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BR EFLY
INTERNATIONAL
Forests treaty talks
abandoned
More than 100 countries meet-
ing in Geneva in August in
preparation for the June 1992
United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development
(UNCED) abandoned efforts to
complete a treaty for protection
of the world's forests. Talks
failed because of the lack of
communication between devel-
oped and developing countries
on the relationship between
conservation and development. This photograph of a hummingbird hawkmoth feeding on nectar, taken by
There is doubt that the UN Hans Christoph Kappel of Germany, won the Animal Behaviour: Insects
category in the British Gas Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition
Conference will make headway organized by BBC WILDLIFE Magazine and the Natural History Museum in
in addressing the broader range association with FFPS (see pp. 59-60).
of environmental problems that
occur across a similar economic
divide. projects, bringing degraded General Agreement on Tariffs
Source: WWF-International, 21 land back into production, and Trade (GATT) dispute com-
August 1991. developing secondary forests mittee, which sat in September.
and paying for the policing of The decision, due to be adopted
primary forests. or rejected by the full GATT
Antarctic protocol signed Source: The Guardian, 17 July Council on 8 October, was the
In October the member nations 1991. first test of whether environ-
of the Antarctic Treaty signed a mental concerns can be a factor
protocol banning mining on the in restricting a country's
CITES update imports. If adopted, the prece-
continent for at least 50 years. It
is expected to come into force Izgrev N. Topov, a Bulgarian dent set could lead to GATT
in about 2 years time after for- diplomat, became the new being used by any national
mal ratification. The protocol Secretary General to the government to overturn trade
includes rules on pollution and Convention on Trade in measures designed to protect
waste disposal, and requires Endangered Species of Wild endangered species or habitats.
that any new activity, including Fauna and Flora (CITES) on 1 Conservationists are expressing
tourism, is subject to an envi- July 1991. Mexico acceded to deep concern about GATT,
ronmental impact assessment. the Convention on 2 July, effec- which is the only world body
Source: New Scientist, 12 tive on 30 September 1991, with no remit for the environ-
October 1991,17. bringing the total number of ment.
Parties to 111. Source: The Guardian, 6 & 13
Source: Cat News, July 1991, 20; September 1991.
World Bank's new forest
TRAFFIC Bulletin, 12,1/2,1.
policy
Airline bird ban grows
The World Bank launched a GATT rules against
new policy document in July, A growing number of interna-
dolphins
which will ban the funding of tional airlines, 26 in all, have
logging projects in tropical rain A US law banning imports of stopped transporting wild-
forests. The rights of forest- yellow-fin tuna from Mexico, in caught birds but 20 major air-
dwelling people to carry on tra- order to protect dolphins taken lines are still participating,
ditional sustainable harvesting with the fish in purse seine including the world's largest
are recognized. The Bank will nets, contravenes international bird carriers—Air Afrique,
confine itself to reforestation trade rules, according to the Alitalia, Iberia Airlines, Japan
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Airlines and Korean Air. are suspected of the killings; decreased since the mid-1980s
Source: Monitor, 29 July 1991; they say that eagles kill new- and the number of cod pro-
Animal Welfare Institute born reindeer. The Finnish duced each year is too small to
Quarterly, Summer 1991,1 & Government already compen- renew the stock.
4-5. sates owners for losses but the Source: Fishing News
reindeer owners' association International, August 1991,6.
wants the government to
EUROPE AND NORTH replace per capita payments
with a fixed annual amount to Wrasse replace chemicals
AFRICA
prevent eagles being killed. Wrasse are being caught for use
Source: WWF News, October as cleaner fish in Norway's
Last ditch effort for cranes 1991,8. salmon farms as an environ-
In 1991, in the Siberian village mentally friendly alternative to
of Gorki, six Siberian, or great the chemical control of fish lice.
white, cranes Grus leucogeranus Finnish mere to be drowned Several species of wrasse are
chicks were hatched artificially A 234-sq-km reservoir being found in Norway's shallow
from eggs flown from the US planned on the river Kemijoki waters and they have been
and Germany. One chick died in Finnish Lapland would regarded in the past as 1)ait
and in June the five survivors drown one of the world's thieves' and 'useless' bycatch.
