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March 31, 2005
Red Knot May Be Candidate for ESA Listing Despite Horseshoe Crab Harvest Restrictions
A coalition of environmental groups, including New Jersey Audubon, ABC, Defenders of Wildlife, and National Audubon Society has begun proceedings to have the rufa subspecies of the Red Knot protected under the Endangered Species Act. Red Knot populations have declined globally in recent decades, but the rufa subspecies has fallen as much as 60% since the late-1980s.
This population winters in Tierra del Fuego and other parts of South America, migrating some 9,000 miles to its Arctic breeding grounds in Canada. Along the way, the birds concentrate in vast numbers at staging areas, making them particularly vulnerable. The Delaware Bay is the most important of these stop-off points, where the knots feed on the eggs of horseshoe crabs to sustain them on their long journey north.
© Sue & Andy Tranter >>Tranter's Website
Overharvest of crabs for use as bait in conch and eel pots has been linked to the declines in Red Knots. The knot has evolved a relatively long lifespan and a commensurately low reproductive rate. Conservationists have predicted that although the population still numbers in the tens of thousands, it could be in peril if declines continue.
ABC and National Audubon Society have led efforts to protect horseshoe crabs, and the knots and other shorebirds that rely on their eggs. These efforts appear to be paying off, as the 2004 take of crabs reached its lowest levels in more than a decade. In 2004, crab landings in Delaware Bay, a critical place for both crabs and shorebirds, fell by 53% from 2003 levels. Coast-wide landings dropped to just 630,000 crabs. FWS will initiate a public comment period if they decide to proceed with the listing process.
Posted by Surfbirds at 03:26 AM | Comments (0)
March 29, 2005
More action needed to conserve Asia's vultures
A coalition of 100 bird organisations across the world is today [Tuesday 29 March, 2005] appealing to the governments of Pakistan and Nepal to follow the lead of the Indian government in banning the use of a veterinary drug proven to have caused the population crash of three species of vulture in southern Asia.
The decline of the three vultures is thought to be the most rapid decline of any species of bird, even surpassing the rate of decline of the dodo, before its extinction.
The three vultures are already regionally extinct in several parts of southern Asia, and BirdLife International, represented in the UK by the RSPB, says that without further action from other countries where the birds occur, further extinctions are inevitable in the near future.
Griffon Vulture, Cyprus, Agios Joannis April 2004 © Daniele Occhiato
A recent statement issued by the Indian government confirmed the intent to phase out the veterinary use of diclofenac within six months. Diclofenac, which is used in southern Asia as a livestock treatment, is toxic to vultures when the birds feed on the carcasses of treated cattle. The drug causes kidney failure leading to rapid mortality.
Chris Bowden, the RSPB’s vulture-programme manager, said: "The Indian government is to be congratulated on taking this huge step that we have working towards ever since the discovery that diclofenac was such an acute problem.
"The decline of vultures in southern Asia is one of the most troubling declines of any group of birds in the world. We recognise the boldness of the Indian government in phasing out the veterinary use of this drug, but without futher action the three species of vulture are still in severe trouble."
Asad Rahmani, director of Bombay Natural History Society, the RSPB’s partner in India, said: "In taking the decision to phase out diclofenac, our Prime Minister Mr Manmohan Singh has taken the most important step yet to save these fast-disappearing species of vultures. I request the governments of neighbouring countries to ban this drug from veterinary use.
"However, the battle to save the vultures is not yet over. We have to develop conservation breeding centres as a further safe-guard to save these magnificent lords of the sky."
Dr Debbie Pain, head of international research at the RSPB, added: "We recognise the need for an alternative livestock treatment to be found as soon as possible. Initial trials conducted in South Africa have revealed hope that a drug already available on the Indian market may well be a viable alternative to diclofenac and of comparatively low toxicity to vultures."
Notes:
1) Populations of three vultures species have declined at an unprecedented rate in South Asia. In India, declines were first noted by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) who have been monitoring populations ever since. Populations of the white-rumped vulture, long-billed vulture and slender-billed vulture, declined by more than 90% between 1992 and 2000. On the basis of their catastrophic declines, the IUCN has listed these species as critically endangered: the highest level of threat. Declines have continued, and Indian national surveys carried out between 2000 and 2003 indicate annual decline rates of 22% for the long-billed vulture and 48% for the white backed vulture. Should these decline rates continue, these species are heading for rapid extinction in India.
2) There is concern that even with a ban in six months, stock piles of diclofenac will be used for considerably longer. With current rates of population decline (almost a halving every year), it remains essential that vultures are brought into captivity as rapidly as possible to establish conservation breeding populations. Birds should them be released back into the wild when vulture populations are breeding and the environment is effectively free from diclofenac
3) In early 2004, The US based Peregrine Fund working in Pakistan found that a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), diclofenac, was responsible for declines in white-rumped vultures in Pakistan.
4) Work by the BNHS, RSPB, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and others extended this work to show diclofenac as the major cause of declines in the vulture declines right across South Asia.
5) At a board meeting of the Indian government-affiliated National Board for Wildlife on 17th March, a decision was taken to phase out the use of diclofenac for veterinary use within the next 6 months. The Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, endorsed the board’s recommendation.
6) Since diclofenac was identified as the cause of population declines, the RSPB has been working closely with the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and others to identify potential alternatives to diclofenac, that would be relatively safe to vultures. A possible alternative has been identified and safety testing is currently underway. Whilst not yet conclusive, results so far are very promising and trials will be completed this summer.
Posted by Surfbirds at 08:10 AM | Comments (0)
March 24, 2005
Birdlife delivers 5-point plan to new farm commissioner
BirdLife International have presented the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Mariann Fischer Boel, with a targeted appeal for more and better protection for Europe’s farmland birds.
