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October 30, 2007
Vulture-killing drug now on sale in Africa
BirdLife's Council for the African Partnership has warned African BirdLife Partners that they need to be on high alert, following the discovery of the drug Diclofenac on sale at a veterinary practice in Tanzania. A survey by WCST (WildLife Conservation Society in Tanzania, BirdLife in Tanzania) is underway to establish the full facts.
Diclofenac, a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID), has been found to cause gout and renal failure in vultures of the Gyps genus. In India, where Diclofenac was in widespread veterinary use, three Gyps species, formerly of Least Concern, have been pushed to Critically Endangered status, losing over 99 percent of their populations in just over a decade.
Griffon Vulture, at risk from Declofenac poisening © Slawomir Dabrowski
“This development could be absolutely catastrophic for vultures in Africa if it is not addressed immediately, to prevent this avian killer from becoming an established veterinary drug,” said Jane Gaithuma of the BirdLife Africa secretariat. “Research by BirdLife Partners has established that there are safe alternative drugs available, such as Meloxicam, so there is actually no need for Diclofenac at all.”
Without action by governments and veterinary associations to ban the use of Diclofenac for veterinary purposes, the drug is likely to be very difficult to control. Since the patent for the drug expired, it has been produced in generic form by hundreds of manufacturers worldwide, and is sold under dozens of different names. The manufacturer of the brand found in Tanzania exports the drug for veterinary use to 15 African countries spread across the continent.
Governments in the Indian subcontinent have belatedly taken action. At a meeting of the National Wildlife Board in March 2005, the Government of India announced that it intended to phase out the veterinary use of Diclofenac within six months. In 2006, the governments of India, Pakistan and Nepal all banned manufacture of Diclofenac, sending a very clear signal, and it is hoped that full retail bans will soon follow. But numbers are already so low that the future of White-rumped (Gyps bengalensis), Indian (Gyps indicus) and Slender-billed Vultures (Gyps tenuirostris) now depends on captive breeding programmes. Gyps vultures take several years to reach sexual maturity, and a pair produces only one or two young every one or two years, so it will take decades before any of these species is likely to come off the Critical list.
Africa's vultures already face terrible pressures, and several species formerly of Least Concern were added to the 2007 Red List of threatened species. Veterinary use of Diclofenac in Africa could quickly put the Cape vulture Gyps coprotheres (VU) in even greater danger of extinction, and further threaten Rueppell's Griffon Vulture Gyps rueppellii (NT), White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus (NT) and Griffon vulture Gyps fulvus (LC). Gyps vultures are very wide ranging, and exposure to Diclofenac in a single carcass in any one of their range states could prove fatal to whole populations, threatening the more common species as well as the already rare ones. NSAID toxicity has been reported for raptors, storks, cranes and owls, suggesting that the potential adverse conservation impact of NSAIDs may extend beyond Gyps vultures, and could include Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus (EN), White-headed vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis (VU) and Lappet-faced vulture Torgos tracheliotus (VU).
In contrast, there are no reported mortalities for Meloxicam, which has been administered to over 700 birds from 60 species, with safety tests carried out.
BirdLife Partners are called upon to work with relevant authorities and other conservationists to assess whether Diclofenac is in veterinary use in their country, and where this is the case to stop/ban it. In countries where Diclofenac is not yet in veterinary use, it will be important to work with government authorities and civil society to alert people of its danger and to ensure it becomes pre-emptively banned.
All BirdLife supporters in Africa can play a part, by checking their local veterinary outlets to see if the drug is on sale, and by contacting the government and other authorities to call for a total ban.
Posted by Surfbirds at 9:07 PM | Comments (0)
October 29, 2007
BirdLife Partners applaud Uganda’s decision to drop Mabira Forest give-away
Conservationists across the BirdLife Partnership are welcoming news that the Ugandan government has dropped its plan to give away a third of Mabira Forest Reserve to provide land for sugarcane plantations.
The announcement came on Friday 19 October 2007, through a statement from the Uganda Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
Blue-throated Roller, one of 300 species in Mabira Forest,
July 2007 © Nik Borrow, from the surfbirds galleries
Mabira Forest Reserve (at over 30,000 hectares) is globally recognised by BirdLife as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The forest contains over 12% of plant species and 30% of bird species found in Uganda. The announcement follows months of intensive campaigning by a number of organisations, most notably NatureUganda (BirdLife in Uganda) with support from BirdLife’s Africa Division and by BirdLife Partners from a number of countries and territories.
Achilles Byaruhanga, NatureUganda’s Executive Officer expressed delight: “I am excited that our effort to advocate for a better option for Mabira Forest Reserve has been recognised and the fact accepted that the forest is a critical resource for Uganda and globally. The achievement is also for the Ugandan people who stood firm and opposed what was a wrong policy decision"
NatureUganda’s recent economic valuation of Mabira Forest Reserve is thought to have played an enormous part in the decision. The report showed clearly that the economic value of the forest if conserved, would surpass the anticipated economic value from sugarcane growing in future.
Moreover, the report indicated clearly that alternative land for sugarcane growing is available elsewhere in Uganda, where there may be enhanced benefit to local communities and local economies.
The list of ‘ecosystem services’ –livelihoods, clean water, food- provided by Mabira Forest to over 120,000 adjacent community members was another important finding in the report handed to the government by NatureUganda. The value of tourism also prominently featured.
The BirdLife International Partnership through its national partner, NatureUganda, will continue to work with the Government of Uganda in the conservation of its national heritage. “We applaud the government of Uganda for making a bold decision in protecting its forest resources despite the intentions of the sugar company,” said Ato Mengistu Wondafrash, the chairperson of Birdlife’s Africa Partnership (2006-2007).