were taken by helicopter to the largest aapa mires. The Vuotos The European Commission has
territory of one of the only two reservoir was proposed in the recently granted subsidies for a
known wild pairs of cranes in 1970s but strong opposition led cleaner-fish technology project,
western Siberia. A researcher the Government to cancel the to be run in co-operation
from the International Crane project in 1982. It has been between Ireland, Greece,
Foundation, dressed as a crane, revived to provide 300 jobs for Portugal, Norway and the UK.
taught the cranes to feed and 10 years and to help meet peak Source: Fishing News
protected them from predators. electricity requirements. International, August 1991, 29.
It was hoped that in August the Source: Suomen Luonto, No. 7,
chicks, fitted with radio-trans- 1991.
mitters, would join the wild Move to protect Denmark's
cranes and migrate south to otters
India or Iran. Although more Finland's butterflies
Denmark's Ministry of
than 2500 Siberian cranes sur- declining
Fisheries has declared that all
vive in the far eastern Soviet Of Finland's 114 butterfly fishermen in northern Jutland
Union, the western population species only one, the dusky must use stopgrids or stopnets
numbered only 14 in the meadow brown Hyponephele in fish traps in all areas where
1990-1991 winter. lycaon, has disappeared but otters occur. The regulations
Source: The ICF Bugle, August others have dwindled: 27 are were imposed on 1 January
1991,4. listed as threatened. Causes of 1991 and will remain in force
the declines are drastic changes until 30 April 1995.
in agricultural practice and Source: IUCN Otter Specialist
Golden eagles killed modern forestry techniques. Group Bulletin, No. 6,1991,13.
Almost 20 pairs of golden Source: Suomen Luonto, No. 6,
eagles Aquila chrysaetos were 1991.
shot, poisoned or trapped in Cod ranching
Padasjarvi, their best nesting A cod ranching project started
area in northern Finland in Baltic cod collapse
by Danish fishermen in 1989
1991. Of 40 fledglings only one The stock of cod in the Baltic made its first large release of
is now expected to survive. The Sea is in a precarious state, young cod on 3 June 1991;
killings shocked scientists from according to the International 300,000 small fish reared in
Oulu University, which has Council for the Exploration of hatcheries on the west coast
been running a conservation the Sea. Because of adverse were taken to sea in a fishing
project for the eagle for the past environmental conditions relat- vessel. Some 10,000 cod are
15 years, sponsored by the ed to the lack of water being kept in nursery tanks
Finnish Ministry of the exchange with the North Sea, until they reach a size of 15-20
Environment and WWF- the volume of water where cod cm, when they will be tagged
Finland. Local reindeer owners eggs can survive has steadily and released to check migration
8
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patterns and growth rates. Croatia. Federal tanks have each year in Greece including
Turbot is also being investigat- destroyed the fragile environ- possibly 4000 buzzards. The
ed for ranching off Denmark. ment of the Plitvice Lakes and Greek Centre for the Care of
Source: Fishing News two other parks, Paklajnice and Wild Animals and Birds on the
International, August 1991,22. Sibenik, have received severe island of Aegina alone receives
shelling from the Federal Army. 150-200 buzzards wounded by
Source: New Scientist, 5 October hunters. Although hunting is
UK adds to Ramsar list
1991,10. forbidden in cold or snowy
Rutland Water in the UK has weather the law is rarely
been designated a Special enforced and hunters object to
Dalmatian pelicans in Greek hunting laws being
Protection Area under the EC
Albania brought into line with EC regu-
'Birds Directive' and as a
Wetland of International A Czech team visited important lations.
Importance under the Ramsar bird sites in Albania in 1991 Source: Nature, Bulletin of the
Convention. Over 20,000 water- and discovered 35 Dalmatian Hellenic Society for the Protection
fowl use the wetland in winter. pelican Pelecanus crispus nests of Nature, January-March 1991,
Source: English Nature, 4 in two colonies in Karavastas 44.