The organisation will hand (15th March 2005) a five-point manifesto to Commissioner Fischer Boel, calling for action to halt bird declines, protect at-risk habitats and increase value for money from farm subsidies funded by tax-payers.
Recently released BirdLife data [2] shows that 43% per cent of birds found regularly in Europe are at risk. This includes farmland birds such as the Grey Partridge Perdix perdix, Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus, Skylark Alauda arvensis and Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus,
Clairie Papazoglou, Head of BirdLife’s European Community Office, said: “The EU has set a target of halting Europe’s wildlife losses by 2010 - a daunting task unless immediate action is taken. The new Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development has a key role in making farming policy fulfilling that promise.”
Reform of Europe’s agricultural policies began in 2003, but BirdLife is convinced that more radical changes are needed.
The five-point plan for creating a better future for farming, wildlife and rural communities requires;
· The continued reform of agricultural and rural policies to reward the protection of the environment and prevent practices that damage it.
· Activities on farms respect minimum environmental standards, particularly for habitat protection, the designation and protection of special sites for wildlife and prevention of water pollution.
· Sufficient support from the agriculture budget to any land manager in the EU who wishes to help wildlife through dedicated agri-environment schemes.
· Advisory services are provided to support farmers on how to manage farmland in a way that produces economic and wildlife benefits.
· Financial support for management and conservation of Natura 2000 sites [3] and areas of high natural value.
Across Europe, EU citizens have pledged support for wildlife-friendly measures to be centrally integrated into agriculture policies by sending Commissioner Fischer Boel a special electronic postcard from their country. [4] At the special event in Brussels, the Commissioner will be handed a special gift representing this public call for her support.
Giovanna Pisano, BirdLife’s Agriculture Task Force Coordinator, added: “All over Europe, wetlands and marshes, flower-rich meadows and alpine pastures are disappearing, yet all of these areas harbour species which would struggle without these habitats.
“We need new agriculture policies which support the farmers who encourage wildlife on their land and give farmers across the whole EU, an alternative to intensification.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 06:30 AM | Comments (0)
Natural England - new name for soon to be merged agencies
Today (23 March 2005) Margaret Beckett, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced that the new agency will be called Natural England.
Natural England – for people, places and nature.
Last year, the Government announced its intention to merge, by 2007, English Nature, the access, recreation and landscapes elements of the Countryside Agency, and the agri-environment parts of the Rural Development Service into a new independent agency, which will focus on improved environmental land management.
Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of English Nature, said: "We're excited to come together in Natural England. It's a natural partnership and it makes sense to bring together all the different services we provide to look after the natural environment under one roof. Unifying the three organisations will ensure we have one strong voice speaking out for the needs of rural, urban, maritime and coastal areas. Joining access with nature conservation and landscape will help create wonderful new opportunities for people to get out and enjoy themselves."
Posted by Surfbirds at 06:19 AM | Comments (0)
March 19, 2005
Why birds are making so many Brits twitch with excitement
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is by far the largest organisation of its type in the world, with over 1m members and has more members than the three main political parties in Britain put together.
See this article with graphics and related items at:
The Economist
Posted by Surfbirds at 04:13 AM | Comments (0)
March 16, 2005
Longline Moratorium Campaign Gaining Momentum
On the eve of a key United Nations meeting relating to the oceans, a growing number of international scientists and non-governmental organizations are actively lobbying their country delegates to address the problem of industrial longline fishing in the Pacific.
The scientists and NGOs are also joined in their efforts by members of the New Zealand, Irish and EU parliaments. The lobbying effort echoes the call of more than 800 international scientists and 230 NGOs who are also asking for a moratorium on industrial longline fishing in order to protect endangered leatherback sea turtles, albatross, sharks and other species caught and killed as bycatch by industrial longliners. The proposed moratorium, which has received the support of several countries, will protect endangered species, preserve commercial fish stocks, and save resources for small-scale coastal fishing communities.
“A wide range of organizations are suddenly realizing that immediate action needs to be taken on the longlining problem,” said Dr. Robert Ovetz, who leads the Save the Leatherback Campaign which has been organizing the effort. “Longlining is more than just a sea turtle problem. It’s a broader economic, environmental and social problem that is going unchecked. The UN is in a unique position to fix this problem.”
Twenty three NGOs as well as 34 scientists are currently lobbying their UN delegations, representing 28 countries, to ensure that the longlining issue is placed on the agenda of the June 6-10 meeting of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Members of parliament from three countries and a former member of a scientific consultative committee of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization from Senegal have also joined in the effort. On Wednesday, March 16th, the delegates to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea will be meeting at UN headquarters in New York City to set the agenda for the June meeting.
Organizations that have contacted their representatives include Humane Society International (Australia), Environmental Protection of Asia Foundation (Philippines), Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (Mexico), Royal Forest and Bird Society (New Zealand), Pro-Natura International (Nigeria), Tethys Research Institute (Italy), Friends of the Oldman River (Canada), Croatian Natural History Museum Department of Zoology, Society for the Conservation of Sea Mammals (Denmark), Fundacion Jatun Sacha (Ecuador), Friends of the National Zoos (Ghana), Ecological Society of the Philippines, Save Our Seas Tobago, National Environment Management Authority, Brown & Associates, Environmental Investigation Agency (UK/US), Animal Protection Institute (US), and The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance (US).
The work of these organizations has resulted in favorable responses from member countries. The government of Croatia has stated that it will support the proposal for a moratorium on high seas pelagic longlining in the Pacific while the government of Costa Rica is taking the lead to put the issue of longline fishing on the agenda. Other countries have expressed their sympathy with the solution with more expected to support the proposal.
“The problem of longlining needs to get on the UN’s agenda in order to reach a win-win solution,” added Ovetz. “If we do not begin working on a solution now, endangered species may disappear and a major protein source for the world’s poor may be irreparably diminished.”