The announcement made by the Ugandan government on Friday coincided with BirdLife’s Council for the Africa Partnership (CAP) meeting in Nairobi, where 23 African nations met and signed a petition opposing a proposed chemical plant on the shores of Tanzania’s Lake Natron, which threatens 75% of the world’s Lesser Flamingo.
“We hope the interesting parallels between Mabira and Lake Natron are noted by the Tanzanian government – both support key species, both support a booming tourist trade and both provide crucial ecosystem services for associated communities,” said Dr Hazell Shokellu Thompson, Head of BirdLife's Africa Division.
Posted by Surfbirds at 2:41 PM | Comments (0)
October 23, 2007
Farmland birds reach their lowest point in England
The latest figures published 18th October 2007 by the UK government on wild bird populations in the UK has shown that the index of birds counted breeding on England's farmland has tumbled to its lowest point, since recording began in the 1960s.
Reacting to the news, Dr Sue Armstrong-Brown, the RSPB's head of countryside policy, said: 'Farmland birds are the barometer by which the Government measures the health of the countryside. We wish there was a better story to tell – but the farmland bird index reaching its lowest point is extremely depressing news.'
Yellowhammer, from the surfbirds galleries © Steven Round
The English farmland bird index includes species like grey partridge, turtle dove, skylark, yellowhammer, linnet and yellow wagtail, all birds that are reliant on farmland and whose populations have declined by more than half since the 1970s.
The RSPB is concerned that today's announcement follows other recent terrible news for farmland birds. The RSPB has predicted that the recent decision to cut the amount of set-aside land – areas of land where the growing of food crops is restricted - to zero could have a devastating effect on birds already struggling.
Dr Sue Armstrong-Brown continued: 'The decision to reduce set-aside to zero this year throws a spotlight on the importance of individual farmer decisions in caring for the birds on their land – whether the index goes up or down next year is in their hands.
'We want to work with the farming community to make sure that the trend from here is upwards – and we have the tools and knowledge to ensure that it does.'
Gareth Morgan, head of the RSPB's agricultural policy team, said: 'The UK has developed some of the best agri-environment schemes in the world. More resources for these schemes are urgently required if we stand a chance of halting and eventually reversing the decline of some of our best-loved birds.'
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:40 PM | Comments (0)
European Commission fires final warning shot at Malta
The European Commission has announced today that it will fire a final warning shot at Malta over continued illegal spring shooting and hunting of quails and turtle doves, in contravention of the European Union's Birds Directive.
The commission decided today to send a final written warning ('reasoned opinion') to the island's government.
Malta is located on an important bird migration route in the Mediterranean. The European Union's Birds Directive specifically protects birds during their perilous spring migration from Africa to their breeding grounds further north in Europe, including the UK.
Quail, from the surfbirds galleries © Graham Catley
Turtle dove and quail are both suffering from declines across Europe, and in the UK both species appear on the red list of Birds of Conservation Concern.
With its partners across Europe, the RSPB has been campaigning for action against Malta's illegal spring bird hunting and shooting. Alistair Gammell, the RSPB's international director, said: 'Every spring since Malta joined the European Union in 2004, the island's government has allowed its hunters to break European law by shooting and hunting turtle doves and quails – these practices must stop.
'We are delighted that the European Commission has taken the next step in legal proceedings against Malta. We now call on the island's government to heed this warning and eradicate these illegal practices that bring shame on both Malta and Europe.
'We believe the European Commission's warning to Malta marks a turning point for bird conservation. If the island finally eradicates spring hunting this will be a victory for all those who have long campaigned for its abolition, including those 115,000 RSPB supporters who signed a petition delivered to the Maltese Prime Minister earlier this year.'
The RSPB and BirdLife Malta – the RSPB's partner on the island – are urging the Maltese government to respond to the Commission's warning by officially declaring the end of spring hunting for 2008 and beyond. If it fails to do so, the groups will urge the European Commission to apply to the European Court of Justice for an immediate order blocking spring hunting for 2008 and beyond.
Tolga Temuge, CEO of BirdLife Malta, added: 'Another spring hunting season in 2008 would mean that once again tens of thousands of turtle dove and quail would be put at risk while crossing Malta. In addition, every open spring hunting season is used as an excuse by some hunters to shoot many other species, protected in Malta and Europe, including birds of prey and herons. Some of these species, such as lesser kestrel, saker falcon and pallid harrier, are threatened with global extinction.'
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:35 PM | Comments (0)
Sociable lapwing finds some friends
Hopes are rising for one of the world's rarest birds after the discovery of the largest flock seen for more than 100 years.
More than 3,000 critically endangered sociable lapwings have been found in the Ceylanpinar district of south-eastern Turkey after a satellite tag was fitted to one of the birds migrating from breeding grounds in Kazakhstan.
Sociable Plover from the surfbirds galleries © Leander Khil
The tracked lapwing had flown more than 2,000 miles from its nesting site, where numbers of the species have plunged following the collapse of Soviet farming. The bird flew north of the Caspian Sea, then down through the Caucasus and south into Turkey.
Other birds including geese, albatrosses and bald ibis have been fitted with satellite tags before but the sociable lapwing is the smallest bird yet to carry such a tracking device.
The RSPB's Dr Rob Sheldon, who tagged the bird in Kazakhstan, said: 'This discovery is something we didn't dare dream of. The sociable lapwing is one of the rarest birds on earth and suddenly it's been found in these large numbers.
'It shows just how important both Kazakhstan and Turkey have become for the survival of this species. The next step is to protect the bird, both on its breeding grounds and at all the key sites on its migration route.'
