Dear Nick,
Thanks for highlighting the recently held Bonn Meeting regarding the
unsustainable bird trapping in Egypt and Libya, and providing the site
details.

I listened to the video comments with much interest, (and urge all on
the net to do likewise), by both Noor Noor and Marcus Koehler, and
found the new initiative very encouraging, and thought Noor’s
reporting very sincere and a good man to have steering the programme.

Whilst he was giving details of Quail trapping as an annual means of
sustenance and income as being important to the poorer Egyptians, I
had a thought that if Quail are the major issue here, in Kenya they
are farmed with relative ease and maybe Egyptians should also be aided
in setting up commercial and domestic ventures. I couldn’t believe it
when after the videos had finished that Adam had also suggested the
same.  It all seemed so obvious.

Whilst the hoardes of harvested passerines are still termed as
“by-catch”, I think there is little doubt that they are now targets
sought out.

However I find it all very encouraging that the issues are now getting
the attention that they deserve, and that so many parties are getting
together to find a common solution acceptable to all involved. Not
sure that next years harvest should be just counted and not countered,
if you could see the change that we see here with regards to the
numbers of migrants reaching us, especially shrikes but also warblers,
chats, wagtails etc., then you would also want more than just an
accurate count of birds slaughtered in 2014 and 2015.

I am off to Ngulia in Tsavo West tomorrow for three nights of migrant
study, and will report on the findings.

I was absolutely enthralled to see a flock of 15000 Amur Falcons come
down to feed in Tsavo a couple of weeks ago, the Nagaland story is a
pleasing solution that we would like to see repeated time and time
again.

Best for now, and thanks again,
Brian


On 12/5/13, Adam Scott Kennedy <adamscottkennedy@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Nick,
>
> Thanks very much for posting this important announcement and keeping the
> kenyabirdnet 'in the loop' about developments.
>
> I think that Mr. Noor Noor gives a very good presentation of the issues
> faced on both sides of the problem and he is clearly very passionate about
> finding a resolution. With the right level of support, from BLI and other
> parties, he could well be the chap that gets things done.
>
> It is unfortunate that the 2014-15 seasons will merely be 'monitored' to
> ascertain the numerical facts, however, and I can't help but feel that yet
> another full season of slaughter may be 'one season too many' for more than
> just a few species. From what we are seeing in Kenya, the numbers of
> migrants remain massively down on previous years, especially shrikes. Can
> one more year of 'by-catch' really be allowed/ sanctioned? Surely there is
> a will, and therefore a way, to monitor the catch without kiling all the
> birds next year? Can the bird-ringers of this world not get together and
> monitor the catch, paying their way to keep the locals 'sustained' until
> the previous year when more (or other) solutions can be found?
>
> One such solution is very simple and I have yet to hear it mentioned or
> addressed - Quail farming. Numerous species of quail are intensively farmed
> around the world and so if the Libyan and Egyptian people are catching
> these birds out of economic need, surely BLI and others can provide the
> know-how and finance to set the people up in aviculture?
>
> I'm sure that between us all, we can come up with more simple and effective
> ideas but how do we get these in front of the right people, Nick?
>
> Cheers for now,
> Adam
>
>
>
> On 4 December 2013 17:20, <fanatic4falcons@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Greetings Kenyan Birders,
>>
>>
>> For those interested in the above issue, I urge you to follow this link
>> to
>> a BirdLife International report of a recent meeting held in Bonn, and
>> hosted by colleagues at the AEWA Secretariat.
>>
>>
>> http://www.birdlife.org/africa/news/concern-over-migrant-birds-prompts-international-response
>>
>> Included in the report is a video interview with Noor Noor, Executive
>> Coordinator of Nature Conservation Egypt.  Please do take time to listen
>> to
>> what Noor, and others have to say on the subject.
>>
>> It will be a complex and challenging task to address this problem,
>> especially given the other pressures facing the two Governments at the
>> current time.  However, the meeting set the scene for important and
>> ongoing
>> international cooperation and support, which I believe provides real hope
>> that a effective and long-term solutions can be found.
>>
>> NPW
>>
>>
>>
>>
>