Nesting female Pacific leatherbacks have declined by 95% since 1980. A recent study in the scientific journal Ecology Letters estimates that worldwide about 200,000 loggerheads and 50,000 leatherbacks are caught every two years by longlines. Scientists have warned that the Pacific leatherback could go extinct within the next 5-30 years unless immediate action is taken to reverse their slide into oblivion. One of those actions is to impose a Pacific wide moratorium on longline fishing. Other species are also significantly impacted as well such as billfish, marine mammals, sharks and seabirds. The black-footed albatross, also caught in large numbers by longline fishing, is also on the verge of extinction. A new study of longlining in the Pacific to be published in the scientific journal Ecology estimates that large pelagic fish populations have declined by 90% and the population of blue sharks has declined by 87% since the 1950s.
Leatherback Resources:
• Review copy of the documentary “Last Journey for the Leatherback?” is available upon request
• B-roll video footage is available upon request
• Interviews with leading scientists are available
• The scientist petition is available at:
click here
• The NGO petition is available at:
click here
• Press packet is available upon request
The Sea Turtle Restoration Project is a California-based marine conservation organization that works to protect sea turtles and other marine species in the United States and in countries around the world. For more information about sea turtles and the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, please visit: www.seaturtles.org and www.savetheleatherback.com
SEA TURTLE RESTORATION PROJECT
POB 400/40 Montezuma Avenue • Forest Knolls, CA 94933 USA
Ph. +1 415 488 0370 ext. 106• Fax +1 415 488 0372
robert@seaturtles.org • www.seaturtles.org
Posted by Surfbirds at 06:48 AM | Comments (0)
March 15, 2005
The Best Bird Boxes in Britain: A City in the Sky
The latest property hotspot is in the North East of England, in Durham City, where a unique collection of ‘temporary homes’ has been built, offering a combination of: amazing views, fantastic living conditions, world heritage and plenty of fresh air. The only catch, is that the chic homes are aimed at our feathered friends from the bird world.
On Wednesday 9 March, Durham City Arts launched ‘The Best Bird Boxes in Britain’ in partnership with: Creative Partnerships Durham Sunderland; Commissions North (Arts Council England, North East); The County Durham Bird Recorder; Durham City Council and Northern Architecture.
The 25 custom-built bird boxes have been created by London-based architects De Matos Storey Ryan (DMSR), who took inspiration from ideas and designs by young people from a Creative Partnerships Durham Sunderland primary school.
Nestboxes - Photo credit - John Kelly
Over a 3-month period, 22 children between the ages of 7 and 11 from Wearhead Primary School in County Durham worked alongside architect, Angus Morrogh-Ryan to create the challenging designs. The project has been an inventive way for the pupils to develop their creative learning skills through extensive ‘teamwork’ situations and has provided a valuable insight into the specialist world of a creative professional.
The Durham bird boxes will be ‘temporary’ pieces of public art that will be sited on the riverbanks of the Wear. The idyllic setting in the heart of the Durham Peninsula is home to wonderful examples of wildlife and historic architecture. The intention has been to produce a high quality, innovative design project that will complement this environment. The bird boxes will provide a haven for birds including: the rare spotted flycatchers; robins; starlings and tawny owls – and will raise the profile and appreciation of wildlife in Durham City. It’s hoped that members of the public and tourists to the region will use the Durham bird boxes as a kind of nature trail treasure hunt, searching out the wildlife jewels from this part of Northern England.
The bird boxes anticipate the work being done by the Riverbanks Management Group (which is chaired by Durham City Council) to regenerate and invest in the banks of the River Wear at Durham City. "This is a unique project which brings together issues of wildlife conservation, innovative design solutions and environmental education - all taking place on the doorstep of a world heritage site. The River Wear is a major wildlife corridor through the County and it has been particularly interesting to work with young people who have a real appreciation of the environment in which they live,” said Tony Armstrong of The County Durham Bird Recorder.
Tony expressed the importance of the 'Durham Bird Box' project. He said: “The project is great news from a wildlife point of view, as it has produced some very significant gains. Firstly, it has raised the profile of and appreciation for the wildlife, which exists in the centre of Durham City. Secondly, the bird boxes will provide many more nesting opportunities for the birds that use this managed woodland and thereby increase local bird populations.”
The bird boxes will be sited directly adjacent to the world heritage site comprising of Durham Cathedral - a Masterpiece of Romanesque Architecture - and Durham Castle. The Durham Peninsula site where the boxes will be housed, is in complex multiple ownership including: Durham Cathedral; University of Durham; St Cuthbert’s and St John’s College.
London-based architects, De Matos Storey Ryan (DMSR) won the 'Durham Bird Box' project tender out of a field of over 70 strong contenders from a wide range of emerging and established architectural practices from the UK and Europe. “I have been astounded by the extent of the pupils’ existing knowledge of natural habitats, and their enthusiasm to participate and learn has been an inspiration,” said Angus Morrogh-Ryan, Architect on the 'Durham Bird Box' project.
The creative designs for the practical plywood boxes were an amalgamation of fun research studies undertaken during various workshops between Angus and the young pupils of Wearhead Primary School – this information was also combined with ornithological material provided by the County Durham Bird Recorder and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Each bird box differs in size and is tailored to the specific requirements of the different species of birds found in this region of Durham. The subtle colours of the various boxes have been intentionally chosen to blend into the natural habitat. The project brief required the bird box to allow easy access for the various types of birds and to apply the use of materials that would be both waterproof but at the same time would avoid the animal being overheated from ‘solar gain’. The boxes can be fitted to trees and buildings without harm by using a simple strap and buckle. Each box will have a temporary lifespan of up to 4 years.
Angus added: “The birds themselves will ultimately judge the success of the project and it’ll be fascinating to see which species adopts which boxes. Whatever the outcome, the process has been highly enjoyable and the collaboration between DMSR and the pupils of Wearhead Primary School has led to the discussion of many truly imaginative ideas.”
