DATELINE: METAIRIE, LA Conservation Force, a champion of hunting-based conservation has hired Marco Pani of Rome, Italy, as a full-time African Field Representative. Pani has served Conservation Force as an international consultant and part-time employee at two CITES CoPs, and in all the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries for more than five years.

Pani has more than 30 years of international wildlife conservation experience. In Italy he served as Director of TRAFFIC Europe Office where he was instrumental in the legislative and administrative reform of CITES implementation in the country, then as Associate Enforcement Officer in the CITES Secretariat and then as Technical Expert in the Italian Ministry of Environment.

Pani is an active member of IUCN’s Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group (SULi) and other groups of specialists that rely upon sustainable use as an elementary conservation tool. He is an advocate of sustainable use and is committed to tourist safari hunting based conservation in rural and indigenous communities in developing countries.

John Jackson, President of Conservation Force, said: “Marco has been a trusted adviser, consultant and part-time employee for more than five years. He has served in the field as a very important problem solver on bio-political issues. He is a widely recognized expert in CITES and the management of key game species essential to safari hunting, particularly elephant, lion and leopard. He has served us well and is a valuable asset in our mission to conserve wildlife, habitat and benefit rural people through sustainable use.”

“For years Pani has been directly and deeply engaged with African wildlife authorities, hunting operators and associations, and community leaders. He is uniquely qualified and committed to be a full time member of the team,” said John Jackson.

About Conservation Force: Conservation Force is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable public foundation. It is an international organization with partners and programs worldwide. Its exempt purposes include wildlife and habitat conservation, related education and research and serving the greater public good. It serves the public and secures biodiversity integrity through support and development of conservation infrastructure ranging from rural communities to international conservation conventions. For more information, John Jackson, 504 453 2754; jjjiii@att.net ;visit www.conservationforce.org.