Ethiopian wins prestigous Biodiversity Leadership Award

In August 2004, winners of eight new Biodiversity Leadership Awards were announced by the Foundations and their panel of nominators. Together, the eight scientists and environmental activists shared US$900,000. The winners search for, find, catalog, and defend diversity in species-rich and biologically endangered parts of Argentina, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Madagascar, New Caledonia, the Philippines, and the United States. Their awards bring the total sum of Leadership Awards since 1996 to US$3.1

Mengistu Wondafrash, who is studying for a MSc at Redaing University, will receive US$180,000 from The Bay Foundation and the Josephine Bay Paul and C. Michael Paul Foundations, which are pioneers in promoting efforts to save biological diversity. The award is testimony to Mengistu's outstanding contribution to environmental conservation in eastern Africa, where he has worked under unfavourable economic and other conditions. Possibly his most significant accomplishment is his work to safeguard the future of the globally precarious White-winged Flufftail (Sarothrura ayresi). He has helped create and protect the wetland breeding habitats of the Flufftail, which is believed to number only 750 globally.

Mengistu also co-ordinates the Important Bird Areas programme in Ethiopia and runs the Ethiopian component of the African Waterfowl Census, which not only monitors numbers of waterbirds but also lobbies against "unfavourable development plans" in the country's fragile wetlands.

" Conservation is my lifestyle," said Mengistu. "It is my inherent belief that the only and highest service I can ever render to my country is to be involved in activities related to the conservation of biodiversity and the environment."

Mengistu plans to use the money from the award to continue developing his conservation projects, and in particular to build the Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society (EWNHS), which he has helped expand over the last eight years. The EWNHS is a part of BirdLife International, which is the global alliance of conservation organisations working together for the world's birds and people, and the EWNHS works in close collaboration with the BirdLife Africa Partnership Secretariat, based in Nairobi, Kenya.

BP Awards

Teams of conservationists from around the world are invited to apply for a 2005 BP Conservation Programme Award. Celebrating its fifteenth year in 2005, the BP Conservation Programme is the result of a long-term partnership between BirdLife, a number of other environmental NGOs and BP.

The award provides funding, training and support for field research projects planned and carried out by young conservationists that are tackling conservation issues of global importance. The Programme presents awards and training on an annual basis to international teams working around the developing world.

In 2005, US $600,000 in funding will be available for winning projects, with awards ranging from $7,500 to $75,000. The Programme aims to develop a multidisciplinary global network with biodiversity conservation expertise, deliver major new findings to science and make a significant contribution to the priorities set by the international conservation community. Since 1990, the programme has supported 250 projects in more than 70 countries worldwide and supported more than 2,500 individuals.

The closing date for applications is 31 October 2004. Further information, application forms and guidelines are available from the BP Conservation Programme web site

Source: fatbirder

Albatrosses cross the finish line

Around £15,000 (c. US$27,000) is expected to have been raised from punters betting on the Ladbrokes.com Big Bird Race, an innovative project combining serious scientific research, awareness-raising, fundraising and light-hearted gambling. The winning Shy Albatross was Aphrodite, sponsored by celebrity Jerry Hall. Despite a missing period when commentators feared the worst, Aphrodite stormed back Lazarus-like to triumph. In second place (with Ladbrokes also honouring with winning payouts) was Xanadu, aptly sponsored by Nicholas Coleridge, the great, great, great, great, great grandson of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who immortalised the birds in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

However, there was a downside to the race that could well illustrate the threats these magnificent seabirds face from longline fishing. The signals of many of the transmitters that were being used to monitor the movements of the birds inexplicably stopped. This could mean that the birds had died and been dragged underwater on the end of a longline hook - sharing the fate of an estimated 300,000 albatrosses every year. However, with luck it could simply be that the transmitters were simply not robust enough to cope with the challenging conditions of the Southern Oceans, and that these juvenile birds will return to their home islands to breed in a few years time.