Creative Partnerships Durham Sunderland aims to curate and commission a creative learning programme that enables teachers, schools, young people and creative practitioners to work in collaboration to explore ideas, generate new creative work and develop new approaches to learning, teaching and cultural production.
If you know of any birds that are looking to swoop at the chance to nest this Spring in the North East of England, advise them to fly-up and investigate the fabulous Durham bird boxes.
Posted by Surfbirds at 09:23 PM | Comments (0)
March 10, 2005
World record White Stork Donna electrocuted
Belgium, 10 March 2005 - Six years after she was satellite-tagged as a chick, Donna the White Stork has been killed by power lines. Hatched in Belgium, the much-travelled Donna had left her wintering grounds in southern Spain, and died as she reached her breeding site in the Calvados region of France.
Wim Van den Bossche, leader of the Storks Without Borders project, followed Donna's progress for the 2,033 days of her life after she started her first autumn migration. Wim says Donna was the world-record holder in the young science of satellite-tracking birds. "No other bird has been tracked on a daily basis for such a long period. Donna provided us with a mass of unique scientific data."
White Stork from the Surfbirds Galleries by James Packer
Donna left Seville in Southern Spain on the 11 February, stopped off near Madrid for ten days, and reached Calvados on the 4 March. The next day local stork specialist Alain Chartier found her dead under power lines near the estuary of the river Seine. Alain says she was in prime breeding condition.
"Electrocution and collision with power lines are the main known causes of death among White Storks," Wim reports. "Along migration routes, up to 59 percent of dead storks and 90 percent of wounded storks examined by researchers have hit wires." Storks can live up to 30 years.
Wim says that "bird-friendly" alterations to power lines can reduce stork mortality. Plastic caps and tubes can be fitted quickly and cheaply to existing pylons, poles and cables, and guidelines are available to ensure that new power lines present the minimum risk to birds.
The White Stork Ciconia ciconia is one of the most recognisable and well-loved birds of Europe, partly due to its habit of nesting in close proximity to people on tops of buildings. It is a widespread summer visitor to much of Europe, which constitutes >75% of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is large (>180,000 pairs), but underwent a large decline between 1970-1990. Although the species experienced a moderate increase overall during 1990-2000-with stable or increasing trends across most of Europe-its population has not yetrecovered to the level that preceded its decline.
Storks Without Borders is a project involving Natuurpunt (one of two organisations forming BirdLife in Belgium, with Natagora), Nature Centre Zwin, Animal Parc Planckendael and the Flemish Government. Since 1999, the project has tagged 23 storks and tracked their movements from Belgium to the wintering quarters in Spain/Portugal and Western Africa. Website: www.storks.be
BirdLife International is a global alliance of conservation organisations working in more than 100 countries which, together, are the leading authority on the status of birds, their habitats and the issues and problems affecting bird life.
For more on the risk to birds and what can be done about it, see the report Caution: Electrocution, prepared by NABU (BirdLife in Germany): http://www.cms.int/bodies/COP/cop7/list_of_docs/pdf/en/caution_electrocu
tion.pdf
Posted by Surfbirds at 07:35 AM | Comments (0)
The Bottom Line: Saving Sea Turtles is Good for the Economy
Report Released Today Shows Moratorium and High Seas Marine Protected Areas Would Reverse the Damage Caused by Industrial Longline Fishing.
(Forest Knolls, CA)-—A new report, “The Bottom Line: Saving Sea Turtles is Good for the Economy,” published by the Sea Turtle Restoration Project today has found that industrial longline fishing in the Pacific not only causes extensive damage to the marine ecosystem but has pervasive negative cultural, economic and social consequences for coastal fishing and fish consuming communities. Implementing a moratorium on industrial longlining and creating a network of Marine Protected Areas on the high seas of the Pacific would be a boon to local coastal economies.
“Industrial longline fishing is a loss-loss situation not only for sea turtles but also those who rely on the ocean for their food and livelihood,” says Robert Ovetz, PhD, Save the Leatherback Campaign Coordinator and author of the report. “Creating a network of Marine Protected Areas would reverse the damage to local fisheries, indigenous peoples, tourism and food security inflicted by industrial longline fishing.”
The report comes at the time when 705 international scientists from 83 nations and 230 non-governmental organizations from 54 countries have called on the United Nations to implement a moratorium on industrial longline fishing in the Pacific. A recent report found that industrial longline fishing in the Pacific catches and kills an estimated 4.4 million sea turtles, sharks, marine mammals, billfish and seabirds.
Released during the meeting of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Committee on Fisheries Meeting in Italy 7-11 March, the report gives additional momentum to new guidelines under consideration to allow time and area closures of destructive fishing practices that threaten critically endangered sea turtles.
“Closing areas of the ocean off from industrial fishing is good for fisheries and turtles,” Ovetz added. Recent studies have demonstrated that Marine Protected Areas protect not only threatened marine species but are also extremely successful at restoring depleted fisheries.
One of the biggest problems with industrial longlining is that it removes fish from local markets and exports them abroad. MPAs would reverse this drain of resources from the developing world. As Ovetz explains, “MPAs are crucial for generating job growth by preserving the very habitats and species that draw visitors to their shores.”
Resources:
*B-roll footage and interviews are available
*Interviews with leading fisheries and sea turtle scientists are available.
*”Last journey for the leatherback?” documentary film
For a copy of the report go to: http://www.seaturtles.org/pdf/ACFBE.pdf
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The Sea Turtle Restoration Project is an international marine environmental organization headquartered in Forest Knolls, California and with offices in Costa Rica and Texas. The organization focuses on protecting and restoring marine wildlife in ways that address the needs of local communities. The Sea Turtle Restoration Project (www.seaturtles.org) is a project of Turtle Island Restoration Network, which also sponsors the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network (www.spawnusa.org) to protect endangered coho salmon.
