thank them for this.
Activities
The BMAC AGM was held on 22[nd] March 2024. Trustees, Jo Setchell, Andrea Dempsey and Tamlin Watson resigned as their three years of service had come to an end. Johanna Waters also resigned due to increased work commitments. Sian thanked the outgoing trustees for their time and support. New trustees were immediately appointed and both outgoing and incoming trustees are confident the charity continues to operate effectively in accordance with its articles and objectives. All past and present trustees either have experience of primate conservation or have previous knowledge of, or involvement, with BMAC’s areas of
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activity. All three new trustees are primatologists with experience in conservation. They are: Dr Tracie McKinney (Chair), Dr Kimberley Hockings, and Dr Amanda Webber.
Along with BMAC, volunteer, Lucy Radford, Sian visited Morocco in October 2023 to conduct a population survey of the Barbary macaque groups affected by the fire. This work was done in partnership with our Moroccan partners Barbary Macaque Conservation in the Rif (BMCRif). This is the report from that survey.
A wildfire destroyed the south west flank of Bouhachem forest in June 2020. We visited the area post fire and found evidence of macaque fatalities. In 2022, when 7,500 ha of forest burned on the eastern flank of the forest and five villages were either entirely or partially destroyed. Not all of the burned forest was inhabited by Barbary macaques, but many groups were affected.
One of our study groups which formerly numbered 60 individuals numbered only seven post-fire. This means at least 50 animals from this group perished in the fire. A female in this group gave birth to an infant in the spring so the group totalled eight animals at the time of the survey.
In the area, where the wind assisted fire had burned fast and fiercely, we found no sign or sight of two macaque groups. We conclude that all individuals in both groups were killed in the fire. We know at least 48 macaques must have died as those were our minimum group counts for these groups from 2016. Other groups caught in the fire at its most intense have survived, but their numbers are much lower than our previous counts.
The forest is regenerating but it may take another year or two before the oak trees produce acorns. There is food for the macaques as other plants have recovered. We noted that 2023 births were very low and late in all groups including those that escaped the fire. We will monitor groups in May 2024 to ascertain if birth rates return to expected levels.
Wildfire has become a significant threat to the Barbary macaque and to villagers’ livelihoods in Bouhachem. Village men in Bouhachem are co-opted by the forestry department to fight fires in the forest and have a strong interest in the prevention of fires and efficient firefighting. In 2023, we met with one village community to discuss ways of fighting future fires more efficiently and they complained of poor-quality equipment and lack of protective clothing. BMCRif requested funds from BMAC to purchase good quality, firefighting equipment and protective clothing for at least eight people. This proposal was discussed at the AGM and received unanimous approval and the funds were transferred.
Sian attended an online course on designing human behaviour change campaigns.
Future Plans
There is a noticeable increase in macaques in the pet trade and we are working with our Moroccan partners, BMCRif to develop a campaign to inform people about the protected status of the Barbary macaque and why they make poor pets.
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We have been approached by diverse universities and conservation NGOs in primate range countries to deliver workshops on conservation social science to their students and staff members.
Awareness Raising & Communicating Research Findings
Our website was revamped and updated https://barbarymacaqueconservation.org/
Sian Waters continued to communicate information via Facebook posts. She received a number of reports regarding the illegal possession and exploitation of Barbary macaques in Morocco. Sian communicated the information to the BMCRif team who assisted in the confiscation of two illegally held macaques in Tangier and El Hoceima.
2023 May - Sian was invited to present BMAC’s conservation work at the workshop for a revision of the Moroccan Barbary macaque action plan in Ifrane National Park by the Moroccan Department of Forestry.
2023 August- Sian attended the Internation Primatological Society Congress in Kuching, Malaysia and organised and delivered workshops on: Provisioning in Primates: Best Practice Guidelines for the Construction & Maintenance of Canopy Bridges for Primates in Human Modified Landscapes: Opportunity for Practitioners’ Input; Ethnography and Primate Conservation: A User’s Guide
2024 January - Sian gave a presentation on The Human Dimensions of Monkey Translocations during a virtual workshop on the Challenges of Macaque Releases organised by the Asia for Animals Macaque Coalition.
Publications by BMAC trustees and volunteers (names in bold)
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Eppley, T.M, … Hockings KJ, … Waters S, et al. Tropical field stations yield high conservation on investment, Conservation Letters https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.1300
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Waters S. (Ed.). Responsible Primate-Watching for Tourism Professionals. IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group Section on Human-Primate interactions.
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Waters, S., Hansen, M. F., et al . Responsible Primate-Watching for Tourists . IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group Section on Human-Primate interactions.
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Maréchal L, Waters S , Kitegile A, Niu K, Ang A, Wallis J. Recommendations for responsible African and Eurasian monkey watching. In: Waters, S . Hansen, M. F., et al . Responsible Primate-Watching for Tourists . IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group Section on Human-Primate interactions.
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Maréchal L , Waters S. Case study: Barbary macaques and tourism in Morocco. In: Waters, S. (ed) Primate Tourism Case Studies . IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group Section on Human-Primate interactions.
Financial Review
The financial results of the charity for the year are set out below.
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The CIO has few fixed costs and so no reserve is required to cover these in the event of closure.
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Barbary Macaque Awareness and Conservation
Income and Expenditure Account for the year 6[th] April 2023 – 5[th] April 2024
RECEIPTS
| RECEIPTS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ In | £ Balance | ||
| Balance frompreviousyear | 21,339.73 | ||
| Donations | 2,142.97 | ||
| Total | 23,482.70 |
PAYMENTS
| PAYMENTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| £ Out | £ Balance | |
| Team training | 262.28 | 23,220.42 |
| Website development | 483.88 | 22,736.54 |
| Equipment | 528.24 | 22,208.30 |
| Postage | 35.88 | 22,172.42 |
| Attendance at scientific conferences | 2,388.51 | 19,783.91 |
| Visit to Morocco bySian Waters & LucyRadford | 513.52 | 19,270.39 |
| Assistance for BMCRif(Incl. bank transfer fees) | 3,546.38 | 15,724.01 |
| Office expenses | 2,500 | 13,224.01 |
| Consumables | 139 | 13,085.01 |
| Totals | 10,397.69 | 13,085.01 |
| Balance brought forward from previous year Balance in hand at year end STATEMENTS OF ASSETS and LIABILITIES Bank Balance in hand |
£21,339.73 |
|---|---|
| £13,085.01 |
Approved by the Trustees and signed on behalf of the trustees by:
Trustee: Date: 19/11/24 Dr Kimberley J Hockings Dr Tracie McKinney 20/11/24
Dr Amanda Webber 20/11/24
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Independent examiner's report on the PUBLIC / CYHOEDDUS accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
| Report to the trustees of On accounts for the year ended |
Barbary Macaque Awareness & Conservation | Barbary Macaque Awareness & Conservation | Barbary Macaque Awareness & Conservation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5thApril 2024 | Charity no (if any) |
1188719 |
Set out on pages 5
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 5/04/2023.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
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Signed:
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Date: 21/11/24
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Name: Stephen Woollard
Chair of Trustees Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust (charity SC027481) Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if Trustee, & Chair Ethics Committee, Dudley & West Midlands Zoological Society any): (Charity 507221)
Address: 8 Rorrie Terrace,
Methven,
Perth, PH1 3PL
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
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Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
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