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December 17, 2007
New European protected sites for rare birds
RSPB Scotland today applauded the Scottish Government after it announced the designation of two new Special Protection Areas that will be protected under European law.
Oronsay & South Colonsay and Renfrewshire Heights have been afforded the highest level of protection that can be given to the rare birds that live there.
Hen Harrier © Pete Hadfield, from the surfbirds galleries
Stuart Housden, director of RSPB Scotland, said: 'This is a very welcome addition to the network of internationally protected sites recognised for their rare habitats and the birds and wildlife that they support. It will provide significant extra protection for choughs, corncrakes and Hen Harriers - all of which have suffered long-term population declines and loss of range, not only in the UK but in many parts of western Europe.
'The challenge now is to make sure that land managers get the necessary support to guarantee that the sites are preserved, and this must include assistance for extensive cattle and sheep systems, which work together to provide both food and habitat for these birds.
He added: 'RSPB already manages Oronsay as a nature reserve, where the public can see these species amongst many other thrilling wildlife spectacles.'
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:42 PM | Comments (0)
December 14, 2007
Rainforest park sets the bar for Bali talks
A huge rainforest in one of Africa's poorest countries should today win indefinite government protection and is being heralded as one of the first examples of forest conservation to cut carbon emissions.
President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone, is today expected to back plans to make the 75,000-hectare Gola Forest his country's second national park protecting more than 50 mammal species including Leopards, Chimps and Forest Elephants, 2,000 different plants and 274 bird species of which 14 are close to extinction.
The area, close to the Liberian border, will become the flagship site in a new national park network with local communities paid annually to replace royalties linked to logging and diamond mining in the forest.
White-necked Picathartes: an inhabitant of Gola forest, image kindly supplied by Birdlife International
The project is being funded by the European Commission, the French government, the RSPB and US-based Conservation International.
Alistair Gammell, International Director for the RSPB said: "In Sumatra, we are helping to rehabilitate the forest because most of it has been logged at some stage. Gola is different because much more of the area is primary rainforest and other areas have nog been logged for more than 30 years. Without this project, the forest would have been destroyed within ten years because Sierra Leone needs funds for its development."
The Rufous Fishing Owl Scotopelia ussheri, the Green-tailed Bristlebill Bleda eximia and the Gola Malimbe Malimbus ballmanni are amongst bird species at risk in Gola. But best known in the forest is the White-necked Picathartes Picathartes gymnocephalus whose appearance and nesting habits are bizarre.
The Picathartes nests under the forest's towering rocks. Gola is thought to be the major stronghold for the bird, which is highly respected by villagers.
President Koroma is planning to establish six more national parks in Sierra Leone to develop tourism as the country recovers from the civil war of the 1990s.
Graham Wynne, Chief Executive of the RSPB, said: "There are few places in the world where you will find such diversity. Gola is a magical place and it is worth saving simply because it is there."
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:52 AM | Comments (0)
Urgent calls for UK marine conservation action in the face of expanding wind farms
With the announcement on the 10th Decemver 2007 of a huge increase in marine wind farms in UK waters, leading conservation group, WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, has renewed its call to better protect the UK's whales, dolphins and other marine wildlife from this unprecedented industrial development.
It is reported that up to 7,000 new wind turbines are planned for the marine environment (estimated to represent two per mile of coast) and it is clear that this will fundamentally change Britain's coastline.
The potential threats from wind farms in the marine environment include the loud noise associated with their construction (especially pile driving); the noise and disturbance associated with their operation (including boat trips for maintenance) and the ways in which their presence may change marine habitats. The full impacts of these combined intrusions on UK coastal ecology are yet to be investigated, and there is still have much to learn about the ways in which whales, dolphins and porpoises are using the waters around Britain.
Humpback Whale, Wales, 8th December 2007 © Mark Hows, from the surfbirds galleries
WDCS's Director of Science, Mark Simmonds, comments: "Our concerns about marine wind farms should not be dismissed as nimbyist. We have been promised a Marine Bill to address marine conservation issues from this Government for many years now. The very latest development, last month, was merely a commitment to a draft Bill in the last Queen's speech and now, instead, we now have an announcement of unparalleled industrial development in the marine environment and so this comes without adequate protection in place. This is clearly putting the coach before the horses!
WDCS highlighted these and other concerns earlier this year in a report that was circulated to all UK and Scottish Members of Parliament. The report, The Conservation of British Cetaceans highlighted the existing lack of protection for the two dozen or so whales, dolphins and porpoises found in the seas around Britain. Many supportive messages have been received from MPs and from the public via a linked petition calling for more help for these animals. The report and petition can be found on the WDCS website www.wdcs.org
WDCS along with the other leading marine conservation organisations in the UK has also been calling for a new Marine Act to better protect marine wildlife but, despite promises from Government, this is still not forthcoming.
WDCS believes that all developments in the marine environment, including wind farms, should be subject to rigorous environmental assessment before development is permitted and that there is appropriate monitoring to determine the effects of any approved developments before and after construction.
Mark continues, "Whilst we are highly concerned about climate change and supportive of the development of renewable energy sources, we are also aware that wind farms may impact dolphins, porpoises and whales and that this needs to be very urgently addressed. The existing system of protection is poor and failing and to speed ahead with marine wind farms in this way shows a lack of appreciation for marine nature conservation and marine wildlife."
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:40 AM | Comments (0)
December 5, 2007
BOURC taxonomic changes - better news for gull enthusiasts
The latest (fourth) report of the Taxonomic Sub-committee of the BOU Records Committee has finally recognised American Herring Gull and Caspian Gull at the species level.
The report states:
"We recommend recognition of the following species to better reflect recent advances in knowledge of the evolution and systematics of large gulls:
• Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans (monotypic)
• Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus (polytypic, including fuscus, intermedius, graellsii, heuglini, taimyrensis, barabensis)
• American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus (polytypic, including smithsonianus, vegae, mongolicus)
• Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis (polytypic, including michahellis, atlantis)
• Armenian Gull Larus armenicus (monotypic)
• Herring Gull Larus argentatus (polytypic, including argentatus, argenteus)"
Caspian Gull, Derbyshire © Steve Mann, from the surfbirds galleries
GEORGE SANGSTER, J. MARTIN COLLINSON, ALAN G. KNOX, DAVID T. PARKIN, LARS SVENSSON (2007) Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: Fourth report Ibis 149 (4), 853–857.
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:13 PM | Comments (0)