Only 200 pairs of sociable lapwing were thought to remain in 2003 when the bird was classified as critically endangered, the highest level of threat there is.
Nests at breeding sites were being trampled where land was still farmed and elsewhere, vegetation was too dense for young chicks to survive. Breeding has improved more recently, however, and conservationists feared that hunting and habitat change on migration routes were reducing the bird's numbers.
Then, last Friday, researchers from the Turkish conservation group Doga Dernegi found 1,800 sociable lapwing in Ceylanpinar and the next day, a total of 3,200 of the birds. They were following the co-ordinates provided by satellites for the bird that had flown from Kazakhstan.
Özge Balkiz, a scientist at Doga Dernegi, said: 'This is a major breakthrough in efforts to help these birds and will be enormously significant in planning their protection. They could still move on to Iraq or East Africa but if they stay in Turkey, it will be much easier to make them safe. We can keep an eye on them here, raise awareness amongst local people and work with the Turkish government to protect the areas they are using.'
The tagging project is partly paid for by the UK government's Darwin Initiative and conservationists from Britain and Kazakhstan hope to win new funds to tag more birds next summer.
The long-term hope is that other migrating flocks will be found and that researchers can relax their efforts to help the bird.
Maxim Koshkin of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan, said: 'Understanding the migration from breeding sites in Kazakhstan is essential for the future protection of this species, so the news of such a large flock is a great cause for celebration.'
Guven Eken, Executive Director of Doga Dernegi, said: 'By tracking a single bird from its Kazakh breeding grounds, we have found the location of most of the world population of these birds in Turkey. Sociable lapwings are finally living up to their name.'
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:24 PM | Comments (0)
Outrage as poaching discovered on Greece's Lesvos island
One of the most outrageous poaching incidents in Greece has come to light on the island of Lesvos. A total of 32 Corncrake Crex crex were found, having been attracted by means of illegal equipment and killed by poachers.
The Corncrake is a globally threatened species, protected by the European Birds Directive. There are currently many projects targeting its conservation in countries in the North and West of Europe, nearly all of them involving BirdLife Partners.
Corncrake, from the surfbirds galleries © Steven Round
Game wardens on the island in the municipality of Ayiasos were first to discover the incident on September 22th 2007. The finding was later confirmed by the President of the Hunting Association of Archipelagos.
Mr. Kostas Papakonstantinou, member of the Hellenic Ornithological Society (BirdLife in Greece) states that: "most worrying is that, based on many testimonies that were made public recently, this incident is just the tip of the iceberg and Corncrake poaching in central and southern Lesvos is a very frequent phenomenon."
Charges have been pressed against the three poachers by the Forest Department of Lesvos and their licences, guns and the rare birds, have all been confiscated.
The Hellenic Ornithological Society praised the game wardens for discovering the incident and stressed the need to combine stronger enforcement actions with better education programmes for hunters on the issue of species identification of birds.
The Hellenic Ornithological Society is following the situation closely, stressing that this incident could serve as a good example of the effectiveness of proper law enforcement in future.
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:16 PM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2007
President Bush Announces New Initiative to Conserve Birds
(Washington, D.C.) President George W. Bush is expected to outline a series of new conservation initiatives to benefit birds while speaking at an event Saturday morning October 20 at the Patuxent Research Refuge in Maryland. Many bird species are in decline and will require collaboration between governments, conservation groups and private landowners to restore the habitats on which they depend.
The critically endangered Cerulean Warbler © Stuart Elsom from Surfbirds Galleries
“We appreciate that President Bush and the First Lady understand the value of birds and the need to boost conservation efforts,” said George Fenwick, President of American Bird Conservancy who represents the bird conservation community at the event. “Birds don’t recognize boundaries – geographic or political. All Americans will welcome the President’s initiative to conserve wild birds.”
Two-thirds of the bird species that breed in or migrate through the U.S. have declining populations. Habitat loss and poor habitat management threaten these species, and without improved effort they will continue to decline. The Cerulean Warbler, which breeds in the eastern forests of North America and winters in South America, and a species American Bird Conservancy is working hard to conserve, has declined 80% in the last forty years.
“Like the proverbial canary in the coalmine, the decline of so many bird species is an indicator of the many environmental challenges society now faces,” said Fenwick. “But, as the recovery of the American Bald Eagle has proven, we can reverse population declines with concerted effort, cooperation, and a can-do spirit.”
Not all of the details have yet been made available but we expect the initiative may include:
Providing additional resources for Joint Ventures, 18 public-private regional partnerships that set conservation priorities and leverage funding from government and private sources to acquire and manage key habitats.
Partnering with Mexico to protect wintering habitats for over 200 species of migratory birds.
Becoming a signatory to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP).
Creating a “State of the Birds” report to measure environmental health and conservation progress.
Cleaning up marine debris which is harming seabirds and other marine life.
Increasing conservation incentives for private landowners found in the Farm Bill and other programs.
Expanding support for National Wildlife Refuges which provide essential habitat for hundreds of bird species in the U.S.
“This initiative will build on and expand many of the most effective conservation programs such as Joint Ventures and the Conservation Reserve Program,” said Fenwick. “Additional resources for these programs will make a tremendous difference.”
The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, ACAP, is a multilateral agreement which seeks to conserve albatrosses and petrels. ACAP urges member nations to minimize seabird bycatch by fishermen, protect the birds’ nesting and foraging areas, and confront other threats that jeopardize species listed under the agreement. Nineteen out of 22 species of albatrosses are regarded as threatened due to a variety of causes, including mortality form longline fishing, lead poisoning, loss of nesting habitat, and predation of eggs and chicks by introduces animals.