Antarctic tourists help seabirds

For the past three years eco-tourists visiting the Antarctic have been contributing towards BirdLife`s Save the Albatross campaign. Since 2001, The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) has presented a lecture and film to passengers on wildlife cruises to the region, entitled Seabird conservation in fisheries. The purpose of the lecture is to raise awareness of the threats seabirds face in fisheries operating in the southern hemisphere and to raise funds for conservation initiatives. In the 2003/04 season 17 ships operated by companies co-ordinated by IAATO presented the albatross lecture and film to their passengers and a total of US$35,000 was generously donated. Birds Australia (BirdLife in Australia) will now oversee the allocation of these funds to seabird projects as part of BirdLife`s campaign.

Source: fatbirder

Uganda's Blue Swallows get BP Conservation award
$600,000 has been awarded to 29 teams of young conservationists as part of the BP Conservation Programme, a unique collaboration between BirdLife International and three other leading environmental organisations. The record prize fund was awarded at an awards ceremony held last night in London. The 29 teams came from 23 countries around the globe, with their projects focusing on a wide variety on issues ranging from protecting bats in Madagascar to coral conservation in the Marshall Islands. One of the winners of the three main $75,000 Consolidation Awards (awarded to continue the work of previous BP Award winners), is the Threatened Birds of Bolivia Project, which aims to improve the situation for all 29 of Bolivia`s globally threatened bird species and the habitats they live in, including the critically endangered Blue-throated Macaw Ara glaucogularis.

The training and long-term support provided by this Programme increases the immediate capabilities of projects, but perhaps more significantly, builds the skills, enthusiasm and potential of individual team members. Marianne Dunn, Programme manager, BP Conservation Programme.

Other bird projects to benefit include: a $30,000 Follow-up Award to a team led by Nature Uganda (BirdLife in Uganda) to monitor the status of the globally threatened Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea in Uganda; a project to survey for Orange-necked Partridges in Vietnam; conservation of the recently-discovered Araripe Manakin Antilophia bokermanni in Brazil; and a project to conserve endangered grassland birds in Uruguay. Please see the BP Conservation web site http://conservation.bp.com/news/awards.asp for further details of all the winners.

Roof raised for Ridgway's return
London`s Tower Bridge was raised twice this morning for sailor John Ridgway, as he finished his year-long voyage around the world`s oceans to highlight the needless slaughter of albatrosses and other seabirds by pirate long-line fishermen.Schoolchildren operated the controls that raised and lowered the bridge to mark John`s return to the United Kingdom after his mammoth 327 day trip that covered more than 30,000 miles.

All of the world`s 21 species of albatross face a very real risk of extinction over the next few years. John`s heroic voyage has drawn the world`s attention to the possibility of a bleak future where these magnificent seabirds no longer grace our oceans.  Dr Mike Rands, Director, BirdLife

Long-lining poses the most serious threat to albatrosses and is responsible for the deaths of more than 300,000 seabirds including 100,000 albatrosses every year. Many vessels are pirates, flying under flags of convenience of countries with no interest in responsible fishing. Sixty-six year old John, from Ardmore, north-west Scotland, left London in July accompanied by his wife Marie-Christine and a handful of volunteers. Their yacht, the English Rose VI, sailed through Cape Town, Melbourne, Wellington, and Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands before heading back to the UK. The voyage was seeking long-line fleets hunting prized fish for lucrative sushi markets in Japan and the US.

John`s next trip will be somewhat shorter... He is a joining a delegation from BirdLife to present a petition against pirate long-line fishing to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome next week.

Where do Morocco's Bald Ibises go?

Most of the world`s Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremite breed in Morocco`s Souss-Massa National Park. But outside the breeding season little is known about the birds` movements, and without this information it has been impossible to identify measures for the year-round conservation of this Critically Endangered species.

Now a team from SEO/BirdLife (BirdLife in Spain) and staff from Souss-Massa National Park, with collaboration from Spain`s Ministry of the Environment, has succeeded for the first time ever in trapping and fitting three Northern Bald Ibis with satellite tracking devices.

