On August 20, 2024, a press conference was held at the National Press Centre of the Republic of Belarus on the Red Book as an Effective Mechanism for the Protection of Rare and Endangered Species. Work on the 5th Edition. The event was attended by: Gieshtawt Paviel Antonavich, Deputy Director General for Scientific and Innovative Work of the Scientific and Practical Centre of the NAS of Belarus on Bioresources; Kulak Anatoĺ Viktaravich, Leading Researcher at the Laboratory of Terrestrial Invertebrates of the Scientific and Practical Centre of the NAS of Belarus on Bioresources; Bagdanovich Ivan Aliaksandravich, Researcher at the Laboratory of Ornithology of the Scientific and Practical Centre of the NAS of Belarus on Bioresources and Sawchuk Siargej Siargiejevich, Head of the Laboratory of Flora and Plant System of the Institute of Experimental Botany named after V.F. Kuprevich of the NAS of Belarus.

The scientists told how the policy of protecting rare species is being implemented in Belarus, and how work is underway to create the 5th edition of the Red Book. Paviel Gieshtawt, Deputy Director General for Scientific and Innovative Work of the Scientific and Practical Centre of the NAS of Belarus on Bioresources, told at the press conference about which birds, fish and insects can be included in the new edition of the Red Book. So, for the ‘Birds’ class, it is proposed to exclude one species from the Red Book and include three, as well as change the conservation status for five species. "Unfortunately, it is proposed to exclude stone-curlew as a species that no longer lives on the territory of Belarus. For several decades, this species has been recorded on the territory of the Khojniki and Bragin rajons," Paviel Gieshtawt noted. According to him, it is also proposed to include the Western European subspecies of the capercaillie in the Red Book with the assignment of the II protection category. "This is a very rare, locally distributed subspecies that is common in Lithuania, Poland and Western Belarus. In order to preserve this bird, a captive breeding and resettlement program for this species in former habitats has been implemented in Belarus since 2022," said the Deputy Director General for Scientific and Innovative Work.

It is also proposed to exclude some non-native plant species from the future 5th edition of the Red Book of Belarus. This was announced by Siargej Sawchuk, Head of the Laboratory of Flora and Plant System at the Institute of Experimental Botany named after V.F. Kuprevich of the NAS of Belarus. In turn, Paviel Gieshtawt, Deputy Director General for Scientific and Innovative Work of the Scientific and Practical Centre of the NAS of Belarus on Bioresources, informed media representatives that in the upcoming 5th edition of the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus, the conservation status of aurochs, brown bear, lynx and badger is planned to be lowered due to increases in their populations.

In conclusion, the scientists answered numerous questions from journalists.