Posted by Surfbirds at 10:52 PM | Comments (0)
October 18, 2007
Africa’s leading conservationists meet as chemical plant threatens three-quarters of world’s Lesser Flamingo
Leading conservationists from 23 African nations have met recently to sign a petition opposing the proposed chemical plant on the shores of Tanzania’s Lake Natron, which threatens 75% of the world’s Lesser Flamingo.
The petition was signed by delegates of BirdLife’s Council for the Africa Partnership (CAP) in Nairobi and follows months of speculation and international outcry over the proposed salt ash development on Tanzania’s border with Kenya.
Lesser Flamingo © John Dempsey
More than half a million pairs of Lesser Flamingos may nest at Lake Natron. The lake is the only reliable breeding site for the species' East African population – more than 75 per cent of the world’s total.
Lake Natron's isolation and vast salt flats provide crucial safety from predators, while its alkaline waters, rich in cyanobacteria, and lakeside springs supply food and freshwater for parents and chicks. The lake supports the huge concentrations of Lesser Flamingos that feed and roost on other lakes up and down the Rift Valley, hailed as “the greatest ornithological spectacle in the world” and supporting a thriving tourist economy.
The proposed salt ash plant would pump 530 cubic metres of brine per hour and produce 0.5 million tons of sodium carbonate a year. The large-scale development would also include a sizable residential complex.
Delegates attending the BirdLife Council Meeting fear that the entire flamingo population could be lost if the development goes ahead, citing a number of reasons, including: likely changes in the chemical composition of the water (affecting the cyanobacteria on which the flamingos depend); disruption of nest sites; and expansion of surrounding infrastructure, a factor which could bring in new predators, particularly Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumeniferus – a species linked to mass nest desertions in breeding Greater Flamingo, a similar species.
BirdLife, the world’s largest alliance of conservation organisations, is fully opposed to the plans, first made public in an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) put forward by consultants for Lake Natron Resources Limited (a joint venture of the Tanzanian Government and the Indian company Tata Chemicals) in mid-July 2007.
Lake Natron Resources Limited have now submitted a revised version of their ESIA to Tanzania’s National Environment Management Council, who will in turn make recommendations to Tanzania’s Minister of State in the Vice-Presidents Office for Environment. It is here the decision will ultimately rest.
"We strongly urge the government to look at its natural resources – to look at the sustainable resource Lake Natron currently provides. The lake secures a way of life for nomadic communities, and the flamingos produce a thriving tourist economy. To jeopardize this for an ill-considered development would be economic, and moral, suicide,” said Mengistu Wondafrash, Chairman of the Council of the African Partnership (CAP).
The sight of Lesser Flamingo are a big pull for tourists to the area: worth up to US$12 million say the East African Consultative Group, opposing the development.
“If we can’t work to protect habitat for one of Africa’s most charismatic ‘postcard’ species, what hope is there for other species?” he added.
Much has been made of the Tanzanian government’s role in the final decision: “As a continent, Africa is making great strides towards conserving its immense biodiversity,” said the Head of BirdLife’s Africa Division, Dr Hazell Shokellu Thompson. “Tanzania must think clearly of what this decision on Lake Natron says of its environmental credentials, and to the other twenty-four nations which are represented here at this meeting today.”
"This is a clear opportunity for the Tanzanian government to continue showing moral and environmental responsibility in Africa by taking a decision not to proceed with the Soda Ash development."
The petition, signed by conservationists from 23 African nations, will now be sent to the Tanzanian government and Tata Chemicals.
Posted by Surfbirds at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)
Sour note for the Skylark
With up to five times as many nesting pairs as winter wheat, set-aside has given Skylarks something to sing about. The British Trust for Ornithology is concerned that removal of rotational set-aside will reverse the good work of recent years and impede efforts to stop declines for farmland birds.
As conservationists now contemplate the loss of set-aside within British farmland, BTO scientists provide evidence of the benefits of set-aside to a wide range of farmland species – but Skylarks in particular. Set-aside delivers three big benefits for Skylarks - winter food in stubbles, nest sites in summer fallows and food for chicks.
Skylark © Adrian Webb
Winter food: Research by the BTO has shown that Skylark populations can only be maintained through the winter if 20% of agricultural land is available as food-rich stubble, much of which has been provided through the existence of rotational set-aside.
Nesting opportunities: For ground-nesting Skylarks, set-aside fields provide great cover in which to hide nests. Nesting densities are up to five times higher in set-aside than they are in winter wheat.
Food for chicks: Rotational set-aside is a good feeding habitat, with plenty of accessible insects to feed to chicks and a rich crop of seeds for newly-fledged youngsters. Set-aside supported four to five times as many Skylarks as winter wheat, with similar foraging advantages for other species.
Juliet Vickery (Head of Terrestrial Ecology Unit of the BTO) said “Set-aside might not have been designed as a conservation measure for farmland birds but our research has shown that it has provided a real lifeline for birds such as Skylarks, Yellowhammers and Lapwings. We can only ensure that there is continued space for these birds in modern agricultural businesses if scientists and policy makers work together to modify agri-environment schemes in ways that can deliver similar benefits.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 4:49 PM | Comments (0)
Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Bill to Protect Endangered California Condors
(Washington, D.C., October 13, 2007) California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
signed legislation today intended to protect the endangered California Condor.
There have been 276 documented cases of lead poisoning of California Condors
since 2000, and a dozen deaths possibly linked to lead. Only 127 of the birds
currently fly free in the wild, 70 of them in California.