SEA TURTLE RESTORATION PROJECT
POB 400/40 Montezuma Avenue • Forest Knolls, CA 94933 USA
Ph. +1 415 488 0370 ext. 106• Fax +1 415 488 0372
robert@seaturtles.org • www.seaturtles.org
NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
Posted by Surfbirds at 07:33 AM | Comments (0)
March 09, 2005
Rusty-throated Wren-babbler rediscovered in eastern Himalayas
The American Museum of Natural History in New York has revealed that one of its research associates, Ben King (famed birding expert of Asia), had located the wren-babbler with a colleague, Julian Donahue, a retired curator at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History.
The bird has only been seen once before when a specimen was captured 60 years ago in India (about 30 miles away from the latest sighting). Ben King was trying to lure the similar Rufous-throated Wren-Babbler with a tape recording when the Rusty-throated was lured out.
"To see this thing alive in the wild is pretty monumental," Mr Donahue said. "Although it doesn't impress most of my friends because they are not bird watchers."
Posted by Surfbirds at 07:05 AM | Comments (0)
March 08, 2005
Post tsunami Ecotourists see New Birds in Sri Lanka
Eco-tourists and birdwatchers who have heeded calls to travel to Tsunami struck Sri Lanka, to resurrect tourism, are being rewarded with sightings of rare migrants. Red-headed Bunting, Black-headed Bunting two migrant species of birds, not recorded before in Sri Lanka have been observed at Uda Walawe National Park.
Uda Walawe better known for elephants, has suddenly become a birding hot spot for rare migrants. Adding to the list of rarities are Citrine Wagtail and White Wagtail recorded at the Uda Walawe Causeway, a few meters from the end of the embankment en route to the park office. Inside the national park, the scarce but regular migrants Blyth's Pipit and Indian Red-rumped Swallows have also been observed.
Citrine Wagtail from the Surfbirds Galleries by Tom Shevlin
The story of the Buntings began with Deepal Warakagoda (Eco Holidays Master Naturalist) who was on tour with clients from KingBird Tours. The discoverer of the Serendib Scops Owl, had been having a successful tour with sightings of both the Serendib Scops Owl and the Ceylon Bay Owl. The latter had been observed less than handful of times in the wild. This was the first time that it has been seen on a birding tour. At Wirawila, Deepal met Susantha Weerappulige, a tracker from Uda Walawe National Park. Susantha drew Deepal's attention to an unidentified sparrow like bird he had seen. Deepal made note of the presence of the bird's location at the Hulankapolla Junction. When he arrived at Uda Walawe National Park, for a morning game drive with his clients, he searched the area around Hulankapolla Junction. To his delight, he found a Red-headed Bunting, a species not recorded from Sri Lanka before. The Red-headed Bunting flew away and joined another bird. To his astonishment, Deepal found that the other bird was a Black-headed Bunting, yet another species which had no been recorded from Sri Lanka. The presence of the Buntings means another family of birds, the Embezeridae are added to Sri Lanka. The last time this happened was in December 2003 when Uditha Hettige (Eco Holidays Master Naturalist) found a Common Rosefinch in Horton Plains from the bird family Fringillidae.
On 9 February 2005, I arrived with three members of my team. Chandrika Maelge (Manager) and Tour Executives Ayanthi Samarajewa and Aruni Hewage of Jetwing Eco Holidays on a regular field visit cum public relations visit to meet a group of British FIT clients on tour with Master Naturalist Uditha Hettige. Inside the park, Uditha and his clients, Mike, Jenny, John & Jane located the Buntings and we were able to photograph the two species.
Salim Ali and Dillon Ripley in their ten volume Birds of India and Pakistan gives the breeding ranges of birds recorded in the Indian Sub-continent. The Red-headed Bunting (Emberiza bruniceps) breeds in Baluchistan. The Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala) breeds in Iran, the Middle-East, Caucasus, Southern Russia and the Balkans. A ringing record shows that a Black-headed Bunting traveled 7,000 km to its winter grounds. Both species are known to winter regularly in India. Eco Holidays Master Naturalist Lester Perera leading clients on a tour in India in 2004 observed several hundred Red-headed Buntings in India.
Inside the park, Deepal had observed up to 30 Blyth's Pipits (Anthus godlewskii) and Indian Red-rumped Swallows (Hirundo daurica) near the entrance. We were able to photograph both species inside the park. Previously, Sri Lanka was considered to have a resident race of the Red-rumped Swallow. But now it has been 'split' by Ornithologist Pamela Rasmussen into a new species endemic to Sri Lanka, the Ceylon Swallow (Hirundo hyperythra). The Sri Lanka list therefore now has two migrant races, the Indian Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica erythropygia) and the
much scarcer Nepali Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica nipalensis).
At the Uda Walawe causeway, a few meters away from the end of the reservoir embankment, towards the park office, is a small area of pasture with an ephemeral pond. Eco Holidays Master Naturalist Lester Perera had reported a rare but annual migrant from it, the White Wagtail (Motacilla alba dukhunensis). He was on tour in the second week of January with a Finnish group of birdwatchers on an Alula Magazine reader offer handled by KonTiki. The group had chosen to stay on despite arriving the day after the Tsunami. Whilst searching for another look at the White Wagtail, we found an even rarer migrant, a Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola). The species has only been recorded on four occasions in Sri Lanka. The bird we observed was an adult in winter plumage. The Yellow Wagtail, a regular migrant was also present. But the lack of black on the face, the yellow area curving around and behind the ear coverts, the white under-tail coverts and the extensive area of grey on the mantle, helped to easily separate the Citrine Wagtail from the Yellow Wagtails.