October 1991. lagoon, the last national
stronghold for the bird.
However, 36 eggs were either Turkey's turtles face
Eagle reintroduction sterile or pricked, the latter pre- renewed threats
planned for Ireland sumably by fishermen who Development for tourism is
Captive-bred young white- view the birds as competitors. once again threatening logger-
tailed sea eagles Haliaeetus albi- This wetland, Albania's last head turtle Caretta caretta nest-
cilla from the Netherlands, intact example, is threatened by ing beaches in Turkey. The
Germany and Switzerland are reclamation. beaches were protected in 1988
being sent to the Fota Island Source:World Birdwatch, by the Turkish Authority for
Wildlife Park, County Cork, September 1991,5. Protection of Special Areas (see
Ireland. They will be released Oryx, 23,39), which has now
to selected sites in counties changed its mind. The beaches
Kerry and Clare within 2 years. Greek bird hunting at Dalyan, where 200-300 tur-
The eagle was hunted to extinc- An estimated 700,000 protected tles nest, are causing most con-
tion in Ireland 90 years ago. birds are wounded or killed cern among conservationists
Source: BBC Wildlife, August
1991,526.
Vulture project success
The project to reintroduce grif-
fon vultures Gyps fulvus to the
Causses region of France cele-
brated its tenth anniversary in
1991. Between 1981 and 1987 69
birds were released and the
first successful breeding in the
wild occurred in 1982; 19 chicks
hatched in 1991, bringing the
total number to over 100.
Source: Fonds d'Intervention
pour les Rapaces, 29 rue de
Mont Valerien, 92210 St Cloud,
France.
Frans Lanting from the Netherlands took this photograph of lily pads from
War wrecks Croatian parks below the surface of the Okavango river in Botswana and won the In Praise
of Plants category in the British Gas Wildlife Photographer of the Year
The war in Yugoslavia has Competition organized by BBC WILDLIFE Magazine and the Natural History
wrecked three national parks in Museum in association with the FFPS (see pp. 59-60).
9
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because they are considered from the Water and Forest dalized in the week between
vital for the survival of logger- Authority or the Scientific the abdication of president
heads in the Mediterranean. Institute. Mengistu Manam on 26 May
Source: Marine Pollution Bulletin, Source: World Birdwatch, 1991 and the assumption of
October 1991, 484. September 1991,13. authority by the Ethiopian
People's Revolutionary
Democratic Front (EPRDF) on 1
Seagrass decline in
AFRICA June. First retreating soldiers
Mediterranean
and then local people
Beds of the seagrass Posidonia destroyed park buildings and
African rain forest hunted animals. One park that
oceanica are declining in the
campaign survived the interregnum and
Mediterranean, especially in
tourist areas where plankton The African NGO Environment also the civil war is Simien,
growth, enhanced by raw Network, ANEN, is launching which was controlled by rebels.
sewage, prevents light reaching a campaign to promote com- The new government tried to
the plants on the sea-bed. The munity-based action to save re-establish law and order in
seagrass beds provide food and Africa's rain forests. the park system and in August
shelter for several thousand Details from: Simon Muchiru, a televised policy declaration
species of fish and inverte- ANEN, PO Box 53844, Nairobi, took a strong stand against
brates as well as being impor- Kenya, Fax: 2542 335108. deforestation and for wildlife
tant oxygenators. France was conservation.
first to raise the alarm about the Source: BBC Wildlife, September
shrinking beds and now has Two African warthogs
1991,591.