California Condor, Arizona, Bright Angel, Grand Canyon 4th June 2005 © Marcus Lawson from Surfbirds Galleries
We very much appreciate that Gov. Schwarzenegger chose to do what’s right for
the California Condor by signing this bill into law,” said Dr. Michael Fry,
American Bird Conservancy’s Director of Conservation Advocacy. “Gov.
Schwarzenegger is very pro-hunting and pro-gun rights. His signing this bill
is a confirmation that this law is not anti-gun – it is an anti-lead measure.
Non-toxic, lead-free ammunition is widely available, and hunters are able to
obtain ammunition that will not poison condors if they eat bullet fragments
left in carcasses in the field.”
The California Senate and Assembly recently passed and now Gov. Schwarzenegger
has signed into law the Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act (Assembly Bill 821,
proposed by Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara), an historic protection measure for
the condors. The act mandates non-toxic bullets for big-game hunting in condor
habitat, and will significantly reduced the risk of lead poisoning of condors
in California.
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:11 AM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2007
Friendly dolphin maimed
A friendly, solitary bottlenose dolphin has had a significant part of her tail cut off, in what was almost certainly a collision with a boat propeller.
The female dolphin, named Dave, has been living off the coast of Kent where she has become a local celebrity due to her willingness to interact with swimmers and boat-users, a behaviour that she has learnt this year. The serious injury to Dave's tail comes despite previous warnings from animal welfare and rescue groups that this increasingly friendly dolphin was at high risk of an accident and especially propeller strike.
Bottlenose Dolphin, Kent © WDCS
It is unclear whether Dave will survive her injury and the risk of infection to the wound. Veterinary opinion indicates that the next few days will be crucial and that there is high risk of infection. Even if she survives, Dave's tail will never grow back again.
Mark Simmonds, Director of Science for WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said. "I am deeply shocked by this injury which has happened despite all the warnings that have been issued not to feed or otherwise try to tame Dave. I urge boat-users not to go near her, as she is now even more vulnerable. This latest wounding follows the deaths of two other friendly dolphins in the UK last year and we really must learn to treat these animals with more respect. We are currently just killing them with 'kindness' by first taming them and then not looking after the tamed animals".
Margaux Dodds, Director & Co-founder of Marine Connection adds; "This is one of the worst injuries I have seen to a solitary dolphin and could prove fatal should she contract septicaemia. For this reason we urge people, especially at this time, to respect her situation and keep their distance as she must be in more than some pain and discomfort and we are extremely concerned for her future welfare."
Bottlenose Dolphin with injured tail-fluke, Kent © WDCS
Tony Woodley, national spokesman for British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said, "The images of this awful injury have been viewed by our leading veterinary specialist and he has expressed his concern that the animal could develop a severe infection and/or septicaemia. Volunteers from BDMLR are going to keep a very close watch on Dave's behaviour over the next few days to see if she deteriorates in condition."
WDCS, BDMLR and the Marine Connection have been calling for boat-users and swimmers to stay away from Dave and highlighting the risk to her, whilst also trying to persuade people not to tame her because of the increasing risk to such dolphins.
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:07 AM | Comments (0)
Spoon-billed Sandpiper facing extinction
Populations of one of the world’s strangest birds have crashed over the last decade, and surveys this summer of its breeding grounds in the remote Russian province of Chukotka suggest that the situation is now critical. The charismatic, and rather aptly named, Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus, is now worryingly close to becoming extinct. With only 200-300 pairs left, conservationists are calling for urgent help to tackle the decline.
“We’ve seen a 70% drop in the number of breeding pairs at some sites over the last couple of years. If this decline continues, these amazing birds won’t be around for much longer,” says Evgeny Syroechkovskiy, Vice President of the Russian Bird Conservation Union (BirdLife in Russia).
Spoon-billed Sandpiper © Trevor Feltham
The reasons for these losses are complex, involving changes to habitat during migration and loss of breeding areas. What is clear is that nest predation by foxes and disturbance by people and dogs could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for the few birds left.
“Action to safeguard the remaining breeding pairs needs to be taken now for there to be any chance of saving them. We are planning to put wardens in place at these critical sites. Once they are protected and the birds are successfully fledging young, we can get on with the task of trying to save areas that they use whilst on migration,” Evgeny adds.
Spoon-billed Sandpipers’ spoon-shaped bill is still something of a mystery, the exact use for which is still unknown. They breed during June–July in a small strip of coastal Arctic tundra in Chukotka, NE Russia. They then migrate thousands of kilometres to winter along coasts in South and South-East Asia. Spoon-billed Sandpipers are one of several species to depend on the rich tidal coasts of the Yellow Sea in east Asia, where they stop to refuel on their way to and from their breeding grounds.
“Coastal reclamation in South Korea is currently destroying over 40,000 ha of habitat; coastal habitats are being converted into saltpans and shrimp farms in Bangladesh and Chinese coasts have been rapidly developed in recent years,” says Christoph Zöckler, international coordinator of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Action Plan, “They are just running out of places to stop and feed on migration.”
What seems certain is that if these changes continue there will soon be no place left for Spoon-billed Sandpipers.
“The recent declines have shocked those concerned about the species, but with investment and the dedication of those involved we can still save the Spoon-billed Sandpiper.” says Richard Grimmett, BirdLife’s Global Conservation Manager.
BirdLife International has launched the Preventing Extinctions initiative to try and turn the tide for Spoon-billed Sandpiper and species like it, and is looking for companies, institutions and individuals to step up and provide funding by becoming BirdLife Species Champions.
With the right conservation action plan in place it is possible to save a species. It has been done before, but it takes hard work and hard cash but aren’t we all the better for knowing that a bird with a spoon for a bill exists out there, somewhere?