The Northern Bald Ibis was once widespread across northern Africa, the Middle East and even the Alps. By 1997 the bird`s population had fallen to fewer than 50 pairs, largely confined to coastal cliffs within the National Park, near Agadir. This long-term decline has been driven by human disturbance and persecution, especially hunting, as well as habitat loss and pesticide poisoning.

Souss-Massa National Park was officially designated in 1991, with the conservation of the Northern Bald Ibis as a primary aim. An intensive monitoring and conservation programme was launched in 1998, with the participation of local communities and support from the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK). Spain`s Agency for International Cooperation (AECI) and the African Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) have supported different parts of the project. The National Park`s staff have been reinforced by seven wardens, contracted by SEO/BirdLife.

While numbers of Northern Bald Ibises still remain critically low, the breeding population has doubled to around 100 pairs. 98 pairs started breeding in 2003; and 110 chicks fledged, despite bad weather.

At present, we have data on breeding, habitat selection, feeding, etc., but many of the birds disappear for weeks at a time outside the breeding season, and we know very little about where they go. said SEO`s Research Director, Ramón Marti. The satellite transmitters fixed to these three individuals - two adults and a 2004 juvenile - will make it possible to monitor their movements during the coming months. This information is key to identifying suitable conservation measures outside the breeding area, when the birds face unknown threats.

Source: BirdLife / Fatbirder


Eastern Arc gold rush - update March 2004

Recent national concern has been sparked by the gold rush seen to the East Usambara Mountains from April 2003 and into 2004. During January to March a tour was made by staff from UNDP, the Forest and Beekeeping Division and NGO staff from CARE and TFCG of all 14 Districts containing Eastern Arc mountains in Tanzania, and information was collected on the current status of gold mining across the entire range, and its effects on forest habitats.

Information obtained shows that gold mining is occurring in the Uluguru, Nguu, West Usambara and East Usambara Mountains. However, only in the last three of these does it involve significant numbers of people and cause important environmental damage. In the Nguu Mountains 3,000 gold miners are said to be digging and panning in alluvial deposits along streams both in farmlands and also within the Pumula national Forest Reserve, and probably elsewhere in the Nguu range. In the West Usambara Mountains a peak of 40,000 people was recorded in Balangai West forest reserve, again digging and panning for gold in alluvial deposits alongside streams. This number is reported to be declining but significant damage has been done and people are now prospecting in other parts of the West Usambaras, for example in Baga I, Baga II and Ndelemai forest reserves. In the East Usambara Mountains the number of miners at the village of Sakale outside the forests reached more than 12,000 (some say more than 20,000), but has now dropped to around 10% of this number. The mining method involves digging pits into alluvial deposits in a former swamp and then washing and panning the material to obtain the gold. In March 2004 the pits were being worked over again for the third time, but some prospectors (generally in teams of 2-3) could still find a gramme or two of gold in a day (valued at 12,000 TSH/gramme). The refugee camp of plastic bag houses, shops, restaurants, brothels and even a hairdresser remains (see photos).

Photos: Top left Sakale area mining camp (March 9th 2004), top right Sakale area initial washing of alluvial material, bottom left miner digging pit in already mined part of Sakale area, bottom right illegal mining along streams within Amani Nature Reserve


Much more worrying is the continued exploration of other parts of the East Usambaras for gold along stream courses. Illegal mining and mining exploration has been reported in Semdoe FR, Nilo FR, Longuza FR, Derema corridor and is also occurring within Amani Nature Reserve. Small groups of determined miners are working using local informers and at night time to prospect for gold within these nationally protected areas. Within the Amani Nature Reserve, the illegal miners are being evicted by teams made up of Nature Reserve staff and local villagers. The catchment forest staff are also trying to deal with the issue of illegal miners within their forest reserves.

