NEW OIL PIPELINE SET TO DESTORY VITAL HABITAT OF CRITICALLY ENDANGERED HUMMINGBIRD IN ECUADOR
Cambridge, UK, 8th March 2001 - The world's leading bird conservation alliance, BirdLife International, today criticised the Ecuadorian Government's decision to sign a contract allowing a multinational consortium to build a crude oil pipeline that is set to destroy vital habitat of the Black-breasted Puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis), a hummingbird species on the brink of extinction [1,2,3,4,5].
"Building an oil pipeline through Mindo Important Bird Area (IBA) will be bad news for the Black-breasted Puffleg, a critically endangered species of hummingbird already on the brink of extinction", said Dr Michael Rands, Director and Chief Executive of BirdLife International. "The route proposed by the OCP consortium will cut through a recently surveyed site where the Black-breasted Puffleg was found and is suspected to breed. The pipeline and accompanying road will destroy much of the remaining vegetation along Cruz Loma ridgetop and will probably lead to the extinction of the species at that site".
"The pipeline will also have a detrimental impact on the protected Mindo IBA and four other globally threatened bird species present there", said Dr Rands [5]. "Instead the Ecuadorian Government should select an alternative route that by-passes Mindo IBA".
On 12 January 2000, Dr Rob Williams of Biosphere Consultants and Tatiana Santander of the Ornithological Foundation of Ecuador (CECIA - BirdLife's Partner in Ecuador) were conducting a survey to locate remaining breeding areas for the Black-breasted Puffleg, which now only occurs on the north slope of Volcan Pichincha in the Mindo IBA, west of Quito, Ecuador. The survey team was checking all previously known localities for the bird, most of which have now been deforested for cattle grazing and charcoal production.
They found a suspected Black-breasted Puffleg breeding site on the route of the proposed Mindo oil pipeline at an altitude of 3,240 metres on a ridge named Cruz Loma. Surveys conducted during the last four months have found this species at only one other location, where a single male and female have been seen and where further forest clearance for cattle grazing threatens the remaining habitat. Based on the state of current knowledge, the forest on Cruz Loma is probably a vital area for the long-term survival of the species
"It is essential that the local status of the Black-breasted Puffleg is fully assessed and plans to build the pipeline changed to avoid the sensitive Cruz Loma ridgetop and help safeguard the species", said Dr Rands.
"Forest clearance and large-scale road building will be required to
facilitate the construction of the pipeline through Mindo IBA which will open up the area to the threat of oil pollution, increased human settlement and an inevitable increase in timber and wildlife exploitation", said Dr Rands. "BirdLife has also been calling for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Mindo route to be released for public review and comment".
A background briefing, map and bird illustrations and photos are posted on the BirdLife International website at: www.birdlife.net
For further information, please contact Michael Szabo, BirdLife International Communications Manager, in Cambridge on +44 (0) 1223 277 318 or 07779 018332 (mobile).
NOTES:
Reuters reported that a contract to build the oil pipeline was signed between the Ecuadorian Government and the OCP consortium of companies on 15 February 2001. The contract does not specify the route to be taken, however the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) being prepared by OCP examines the proposed route through Mindo. The OCP consortium has until 15 April to produce an EIA of the construction of a pipeline through Mindo. The public will have one month to comment after this. The Ecuadorian Government will then have 15 days to respond to public comments and must make a decision on the route by May 31. The OCP consortium plan to start construction of the pipeline on June 1.
BirdLife International is a global alliance of conservation organisations working in more than 100 countries who, together, are the leading authority on the status of birds, their habitats and the issues and problems affecting bird life. Partners include the Canadian Nature Federation/CNF (Canada), Fundacion Ornithologica del Ecuador/CECIA (Ecuador), Sociedad Espanola de Ornitologia/SEO (Spain), Aves Argentina (Argentina), Liga Italiana Protezione Uccelli/LIPU (Italy), National Audubon Society (USA) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds/RSPB (UK).
The OCP consortium includes the Alberta Energy Corporation (Canada), Occidental (USA), Kerr-McGee (USA), Agip (Italy/Ecuador) and Repsol-YPS (Spain/Argentina).
The Black-breasted Puffleg is very local and rare, and apparently relies on stunted ridgetop vegetation. This means that very little habitat remains within its range. The total global population of the Black-breasted Puffleg is estimated to be fewer than 250 individual birds. Important Bird Areas or IBAs are internationally important sites for the conservation of birds and biodiversity, selected according to internationally recognised