laws to protect them; Spain is A recent review of African
thinking of following suit. suids by Peter Grubb has con-
Source: New Scientist, 5 October New bird from Somalia
cluded that two species of liv-
1991,11. ing warthogs should be recog- A new bird species, the Bulo
nized, rather than the single Burti boubou Lanarius liberatus,
species Phacochoerus aethiopicus. has been described from
Visitor threat to bald ibis He suggests that the common Somalia. Its English name is
The eastern population of warthog, which is widely dis- derived from the name of a
northern bald ibis Geronticus tributed, should be correctly hospital in whose grounds it
eremita became extinct in 1989 called P. africanus, while the was discovered by Eddie Smith
and the western population, second species should be called in 1988. After some months in
mainly in Morocco, has contin- the desert warthog P. aethiopi- captivity in Somalia and
ued to decline despite the cus. The latter species is known Germany it was released into
establishment of hunting only from two widely separat- the Balcad Nature Reserve in
reserves at major colonies and ed locations, in north-eastern Somalia.
feeding grounds. The main rea- and extreme southern Africa. It Source: BBC Wildlife, August
son for the recent decline has has been extinct in the latter 1991, 534.
been habitat degradation due locality, where it was known as
to agricultural intensification. the Cape warthog, since the
Four colonies remain on the end of last century. It has been The Gambia defends itself
Moroccan coast, in a semi-arid impossible to assess the status against hunters
area unsuitable for agricultural of the north-eastern population, Two French companies, Paris-
development, and good rains in Somalia/north-east Kenya, based Jet Tours and Lyon-based
since 1987 have resulted in a because of the unstable political Grand Nord Indien, advertised
slight population increase to situation there, but warthogs The Gambia as a hunting
220 individuals in March/ April were reported to be widespread destination in their brochures
1990 with 78 breeding pairs. in Somalia in 1984. for 1991/92. The Gambia's
The birds face problems, how- Source: William L. R. Oliver. Ministry of Natural Resources
ever, in that local people throw and the Environment has writ-
stones to flush them out for for- ten to the directors of both
eign visitors as a way of earn- Ethiopia's new government companies to protest and
ing tips. Birdwatchers are gives hope for wildlife request withdrawal of the
advised to visit the colonies Ethiopia's national parks and advertisements. In view of the
only with an experienced guide wildlife sanctuaries were van- wide circulation of the adver-
10
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tisements, the Government is low down on tree trunks where study. The mine, to be partially
particularly concerned to refute DDT is applied. funded by the World Bank,
the suggestion that The Gambia Source: Zimbabwe Wildlife, June would generate revenues of
is opening up hunting to 1991,13. $US550 million over the next 30
tourists. It stands firmly by its years for the Malagasy authori-
conservation legislation. ties. It would appear that it
Fencing out the lions would be possible to protect
Source: Ministry of Natural
Resources and the Environment, Electric fences around certain small areas of forest from
5 Marina Parade, Banjul, The villages and cattle kraals in exploitation and to rehabilitate
Gambia, 9 October 1991. Chobe Enclave, northern mined areas. A number of
Botswana, were erected in 1991 plants and three reptiles are
to try to solve problems with endemic to the forest.
Dja Reserve threatened by marauding lions and elephants. Source: IUCN Forest
road An anti-elephant fence at Conservation Programme
Work may soon start on the sec- Kavimba village successfully Newsletter, No. 11, 6.
tion of the trans-African high- turned back one elephant with-
way that will pass close to the in the first week after comple-
Dja Reserve in south-east tion and the anti-lion fences are ASIA (EXCLUDING IN DO-
Cameroon, which is a World being monitored. Already other MALAYA)
Heritage Site but which has a communities are enquiring
weak conservation manage- about how to obtain similar
fences in their areas. Bird toll of Gulf oil spill
ment programme. The
Environmental Impact Study Source: Kalahari Conservation The Gulf War oil spill in the
for the road has been criticized Society Newsletter, September first part of 1991 was the largest
as inadequate, particularly 1991,12. ever. Approximately 460 km of
because no measures are shoreline were heavily oiled.