The forests of the East Usambara Mountains are regarded as globally important for biodiversity conservation. These values extend from birds and amphibians that might be affected by stream mining, to an almost unknown aquatic invertebrate fauna. For example there are 2 species of dragonflies (with wholly aquatic larvae) that are endemic to the forested mountain streams of the East Usambaras. Such species are likely to be intolerant of major aquatic disturbances such as that caused by gold mining. In addition the East Usambaras are the source of the rivers that supply Tanga with its drinking water and pollution of the streams draining Amani Nature Reserve and the Catchment Forest Reserves of the East Usambaras represents a serious potential problem to that town. Although it has not been confirmed, rumours suggest that mercury is being used in some areas to help extract the gold. If that were confirmed, it would represent a very serious health risk to people living downstream. Further social problems caused by the presence of the illegal miners in the area have included an increased rate of theft, beatings and murder within the mining community, and an increased likelihood for spreading diseases such as HIV/AIDs and cholera.

In conclusion, gold mining is occurring in a number of places across the Eastern Arc Mountains. The greatest problems are in the West and East Usambaras, and even though numbers of people concentrated in small tented camps seems to be declining, people have now dispersed into smaller mobile groups who are testing stream and swamp areas across the highlands, including within Forest Reserves and the Amani Nature Reserve. The Forestry Department and Amani Nature Reserve are responding as best they can to the challenge, but further support from the broader conservation community would assist their efforts to contain the problems. In particular the presence of illegal miners in the Amani Nature Reserve is worrying as it is the flagship conservation area in the East Usambaras and attracts foreign and Tanzanian tourists to its walking trails through the forest.

Neil Burgess in litt.

Gold rush in the East Usambara mountain range has potential to threaten biodiversity and the livelihood of the local communities

The East Usambara mountains in the north-east of Tanzania, are one of the most important areas on the African mainland for the conservation of globally threatened birds. Since the discovery of gold in Amani in early-October 2004, concern has been voiced by the Tanzanian government, scientists and NGOs working in the area about the impact that a flood of gold prospectors may have on biodiversity in the area.

Potentially, this is a serious issue. Immediately after the discovery in October, there was a sudden influx of people into the area from people from nearby towns. Reportedly, numerous people have been ascending the Amani plateau by foot or vehicles daily.

Amani Nature Reserve, set up in 1997, is Tanzania s first official forest Nature Reserve and covers 8,400 ha , including forest leased by private tea companies. The East Usambara Important Bird Area, designated by BirdLife International, is extremely important for birds and includes species such as Usambara Eagle-owl Bubo vosseleri, Sokoke Scops-owl Otus ireneae, Long-billed Tailorbird Orthotomus moreaui, Swynnerton's Robin Swynnertonia swynnertoni, Usambara Weaver Ploceus nicolli and Dapple-throat Modulatrix orostruthus. It also supports several endemic races of bird and other species important in an East African context.

The area being mined is at some distance from the forest and nature reserve, but as much of this is alluvial gold, there is concern that mercury will be employed in this stream. The mountains are drained by the catchment of the Sigi river, entering the Indian Ocean at Tanga and there are fears that any mercury use will contaminate the larger rivers which it feeds into thus creating wider environmental and public health issues. People may also start prospecting in other rivers and streams in the forest. However the Tanzanian government is working strenuously to control these events and it is especially concerned with potential mercury contamination of river sources that feed towns and cities further downstream.
The areas of remaining forest are a patchwork of fragments of the previous extent, which was cleared first for coffee production and latterly for tea plantations. Commercial logging in the early 1980s damaged much of the remaining forest but has now ceased. The lowland forest is arguably now most at risk. The commercial growing of cardamom inside the Forest Reserves is also a major problem. Increase in the use of inorganic fertilizers by the tea plantations creates concerns for long-term damage to the soils and water. There have been significant changes in precipitation within the East Usambara range that could potentially be linked to changes in land use. Data from the 1930s suggest there was then a shorter dry season and far more cloud cover than is usual today.

At present it is not possible to indicate whether the gold rush  is likely to impact on the already impoverished biodiversity of the area. Strenuous efforts by the Tanzanian government and strict adherence to a permit system will hopefully control the prospecting to limited areas.