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:01 AM | Comments (0)
Southern Bluefin Tuna fleets endanger wildlife, warns WWF
Thousands of seabirds, and significant numbers of sharks and marine turtles, are caught and killed each year in long-line fisheries targeting Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT), reveals a new WWF report.
Japan’s long-line SBT fleet killed between 6,000 and 9,000 seabirds per year in the 2001 and 2002 fishing seasons. About three quarters of the species taken were albatrosses, and one fifth petrels.
Salvins Albatross © Nigel Voaden
It’s estimated the annual deaths of seabirds from all SBT fishing could be as high as 13,500, including about 10,000 albatrosses. Of the 22 species of albatrosses, 19 are classified as threatened with extinction according to the World Conservation Union.
“SBT long-line fleets are fishing blind, with little or no understanding of their devastating impact on threatened species,” says Dr Simon Cripps, Director of WWF’s Global Marine Programme. “Responsible countries must urgently implement measures to dramatically reduce the death toll.”
The new report exposes ten years of inaction by members of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), and calls for reform measures to be agreed at their annual meeting in Australia next week to stem the catch of endangered wildlife and reduce chronic overfishing.
Southern Bluefin Tuna, a migratory fish found mainly in the southern waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, is fished predominantly by Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and several other Asian countries. Long-line fishing fleets take around two-thirds of the reported catch of SBT.
“Currently the Commission only requires the use of tori poles, devices used to scare away seabirds from fishing lines, whereas they should be calling for a whole suite of bycatch reduction measures to be enforced.” adds Dr Cripps. “CCSBT now lags well behind other Regional Fisheries Management Organizations’ efforts to tackle bycatch.”
The report urges members of the CCSBT to immediately agree mandatory requirements for the collection and submission of data on the impact of SBT fishing on non-target species and to ensure their on-board observer programme prioritise the collection of this data.
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October 13, 2007
Video World Birding Center, Texas
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Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: Fourth report
Highlights include taxonomy of the gulls. "Phylogenetic evidence based on analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences indicates that the large white-headed gull complex consists of two main clades: (1) an ‘Atlantic’ clade consisting of Yellow-legged Gull, Armenian Gull, most individuals of Herring Gull, and including Great Black-backed Gull L. marinus and Palearctic individuals of Glaucous Gull L. hyperboreus; (2) an ‘Aralo-Caspian’ clade consisting of L. a. cachinnans, L. a. barabensis, L. a. heuglini, L. a. taimyrensis, Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus, Kelp Gull L. dominicanus, some individuals of L. a. argentatus, and including an ‘Arctic/Pacific’ grouping of L. a. vegae, L. a. smithsonianus, L. a. mongolicus, Slaty-backed Gull L. schistisagus, Iceland Gull L. glaucoides, Glaucous-winged Gull L. glaucescens and Nearctic individuals of Glaucous Gull (Crochet et al. 2002. Auk 119: 603–620; Crochet et al. 2003. Evolution 57: 2865–2878; Liebers et al. 2004. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 271: 893–901). Western Gull L. occidentalis is not included in these clades and forms an outgroup."
Click Here for Full Article2007.00758.x
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:28 AM | Comments (0)
October 9, 2007
Conservationists appalled at Red-footed Falcon massacre
52 Red-footed Falcon – listed as Near Threatened by BirdLife - have been found shot at Phasouri in Cyprus, a well-known poaching “black spot”. The finding has appalled conservationists throughout Europe, and has led to BirdLife Cyprus renewing calls for action on the issue.
On the morning of Friday 5 October farm workers at the Phasouri citrus plantations found the Red-footed Falcons laying dead or wounded among the orange trees. Two piles of empty shotgun cartridges lay at the centre of the massacre site. Of the 52 falcons recovered, six were wounded and forty-six had died.
Red-footed Falcon © Kit Day
Red-footed Falcon is a colonial species that nests and migrates in group. The species is strictly protected in the EU as it has suffered severe declines in its main, eastern European breeding range in recent decades.
BirdLife Cyprus reports that this incident is by no means the first time illegal shooting has resulted in the killing of birds of prey and other migrants, such as Bee-eaters Merops apiaster, at Phasouri on the Akrotiri peninsula of Limassol. "This terrible situation has dragged on for the past few years without the authorities taking appropriate action to stop it,” said Mike Miltiadous, Research Officer of BirdLife Cyprus.
"For years, BirdLife Cyprus has been calling for effective anti-poaching action on the peninsula, which is the most important autumn migration stop-over area on the Island for thousands of birds, and birds of prey in particular,” said BirdLife Cyprus Manager, Martin Hellicar.
The area where Friday’s falcon shooting took place is within the Akrotiri British Sovereign Base Area (SBA), but the main problem on the peninsula in recent years has been the absence of joint anti-poaching patrols by the SBA Police and the Cyprus Game Fund. Taking advantage of this lack of joint action, illegal hunters have profited along the ‘border’ between the SBA and Republic, simply stepping across the dividing line to avoid either SBA Police or Game Fund patrols.
“This anti-poaching action has plainly failed to materialise, with the results that illegal shooters have become increasingly bold, making this act one of the worst cases of illegal bird killing ever reported in Europe,”said Hellicar.
“A joint SBA-Game Fund anti-poaching team has now been set up, but we have not seen it in action yet,” said Hellicar. “Friday’s massacre should have been prevented by the SBA Police, but we believe it is the product of the unacceptably lax state of affairs in the Phasouri area as a whole.”