planned to ensure the sustain- The most conspicuous fauna to
ability of the logging that will Sharks deterred by suffer were seabirds, particular-
occur in the road's hinterland. invisible barrier ly black-necked and great crest-
Source: IUCN Forest The deaths every year of thou- ed grebes, Podiceps nigricollis
Conservation Programme sands of sharks, turtles and dol- and P. cristatus, and Socotra and
Newsletter, No. 11, 6. phins could be avoided if shark great cormorants, Phalacrocorax
nets around holiday resorts in nigrogularis and P. carbo. At
Australia and South Africa least 25,000-30,000 seabirds
DDT situation worse in were replaced by harmless, died. One of the most signifi-
Zimbabwe invisible electric barriers devel- cant impacts may have been on
Eight clutches of fish eagle oped by Eddie Smith at the waders, 260,000 of which win-
Haliaeetus vocifer eggs collected University of Pretoria, South ter on the Saudi Arabian coast;
in 1989 close to sites sampled in Africa. He discovered that apart from direct damage from
1980 near Lake Kariba, using a submerged cable to the oil these birds would have
Zimbabwe, showed an average apply a field of 4 volts per suffered severe food shortages
increase of 60 per cent in levels metre in pulses of 0.8 millisec- on the oil-covered tidal flats.
of DDT. Although only 11 onds long, 15 per second, repels There was a massive mortality
clutches were sampled in 1989, sharks of 1.1 m and over. of invertebrates but only five
making it difficult to estimate Source: New Scientist, 26 marine turtles were known to
the risk to the entire fish eagle October 1991, 27. have died and a large die-off of
population, the degree of marine mammals (14 dugongs
eggshell thinning and residue and 78 cetaceans) may not have
levels of DDE (a DDT metabo- Titanium mine in been linked with oil pollution.
lite) were sufficient to reduce Madagascar coastal forest Sources: ICBP and WCMC,
breeding success. The red- A plan to strip-mine rich Cambridge, UK.
billed hoopoe Phoeniculus pur- deposits of titanium near
pureus has suffered a serious Tolagnaro, in the most exten-
decline in numbers in an area Gazelle reintroduction
sive remaining area of coastal
first sprayed against tsetse fly forest in south-east Mountain gazelles Gazella g.
in 1987 and annually since. The Madagascar, is currently sub- gazella from the King Khalid
species feeds on insects taken ject to an environmental impact Wildlife Research Centre
11
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(KKWRC) have been reintro- Biology and the International
duced into the Special Ibex Crane Foundation discovered
Reserve, 200 km south of more than 2800 black-necked
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Of 30 cranes Grus nigricollis wintering
animals moved since January in south-central Tibet, more
1991, four have died but at least than doubling the known
12 have been born and are sur- world population to 3909. The
viving. The KKWRC is man- Lhasa Municipal Government
aged by the Zoological Society in Tibet has announced plans
of London for the National for a nature reserve in Linzhou
Commission for Wildlife county, a major wintering area
Conservation and for 300 of the cranes.
Development as a centre for Source: The ICF Bugle, August
captive breeding and research 1991, 7.
into indigenous gazelles.
Several more reintroductions
are planned to re-establish Japan bans mist nets
Paphiopedilum superbiens, one of the
gazelle herds in protected areas Japan has at last bowed to per- endangered orchids still in illegal
in their former ranges. sistent pressure from conserva- trade in Japan (drawing by courtesy
Source: Nick Lindsay, King tionists and revised its laws of TRAFFIC Bulletin).
Khalid Wildlife Research concerning mist nets. From 15
Centre, Saudi Arabia. September 1991 the export of most cases this is unlikely to be
nets (except for research pur- true; two species on sale, for
poses) was banned, as was the example, were discovered only
Deer reintroduction sale of and possession of nets, 8 years ago in China and are
Part of the captive herd of 131 except under permit. The Wild very slow-growing. For others
Pere David's deer Elaphurus Bird Society of Japan says that propagation techniques have
davidianus in Beijing, China, is within the country each year 3 not been perfected.
being released into a 1000-ha million birds are trapped for Source: TRAFFIC Bulletin, 12,
wetland reserve on the Yangtse human consumption (despite 1/2,12-14.