Uganda to host global wetlands conference

Uganda has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ramsar Conventionon Wetlands to host the 9th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP9) in Kampala in late 2005.

The offer, which is a highly significant commitment for Uganda, is the first time that the global Convention on Wetlands has come to Africa for its triennial meeting of its Parties, now numbering 138 countries. The ceremony on 30 October was held during a Reception hosted by Wetlands International and the Royal Netherlands Embassy, Washington D.C. Wetlands International's President, Max Finlayson invited the Ramsar Convention's Secretary General, Peter Bridgewater and the Uganda National Coordinator for CoP9, Paul Mafabi to sign the Memorandum.

As the first country in Africa to develop a national wetland policy, and with over 14 years' practical experience of learning from community based wetland management, Uganda has a leading role in showing how wise use and conservation of wetlands is achievable in the demanding context of Africa. Uganda has demonstrated how sustainable support for people's livelihoods can go hand in hand with conservation of the biodiversity of these supremely rich areas. The Ramsar Convention's mission is "the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world". Uganda joined the Convention in 1988, and has since then, in partnership with several Contracting Parties and international organisations, developed effective and transferable strategies and tools to enable other African countries to benefit from Uganda's experience.

Source:BirdLife International

Lutembe Bay - An Important Bird Area, on the Brink of Destruction

NatureUganda, through its monthly monitoring of Lutembe bay, an Important Bird Area, has been shocked with discovering that Rosebud Ltd, a flower farm on the shores of the bay has constructed a road through the swamp and are busy filling the marsh with debris. This action can only be described as unfortunate for the site, for biodiversity and for our country.

Lutembe bay is one of the 30 Important Bird Areas in Uganda Lutembe Bay also holds more that five species of birds that qualify it to be a Ramsar site and a profile for Ramsar listing has been completed. It is an important stopover for migratory birds and regularly holds what is believed to be the world population of the entire species, of the White-winged Black Terns. Recent surveys by MUIENR have also discovered an Aeschynomene species of a plant that is not known anywhere else in East and Central Africa.

Despite this global importance, the bay is facing serious threats. The bay is surrounded by more than four flower farms probably the biggest concentration of such intensive agricultural farms in the country. All the water for irrigation is drawn from the bay. Whereas this may not be of great concern on such water body like Victoria, the fear is the runoff from the farms, which may contain agro-chemicals that could impact on the lake. As if this is not enough threat to the bay, the owner of Rosebud Ltd has constructed a road from the mainland to the middle of the Bay and now is filling up the bay with debris. As you may be aware Lutembe Bay is not an open lake but a marsh and that is how it becomes favourable for water birds feeding and roosting. Furthermore, this dumping is happening on the actual roost sites for the birds.

One side of the peninsular, a road has been constructed in the Bay and on the other side, the swamp is being filled with soil to create space for the flower farm.
One would hope that such environmentally sensitive issues would be mitigated through EIA recommendations. However, NatureUganda has not found any evidence of an environmental impact assessment prior to this activity, let alone the establishment of the flower farms! I would imagine that there are also environmental regulations for horticultural or floricultural activities in Uganda that would guide the conduct of farmers.

Due to the huge congregations and high diversity of birds, Lutembe bay has become the hottest bird watching spot for water birds in Uganda. NatureUganda together with a local birding group, Uganda Bird Guides Club have been promoting this site for ecotourism and these efforts have started bearing fruit with many tourists going through Lutembe to and from the airport.

The current developments at the Bay may impede our efforts for ecotourism promotion, destroy this site of global significance and tarnish our country's image as an upcoming tourist destination. We urge NEMA and other relevant government institutions to move quickly and stop the destruction of this globally, nationally and locally important biodiversity site.

Source: NatureUganda website & AfricanBirding

Local communities help Cameroon rainforest to regenerate

A new study using satellite imagery and aerial photographs has revealed that thanks to local community management, significant regeneration of one of West Africa's most important areas of montane forest, Kilum-Ijim in north-western Cameroon, is taking place.