BirdLife Cyprus also called for an immediate ban on shooting on the entire peninsula. Although almost all the peninsula is a protected reserve, a narrow coastal strip along the west is open for hunting of Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur and Quail Coturnix coturnix from early September to mid-October. But the real draw for many hunters is not the meagre numbers of this legal quarry but the huge numbers of Bee-eaters Merops apiaster and Yellow Wagtails Motacilla flava, both strictly protected species under Cyprus and EU law.
“Under the circumstances, the hunting area in operation today should be shut down immediately and indefinitely,” finished Miltiadous.
Posted by Surfbirds at 9:41 AM | Comments (0)
October 3, 2007
Seven tests for the Severn barrage
Europe’s most dynamic estuary will be destroyed by the construction of a barrage across the Severn while other less striking measures would cost less and could do more to cut carbon emissions.
The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) on Monday (October 1) publishes its assessment of a Severn barrage and other proposals to harness tidal energy. A barrage would damage areas protected by international, European and UK law because of their value to birds and other wildlife.
Dunlin, internationally important numbers depend on the Severn © Peter Beesley
The RSPB has set seven tests it believes the SDC must address in writing its report:
· It must acknowledge the Severn estuary’s importance to wildlife and its extensive legal protection;
· Accept the legal requirement to establish that there no alternative to a barrage and that there is over-riding public interest in building it;
· Then recognise the legal requirement that thousands of acres of compensatory habitat would need to be created – a scale never undertaken in the UK before;
· Consider other options for harnessing the Severn’s tidal power such as tidal stream;
· Accept that barrage construction will generate huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions for many years before it generates energy;
· Assess whether the money spent on a barrage would be better spent on other clean technologies and other measures such as cleaner cars to cut emissions;
· Confirm that any development on the Severn would not be dependent on public subsidy.
Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Conservation Director, said: “Tackling climate change is hugely important but this can be done without destroying irreplaceable national treasures like the Severn estuary.
“We should be harnessing the power of the Severn but there are better ways of doing this than by hauling ten miles of concrete into the estuary.
“The government should be aiming to help, not destroy, wildlife and that applies to proposals for green energy schemes just as much as new supermarkets or housing estates.”
The RSPB has called on the Commission to ensure its advice on Monday is impartial and that its members are not swayed by political pressure to favour one energy scheme over another.
Dr Avery said: “The SDC report must recognise the international importance of the estuary and fully consider the legal implications of barrage construction. Huge amounts of new habitat will have to be created if the wildlife havens fashioned by the Severn’s tidal range are lost.
“It took eleven years to replace 110 hectares of mudflats destroyed at Lappel Bank on the Medway, when the government last broke European law. Damage on the Severn would be ten, twenty or thirty times as great. Other land is being lost to sea level rise so replicating Severn habitats would be enormously difficult.”
Notes
The Severn Estuary is a Ramsar wetland site under international law and a Special Protection Area under European law. The government recently agreed to designate the region a Special Area of Conservation because of its importance to lamprey fish. There are a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in and on the banks of the estuary, all protected by UK law.
The Severn’s 45-foot tidal range is the second largest in the world behind the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. Mudflats, saltmarsh and rocky islands created by outgoing tides provide food for 65,000 birds in winter including internationally important numbers of Bewick’s swan, pintail duck, shelduck, curlew, dunlin and redshank.
A barrage would cut the Severn’s tidal range by half reducing the amount of land and food for wildlife. Some birds would starve and others would be too malnourished to breed.
Wild salmon swim from the North Sea into the Severn and up the River Wye to spawn. The barrage turbines would kill these fish. Young eels are born in the Atlantic and follow their parents back to the Severn Estuary and upriver to feed.
In 1995, the European Court of Justice ruled that the government should have included Lappel Bank, on the Medway in Kent, in a new Special Protection Area safeguarded by EU law. By that time, however, the site had been turned into a car park. The government was ordered to create compensatory habitat which it did on the Essex coast last year, 11 years after the SPA was created.
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RSPB condemns outrageous Catalan bird-hunting plan
An outrageous proposal by the Catalan government could see British nesting birds being illegally hunted as they pass through north-east Spain during their spring and autumn migrations.
The RSPB, working with SEO - its Spanish BirdLife International partner - is fighting the regional government proposal that would permit Catalonian hunters to use the so-called traditional practice of luring songbirds, by playing their songs, to branches covered in glue.
Fieldfare, at risk in the Ebro area on migration © Aurélien Audevard
Once caught, the birds are then 'plucked' like fruit from the trees. Many birds suffer horrific injuries, such as losing legs, before being killed.
Graham Wynne, the RSPB's chief executive, said: 'Millions of our best-loved songbirds - such as thrushes, warblers and flycatchers – pass through Spain each spring and autumn.
'For many years the RSPB has been campaigning against illegal bird killing in southern Europe, especially in both Malta and Cyprus.
The Catalan challenge on European bird protection laws is a serious one, and the RSPB will unite with its partners across the European Union to campaign to ensure that birds are not put under further threat in Catalonia, or elsewhere.'
Hundreds of thousands of song thrushes, and fieldfares, migrating from northern Europe are thought to be at risk and will be killed in the Ebro area (south of Barcelona) beginning next month.
This non-selective type of hunting, which is banned by European law, is worrying conservationists. The RSPB is particularly concerned about how this indiscriminate practice may affect birds that are already declining in Europe, such as the redstart. These relatives of the robin nest in the UK and it is believed the vast majority of UK birds pass through Iberia en route to their African wintering grounds. They have declined across Europe, where most of their world range is concentrated.