River in Hubei province. As the this being illegal since 1947)
herd increases the reserve will and that eradicating poaching
be extended by a further is difficult because the legal INDO-MALAYA
3000^000 ha. The deer became imports of frozen wild birds
extinct in the wild about 1500 make it easy for birds caught
years ago and survived only in illegally in Japan to be passed Conservation in northern
captivity in the palace grounds off as imports. Pakistan
of the Chinese emperor, where Source: BBC Wildlife, November People of the Bar Valley in
Pere Armand David, mission- 1991, 795. northern Pakistan have
ary and naturalist, found them embarked upon a wildlife con-
in 1865. By the time the Chinese servation plan for their area.
empire collapsed, and the cap- Illegal orchid trade in Japan
Villagers have pledged to
tive deer herd with it, several Two genera of slipper orchids, abstain from hunting and in
captive herds were in existence Phragmipediutn and return have been granted a
at several places outside China, Paphiopedilum, were trans- Rs240,000 loan to buy food to
notably at Woburn Abbey in ferred from Appendix II to replace hunted game. The loan
the UK. In 1985 20 Pere David's Appendix I at the seventh is to be repaid in full within 5
deer from the Woburn herd meeting of the Parties to CITES, years, when income will be
were returned to their original meaning that from 18 January derived from trophy hunting.
enclosure in China. 1990 all commercial trade in Source: Natura (WWF Pakistan),
Source: BBC Wildlife, August wild-collected plants was Summer 1991,2-3.
1991,522. banned. The trade continues,
however, in Japan, where there
is much interest in wild-collect- Corbett National Park
Tibet's cranes ed orchids. Some dealers claim A buffer zone of 2300 sq km
In January 1991 scientists from that the orchids offered for sale surrounding the 512-sq-km
the Tibet Plateau Institute of are artificially propagated. In Corbett National Park in India
12
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has been proposed to improve has declared a Non-Hunting fishermen. The ban is being
conditions for wildlife. People Area at the mouth of the drawn up at the request of the
living in the buffer zone would Pattani river as a result of a Agriculture and Cooperatives
benefit from a $US500,000 wel- campaign by a group at the Ministry and will cost the coun-
fare programme and would be Prince of Songkhla University. try about 5 million baht a year
provided with biogas plants, The new protected area is one in export earnings.
which are powered by cow of the principal waterbird sites Source: Bangkok Post, 18 July
dung, thus relieving pressure in Pattani Bay, which is of inter- 1991.
on wood. national importance for migra-
Source: Cat News, July 1991,5. tory shorebirds. Several thou-
sand birds of up to 32 species Wetland restoration
use the bay at times of peak The Tram Chim Nature Reserve
Burma bans border trade in passage but its conservation in southern Vietnam, a small
wildlife value is being eroded by indus- part of the Plain of Reeds dev-
Burma's military government, trial pollution, the spread of astated by 20 years of war, is
which had previously encour- shrimp ponds, bird trapping being restored in a project
aged trade with China and and other developments. funded by the MacArthur
Thailand through border Source: Asian Wetland News, July Foundation and the Brehm
towns, banned border trade in 1991,3. Fund for International Bird
23 items on 1 November 1991. Conservation, and managed
The items include teak, fresh- jointly by US and Vietnamese
Project for Thailand's last scientists. A management plan
water fish and prawns, ele-
lowland forest has established land-use zones
phants, endangered species,
animal hides and ivory. A project to protect Thailand's to guide development of the
Source: The Nation, 30 October last remnant of lowland rain surrounding area so that it ben-
1991. forest and the birds it contains, efits wildlife and people. In the
including the endangered core area the aim is to restore
Gurney's pitta Pitta gurneyi, is the original wetlands. Eastern
Thai wetland drying up under way. Efforts to conserve sarus cranes Grus antigone
Conservationists are trying to the Khao Pra-Bang Khram sharpii were reported at Tram
force the Thai Government to Non-Hunting Area started in Chim in 1987, the first verified
save the country's largest fresh- 1986, when the pitta was redis- report of the species on the
water marsh system, the 39.5- covered there, and the focus is Asian continent for 15 years
sq-km Khao Sam Roi Yot on rural development initia- (see Oryx, 22,145).