Deepal Warakagoda and I are working on a revised checklist of the Birds of Sri Lanka. According to our records, the total number of species of birds reliably recorded in Sri Lanka now stands at 440 species. Pictures of these rarities will in due course be displayed on http://www.jetwingeco.com
Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne
CEO
Jetwing Eco Holidays
Wildlife & Luxury Travel
Jetwing House, 46/26, Nawam Mawatha, Colombo 02 , Sri Lanka
Tel: ++94-11-2345700 or ++94-11-2381201 Fax:++94-11-2441289.
eco@jetwing.lk, www.jetwingeco.com
Posted by Surfbirds at 04:04 PM | Comments (0)
BTO's BirdTrack - What a difference a year makes!
During the first week of March last year, the first of the summer migrants were arriving on our shores during a period of high pressure and southerly winds. With the forecast for the week ahead of further cold weather, the prospect for birdwatchers seeing their first summer visitors is not good! Nevertheless, Dawn Balmer is urging us all to be on the lookout for new arrivals from Africa.
Last spring was quite exceptional, with an influx of Swallows in late February - about two weeks earlier than usual! These were quickly followed by Sand Martin on 1 March (Cornwall), Wheatear on 4 March (Kent), Sandwich Tern on 6 March (Kent), House Martin on 7 March (Cornwall, Devon) and Little Ringed Plover on 8 March (Slough and Wokingham).
Northern Wheatear from the Surfbirds Galleries by Steve Arlow
Do I stay or do I go?
Each winter a small number of summer visitors decide not to migrate to warmer climes but to spend the winter here. Our summer visitors are insectivorous, so they need a reliable source of insects during the breeding season. Staying in Britain and Ireland over the winter is tough; insects are hard to find and that’s why our migrants head south to southern Europe and Africa where there is a predictable surge of insects. The winter months are important times; many species renew their feathers through the process of moult so they have a fresh set of feathers to fly north again come the spring.
This winter a small number of Swallows have been reported with records widespread from Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Pembrokeshire, Norfolk, Cheshire and Argyll. There have also been a few Sandwich Tern (Devon, Hampshire, Kent), Whimbrel (Cornwall, Dorset), Garganey (Somerset, Gloucestershire) and Common Sandpipers wintering here. It is well known that some Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps are recorded during the winter (though mostly originating from other parts of Europe) but this winter Willow Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat have also been seen. (Where should these birds be? See Note 7)
Log your first sightings this spring
The organisers of BirdTrack are asking birdwatchers to submit their records of summer migrants to their website this spring so that the timing of spring arrival can be recorded and compared with previous years. BirdTrack is interested not just in first sightings of classic signs of spring like the Swallow and Wheatear but would like to keep track of all arrivals through the spring so the flow through the country can be mapped.
Dawn Balmer, the BirdTrack organiser who works at BTO said
"Most birdwatchers look forward to the start of March and hope to see their first summer migrants during the first two weeks of the month. With the current weather systems it is unlikely that we will get many migrants for a few weeks, unless there is a big change in the weather"
"Instead, birdwatchers will be enjoying the influx of Waxwings and watching flocks of Redwing, Fieldfare and Brambling as they feed up ready for their departure back to their breeding grounds in Scandinavia later in the month. Birdwatchers are encouraged to enter their birdwatching records to BirdTrack and to contribute to local, regional and national bird recording".
1. BirdTrack is an online bird recording scheme BirdTrack organised by BTO on behalf of BTO, RSPB and BirdWatch Ireland.
2. To register for BirdTrack visit the BirdTrack website (www.birdtrack.net and click on the 'Register for BirdTrack' link). Registering is free.
3. Birdwatchers are encouraged to enter their birdwatching lists online to support species and site conservation at local, national and international scales.
4. We need to gather a large number of lists at all times of the year. Complete lists (all species seen and heard) are preferred but incomplete lists and casual records will also help build out understanding of populations.
5. Results produced by BirdTrack will help us to map the migration and movements of birds and monitor of scarce birds in Britain and Ireland. Maps are available from dawn.balmer@bto.org for use in publications.
6. BirdTrack follows on from the successful Migration Watch project that looked at spring migration in 2002-2004. BirdTrack will run all-year and gather information on spring and autumn migration. We know very little about the timing of arrival and departure of winter visitors and this is just one area where BirdTrack will provide useful information.
7. Most of our summer visitors winter in Africa, ranging from the tip of South Africa for Swallow to West Africa for the likes of Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat. Information from bird ringing suggests that Willow Warbler winters in the Gulf of Guinea; around the Ivory Coast and Ghana. In contrast, Lesser Whitethroat is the only warbler to winter in East Africa with records from Egypt, Sudan, Chad and Ethiopia.
Posted by Surfbirds at 05:29 AM | Comments (0)
March 07, 2005
Fisheries organisations failing to safeguard the world's albatrosses
BirdLife International today published the first review ranking the environmental performance of the world‚s 19 inter-governmental Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs). The review identifies the RFMOs which are failing to prevent the slaughter of the world's albatrosses in longline fisheries.
The RFMOs of chief concern are the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), and the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT). These organisations are doing little or nothing to reduce the bycatch of seabirds, sharks and turtles in their fisheries, while at the same time many of their fish stocks have declined by more than 90 per cent.
Black-browed Albatross from the Surfbirds Galleries by Andrew Moon
The review, Regional Fisheries Management Organisations; their duties and performance in reducing incidental mortality of albatrosses, will be presented to delegates at the UN‚s Food and Agriculture Organization‚s (FAO) five-day meeting in Rome starting today
Regional Fisheries Management Organisations have a legal and moral obligation to force the fisheries they govern to reduce this wildlife toll‰, said BirdLife‚s International Marine Policy Officer, Dr Cleo Small. „But they are only as strong as the political will of the countries making them up. Maximising fish catches for export is still the top priority for many member countries, an approach which has left fish stocks and other marine species decimated with dire consequences for marine ecosystems and local fishing communities.‰
Populations of albatrosses, dolphins, sharks and turtles have plummeted, partly because many of the 19 RFMOs governing the world‚s seas are ignoring international laws requiring action to safeguard marine wildlife and tackle pirate fishing.