At the same time as trying to reintroduce bird trapping using glue, the Catalan government is also trying to legalise a form of net-trap hunting calling 'filat', a technique which traps thirsty birds attracted to small pools of water. The technique is forbidden in Spain.
The use of limesticks is also prevalent in Cyprus, though at substantially reduced rates since the RSPB began working there five years ago.
Posted by Surfbirds at 5:31 PM | Comments (0)
New animal and plant species found in Vietnam
Scientists have discovered 11 new species of animals and plants in a remote area in central Vietnam, WWF said today (26 September 2007).
The species were found in the Thua Thien Hue Province – a region known as the Green Corridor. They include two butterflies and a snake, as well as five orchids and three other plants, all of which are exclusive to tropical forests in Vietnam’s Annamites Mountain Range. Ten other plant species, including four orchids, are still under examination but also appear to be new species.
“You only discover so many new species in very special places, and the Green Corridor is one of them,” said Chris Dickinson, WWF’s Chief Technical Adviser in the area. “Several large mammal species were discovered in the 1990s in the same forests, which means that these latest discoveries could be just the tip of the iceberg.”
The rainforests of the Central Annamites likely existed as continuous undisturbed forest cover for thousands of years, and, as a result, offer unique habitats for many species, WWF says.
The new snake species, called the white-lipped keelback, tends to live by streams where it catches frogs and other small animals. It has a beautiful yellow-white stripe that sweeps along its head and red dots cover its body. It can reach about 80 centimetres in length.
The butterfly species are among eight discovered in the province since 1996. One is a skipper – a butterfly with quick, darting flight habits – from the genus Zela, the other is a new genus in the subfamily of Satyrinae.
Three of the new orchid species are entirely leafless, which is rare for orchids. They contain no chlorophyll and live on decaying matter, like many fungal species. The new other plants include an aspidistra, which produces a flower that is nearly black. Aspidistra-relatives plants are used as houseplants and are able to withstand very low light conditions. And a newly discovered species of arum has beautiful yellow flowers. Arum plants have funnel-shaped leaves surrounding the flowers.
According to WWF, all these species are at risk from illegal logging, hunting, unsustainable extraction of natural resources and conflicting development interests. However, the Thua Thien Hue Province authorities – in particular the Forest Protection Department – have committed to conserve and sustainably manage these valuable forests.
“The area is extremely important for conservation and the province wants to protect the forests and their environmental services, as well as contribute to sustainable development,” said Hoang Ngoc Khanh, Director of Thua Thien Hue Provincial Forest Protection Department.
Recent surveys have shown that many threatened species are found in the Green Corridor, including 15 reptiles and amphibians and six bird species. The area is also home to Vietnam’s greatest number of white-cheeked crested gibbons, one of the world’s most endangered primates. The Green Corridor is believed to be the best location in Vietnam to conserve the saola, a unique type of wild cattle only discovered by scientists in 1992.
According to WWF, forests in the Annamites also help preserve critical environmental services, such as water supplies for thousand of people who depend on the region’s rivers. They also provide non-timber forest resources for local ethnic minority groups who earn more than half of their income from these products.
Posted by Surfbirds at 5:27 PM | Comments (0)
Rimatara Lorikeet returns to the Cook Islands
Around 100 years ago, the Queen of Rimatara in French Polynesia, imposed a tapu (taboo) which saved the last naturally-occurring island population of one of the Pacific’s most beautiful parrots. Now her royal counterpart, the traditional Queen of Atiu in the Cook Islands, has accompanied 27 of the birds on the journey back to her island, from which they had been absent for more than two centuries.
The Rimatara Lorikeet Vini kuhlii is green above, with crimson-red face and under-parts, and purple patches on the back of its neck and on its belly. It was extinct in Atiu and the other southern Cook Islands before 1820, hunted for its brilliant red feathers, which were used in ceremonial costumes. Since then, the tree-climbing, egg-eating Black or Ship’s Rat has become widely established in French Polynesia and the Cook Islands, devastating two other Pacific parrot species, the Blue Lorikeet and the Ultramarine Lorikeet.
Gerald McCormack of the Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust led the reintroduction, after confirming that Atiu was not only free of Black Rats, but also had the same trees and shrubs as Rimatara, ensuring that the birds would find the nectar and fruit they needed.
McCormack received funds from the British Birdwatching Fair 2006, which raised money for the BirdLife International project “Saving the Pacific’s Parrots”. He was helped by the Ornithological Society of Polynesia (MANU, the BirdLife Partner Designate in French Polynesia), Te Ipukarea Society (TIS, the BirdLife Affiliate in the Cook Islands), and the Zoological Society of San Diego (ZSSD).
“But the reintroduction would not have been possible without the vision and generosity of the people of Rimatara, for whom the lorikeet is a symbol of joy and wellbeing,” McCormack said. “On previous occasions the removal of birds from their island resulted in the birds’ deaths, a phenomenon they attributed to the tapu of their late Queen. The community finally agreed to the reintroduction programme only after they understood how the spread of the Ship Rat had destroyed island populations of the Blue Lorikeet and the Ultramarine Lorikeet, and that there was a scarcity of suitable ship-rat-free islands in French Polynesia. By agreeing, the community made it very clear that they were sharing their bird with Atiu so it could live in the wild without interference, and that it should never be transferred to any other island or country.”
After their arrival in the Cook Islands, the birds and the reintroduction team were greeted with elaborate welcoming ceremonies. The celebrations went on for four days.
There have been regular sightings since. McCormack says the birds have spread over the whole 30 km2 of the island of Atiu. "As of August, sunny-day flocks are up to 13 birds and some apparent pairs are being reported. We are now organizing a community contest to find the first juveniles as evidence of breeding."
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