National Park, 275 km south of tives to enlist the support of vil- Source: ThelCF Bugle, May 1991,
Bangkok. It is the only wetland lagers, some of whom are now 2-3.
in Thailand with extensive benefiting from income from
reedbeds and is is one of only visitors. Native trees are being
two known sites in the country provided free for fruit and con- White-shouldered ibis in
where purple heron Ardea pur- struction materials and forest Vietnam
purea breeds. It has suffered regeneration is being hastened The white-shouldered ibis
massive encroachment for by planting hardwood trees. Pseudibis davisoni has been
shrimp farms and fish ponds, Illegal clearance is still a prob- found in Nam Bai Cat Tien
and illegal dredging of the lem: at least three pairs of pittas National Park in Vietnam. The
Khao Daeng river has lowered lost their territories in the only previous recent records of
water levels, allowing the 1990/91 season and there have this little-known species are
influx of saltwater. been reports of these birds from Kalimantan, Indonesia; it
Source: Bangkok Bird Club, 8 being trapped for trade. is now probably extinct in
August 1991; Project for Source: Bangkok Bird Club Thailand and there are no
Ecological Recovery, Bangkok, Bulletin, August 1991,10-11. recent records from Laos and
24 August 1991. Cambodia. Unfortunately the
wetlands are subject to major
Fish export ban in Thailand disturbances by fishermen liv-
Part of Pattani Bay ing within the park; a recent
Thailand is to ban exports of
protected conflict between fishermen and
400 species of marine fish to
The Governor of Pattani protect rare species and prevent park staff culminated in the
province in southern Thailand further damage to reefs by deaths of a park guard and a
13
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fisherman. The park authorities Sumatra to Siberut in 1992, tourists are still offered turtle
are about to remove several clearing around 1850 sq km of shells along with other prod-
thousand villagers from the forest on the east side of the ucts of endangered species. The
park, which will be difficult but island to accommodate them. situation on Bali is only the tip
is the only way to preserve the Source: New Scientist, 2 of the iceberg apparently; turtle
integrity of the wetlands. November 1991,14. eggs and soup are readily avail-
Source: World Birdwatch, able all over Indonesia.
September 1991,4. Source: Jakarta Post, October
Rain dampens forest fires 1991.
in Indonesia
Pulau Redang Marine Park
Fires raged through forests in
being developed Record roost of Chinese
Indonesia from mid-August
egrets
Pulau Redang, an island off the until rain in October resulted in
east coast of Peninsular at least some being quenched. In April 1991 635 Chinese
Malaysia, with national park The fires destroyed 43,454 ha of egrets Egretta eulophotes were
status, is being developed into natural forest and 6428 ha of recorded roosting in mangroves
a major holiday resort by a pri- indigenous forest as well as on the islets of Tahong-tahong,
vate company. Management plantations, bush and grass- Banacon, Kalituban, Mahaba
plans for the park, which pro- land. The worst hit areas were and Bubuajan in Bohol
posed only a small-scale, 'eco- Kalimantan, Java and Sumatra. province, the Philippines.
logically friendly' develop- Source: The Nation, 17 & 31 Before this discovery the largest
ment, have been ignored and October 1991. concentration of this threatened
conservationists are concerned species was 75 in March 1990 at
about the impact of increased Olango Island in Cebu
human activity. Already, forests Elephants rescued and province. The Philippines is on
on steep slopes have been trained the flyway for Chinese egrets
cleared, mangroves have been The Elephant Training School migrating from Korea, China
infilled and coastal waters have established by the Indonesian and Hong Kong.
been polluted. Directorate for Forest Source: Asian Wetland News, July
Source: Asian Wetland News, July Protection and Nature 1991,11.