More than 300,000 seabirds, including 100,000 albatrosses, and thousands of marine mammals and turtles are killed by both legal and illegal longline fishing fleets every year, with many RFMOs turning a blind eye to the problem.
In BirdLife‚s review the RFMOs are measured against their duties, as required by international law. Just one of the organisations, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which governs the Southern Ocean, is taking comprehensive action to tackle bycatch.
CCAMLR has shown what can be achieved by RFMOs. If other fisheries‚ organisations did the same, threats to albatrosses, turtles, sharks and dolphins would be significantly reduced, pirate fishing eliminated and fish stocks sustainably managed. These organisations are a key part of saving albatrosses and ensuring sound stewardship of the high seas for future generations‰, said Dr Small.
Regional Fisheries Management Organisations
Regional Fisheries Management Organisations are inter-governmental organisations with responsibility for managing high seas and migratory fish stocks such as tunas, swordfish, cod, toothfish and billfish. There are currently 19 RFMOs, of which 16 are active.
Conclusions drawn in the BirdLife study were based on 114 criteria drawn from principles established in the United Nations Law of the Sea (1994), the UN Fish Stocks Agreement (1995) and the Food and Agriculture Organization‚s (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (1995). These legal agreements have set RFMO standards for conserving fish and other species. The criteria included assessment of management of fish stocks, measures to reduce pirate fishing, efforts to reduce bycatch, and openness and transparency. Some RFMOs have conservation written into their constitutions, others do not.
All 19 RFMOs were assessed. The five RFMOs whose areas overlap most with albatrosses are:
Ø The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) ˆ which scores very poorly in the assessment. It has no catch quotas, and no measures either to collect data on, or reduce, bycatch.
Ø The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) ˆ which also scores poorly in terms of both fish stocks and reducing bycatch.
Ø The Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) - mostly covering the southern Indian Ocean and parts of the South Atlantic. Stocks of this fish have dropped by more than 95 per cent since 1950. There are 17 albatross species that use CCSBT waters. Most spend almost all their lives there.
Ø The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC, Pacific Ocean), which was established late last year.
Ø The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). CCAMLR is the fifth most important RFMO in terms of albatross distribution. It has taken extensive action to reduce bycatch.
Members of the three worst performing RFMOs are:
Ø IOTC: Australia, China, Comoros, Eritrea, EU, France, India, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Oman, Pakistan, The Philippines, Seychelles, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, UK, Vanuatu.
Ø ICCAT: Algeria, Angola, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Cote D‚Ivoire, Croatia, Equatorial Guinea, EU, France, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinee Conakry, Honduras, Iceland, Libya, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, The Philippines, Russia, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, UK, USA, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela.
Ø CCSBT: Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan.
The Law of the Sea was agreed in 1994 obliging all 148 signatory countries to
Ø Co-operate on their use of the high seas
Ø Conserve living resources on the high seas
Ø Ensure that species associated with, or dependent on, harvested species are not depleted to levels at which they would be seriously threatened
Ø Cooperate within sub-regional, regional or global organisations.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1995 published a voluntary Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries to which 180 nations agreed. This articulates the Law of the Sea in more detail, establishing duties for states to cooperate within RFMOs, duties to manage fish stocks sustainably, duties to take an „ecosystem‰ and „precautionary‰ approach to management, and duties to minimise bycatch in their fisheries.
Impact of fisheries on fish stocks and bycatch species
Of the 21 albatross species, 19 are under global threat of extinction, primarily because they are victims of fisheries‚ bycatch.
Fishing has also caused numbers of large ocean predators, including sharks, billfish such as blue marlin, large tunas and cod to drop by 90 per cent in a decade. Southern bluefin tuna, one of the species most sought by longliners, has declined by more than 95 per cent since 1950.
Since 1996, seabird mortality from legal fishing in the Southern Ocean ˆ the area of CCAMLR jurisdiction and the one where most bycatch reduction methods are used ˆ has dropped from over 6,500 birds per year in 1997 to just 15 in 2003. CCAMLR also enforces extensive measures to reduce Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU or pirate) fishing.
Mitigation measure to reduce seabird bycatch include setting lines at night when albatrosses don‚t feed; setting a streamer (or tori) line to scare birds away from baited hooks; setting lines through a tube so that the baited hooks emerge underwater; weighting lines to make them sink faster out of birds‚ reach. Most mitigation measures are relatively inexpensive and easy to operate. BirdLife International is working to make a group of such measures a statutory requirement on longline vessels throughout RFMOs.
Fisheries and fishing communities
Legislation requires RFMOs manage target species but also the overall ecosystem, including human fishing communities. The approach aims not only to protect biodiversity and the environment. It also offers a means of maintaining and even increasing long-term fisheries‚ production.
FAO estimates that worldwide, 38 million people receive direct employment or income from fisheries and aquaculture. However, most fish caught by large industrial vessels on the high seas is exported to developed countries with minimal benefit to local fishing communities.
Globally, more than 50 per cent of longline vessels are Japanese and Taiwanese. European vessels are dominated by those with connections to Spain and Norway (these ships could be Spanish flagged or owned by a Spanish company and fishing under another flag).
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated („Pirate‰) fishing. Pirate fishing is responsible for one third of annual seabird deaths by longlining and 25 per cent of global fish catch.
Pirate fishing is a highly organised criminal activity, with many vessels hiding behind flags of convenience including those of Togo and Bolivia, which are not party to international fisheries‚ agreements. Illegal ships use front companies to disguise the identity of those who profit from their activities.
BirdLife International wants international agreement to bar pirate vessels from ports and markets and impose heavy penalties on offending vessel owners. Key ports for landing illegally caught fish include Tanjon Priok (Indonesia), Hong Kong and Singapore.
BirdLife is also lobbying countries that have signed but not ratified the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP). Just six countries have ratified to date ˆ the UK, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Ecuador and Spain. Argentina, China, Japan, France and South Korea are priority countries for ratification.
Longlining and albatrosses
A longline comprises a main line with numerous branchlines ending in baited hooks. Longlines can be more than 130 km (80 miles) long and carry up to 10,000 hooks.
As the baited line is set behind the longline vessel, it floats on the sea surface before sinking. Seabirds ˆ especially albatrosses and petrels ˆ are attracted to the bait and accidentally hooked as "bycatch". as they attempt to swallow it. The ensnared birds are then dragged under and drowned as the fishing line sinks.
Albatrosses are being killed faster than they can re-populate. The proportion of albatross species threatened with extinction increased from one third to 19 out of the 21 albatross species between 1994 and 2004.
Albatrosses mate for life, the larger species usually producing one chick just once every two years. They may be up to 15 years old before they breed and have a lifespan of at least 50 years. Most, however, are now dying well before they reach that age.
Posted by Surfbirds at 04:23 PM | Comments (0)
March 04, 2005
New future for farming and wildlife
The English countryside will change for the better, predicts the RSPB today (Thursday 3 March), if farmers take full advantage of a new government payment scheme to restore wildlife to their land.
Launched today, the Environmental Stewardship scheme [note] will reward those farmers who bring measures, such as wildlife-friendly farming techniques, on to their land.
Graham Wynne, the RSPB's chief executive, said: "Intensive farming has wreaked havoc with many of our best loved countryside birds. The skylark, yellowhammer, turtle dove, corn bunting and grey partridge all rely on farmland to survive, but none of these birds can compete with the efficiency
of modern farming and all have more than halved in number since the 1970s. "We know that many farmers have been troubled by these declines too, but now they have a financial incentive to provide the habitat, food and shelter these birds need to thrive. On many occasions farmers have come to the fore;
we call on them today to rise to the new challenge of restoring birdsong to the countryside."
The Environmental Stewardship scheme, is divided into two parts: the Entry Level Scheme aims to encourage more than two-thirds of farmers in England to adopt some basic elements of environmentally-friendly farming; while the Higher Level Scheme provides more funding targeted towards those farmers who can make a significant difference to the wildlife on their land.
Both schemes will be launched by Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on Thursday 3 March, 2005.
To help farmers to apply for the scheme, the RSPB and the University of Hertfordshire have produced a CD-Rom guiding applicants through the various options.
Farmers and landowners eligible for the scheme will be able to claim £30 per hectare (around £12.50 per acre) to incorporate a variety of measures, including creating patches in cereal crops for skylark, improved hedgerow management and creating areas rich in wild flowers to increase insect abundance.
Posted by Surfbirds at 06:34 AM | Comments (0)
Environmental Stewardship: great news for the countryside
The Government's new Environmental Stewardship scheme, launched today 3 March, is great news for the countryside. For the first time ALL farmers and land managers can be paid for looking after wildlife, landscapes and natural resources for everyone to enjoy.
Environmental Stewardship was jointly welcomed by John Adams, Chief Executive of the Rural Development Service, Dr Andy Brown, English Nature's Chief Executive and Dr Stuart Burgess, the Countryside Agency's Chairman.
They said "We are delighted with this exciting new scheme and hope that most farmers and land managers will join Environmental Stewardship to improve environmental quality across the whole of the farmed landscape. Scheme options will pay them to improve their management, for example of hedges and field margins, to benefit landscapes and wildlife."
The new scheme has three elements: Entry Level Stewardship, Organic Entry Level Stewardship and Higher Level Stewardship. The latter will reward farmers and land managers who undertake more ambitious environmental management in key target areas.
English Nature is happy that Higher Level Stewardship will be targeted on the highest quality areas, particularly Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Significantly, the scheme asks farmers to deliver agreed results rather than prescribing rigid management. The Countryside Agency is pleased that Higher Level Stewardship will encourage new permissive access to join up other Rights of Way and open access land so that more people can see for themselves the benefits which the new scheme will bring.
The Rural Development Service, English Nature and the Countryside Agency have worked together closely on the development of the new scheme, which will be delivered by the Rural Development Service working with English Nature, Countryside Agency and other organisations and agencies. It is a major step forward for us and we are now working in partnership towards developing a single and improved integrated agency.
Elements of the Environmental Stewardship scheme include:
Entry Level Stewardship that will pay farmers for basic environmental management. It is hoped it will cover the majority of English farmland, thereby helping to tackle countrywide problems such as loss of landscape character, biodiversity and pollution of rivers.
Organic Entry Level Stewardship that will pay for activity similar to that under the Entry Level Scheme but give farmers higher payments, in recognition of the added environmental benefits of organic farming.
Higher Level Stewardship, that will pay farmers for more ambitious environmental management. Applications will be competitive and funding will be targeted to the most environmentally important and sensitive areas.
The scheme is designed to address a wider range of issues than previous schemes. New areas include - protection of water and soil, careful use of pesticides, preservation of rare traditional breeds and flood management.
Environmental Stewardship replaces the Countryside Stewardship, Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Organic Farming schemes. Together, the Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas schemes currently cover more than 11% of English farmland.
Further Information
Information about the Environmental Stewardship scheme can be found at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes
Information about 'permissive access routes' created under the scheme can be found at: http://countrywalks.defra.gov.uk/
Information and Environmental Stewardship: putting nature on the map can be found at www.english-nature.org.uk and Nature on the map is at www.natureonthemap.org.uk
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RSPB article: http://www.rspb.org.uk/countryside/...e/els/index.asp
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BBC Web Site article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4315233.stm
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Eastern Daily Press article: http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=edponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED01%20Mar%202005%2021%3A30%3A59%3A360
Posted by Surfbirds at 06:30 AM | Comments (0)