1991,4. Conservation at Way Kambas
National Park has hired out its
first trained elephants to a tim- NORTH AMERICA
Forest clearance threatens ber company in Sumatra. The
Siberut school was set up to rescue
crop-raiding elephants from Oil killing seabirds
The Indonesian island of
Siberut, which was declared a being killed by farmers and to Fuel oil leaking from the Tenyo
Biosphere Reserve in 1981, is at demonstrate the usefulness of Maru, a Japanese fish-factory
the centre of a power struggle domesticated elephants. ship, which sunk on 22 July
between government min- Source: WWF News, October 1991 off the west coast of
istries. The Environment 1991, 6. Washington with 400,000 gal-
Minister says the wildlife is so lons of fuel-oil on board, has
special (15 per cent of the killed at least 4000 seabirds,
plants and 65 per cent of the Illegal turtle killing mostly common murres (or
mammals are endemic) that it continues in Indonesia guillemots) Uria aalge. Beaches
must be preserved. The more Intense protests world-wide along 60 km of coast, mostly in
powerful Forestry Ministry has about the illegal killing of tur- Olympia National Park, were
leased three-quarters of the tles in Bali, Indonesia, have not oiled but storms helped in
island to logging companies, been able to stop the poaching cleaning them.
the Ministry of Plantations has of the animals. While there are Sources: Vancouver Sun, 31 July
cleared areas for oil palms and almost no turtles in Bali's 1991; Marine Pollution Bulletin,
the Ministry of Social Affairs waters now, every morning October 1991,481-482.
plans to 'modernize' the indige- fishermen bring in hundreds of
nous Mentawai people. In turtles poached from waters
addition the Ministry of around Sulawesi and the Banda Drift-nets banned
Transmigration plans to move Sea. There are about 50 turtle The US National Oceanic and
40,000 people from Java and slaughter houses in Bali and Atmospheric Administration
14
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has issued regulations banning marsh unsuitable for shellfish South Carolina, all in highway
the use of drift-nets in the and shorebirds. The grass, or powerline rights-of-way and
South Pacific in 1991, and else- whose seeds were carried in all threatened by habitat alter-
where by 1 July 1992. The regu- packing material a century ago, ation due to suppression of
lations ban the sale in the US of now covers more than 800 ha in fires and grazing. The
any fish caught in drift-nets, Willapa Bay, the west coast's Cumberland pigtoe mussel
which are used primarily by prime oyster area. So far the Pleurobema gibberum is endemic
Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, state has found no acceptable, to the Caney Fork River system
South Korea and France. The effective control method. in Tennessee, where its distri-
US National Marine Fisheries Source: National Wildlife, bution has been reduced to four
Service reported in 1990 that August-September 1991,28. reaches due to impoundments
just 10 per cent of Japan's drift- and deteriorating water quality
net fleet killed 1758 whales and resulting from coal mining,
dolphins, 253,288 tuna, 81,956 Woodpecker gains new poor land-use practices and
blue sharks, 30,464 seabirds protection waste discharges.
and more than 3 million non- The US Forest Service has Source: Endangered Species
target fish. decided to include Florida's Technical Bulletin, June 1991,
Source: Outdoor News Bulletin, Appalachicola National Forest 8-9.
20 September 1991,2. in its protection plan for the
endangered red-cockaded
woodpecker Picoides borealis, California condor release
Judgement due on spotted which depends on old pine imminent
owl trees. Environmentalists had The California condor
The US Department of the stated their intention to sue Gymnogyps californianus captive
Interior has convened a high- under the Endangered Species population had a record-break-
level committee to decide Act unless all populations of ing year in 1991. Eleven pairs of
whether to uphold restrictions the bird were protected. The birds at Los Angeles Zoo and
on logging in the west coast decision means that clear-cut- San Diego Wild Animal Park
forests, proposed to help save ting is now prohibited within laid 22 eggs, of which 13
the northern spotted owl Strix 1.2 km of all active and inactive hatched successfully. The total
occidentalis caurina (see Oryx, woodpecker colonies in population now stands at 53,
25,193). The committee has Appalachicola and in almost twice the number of
powers to overrule decisions Louisiana's Kisatchie National condors in 1987 (27) when the
made under the Endangered Forest. last free-flying bird was cap-
Species Act, and must resolve a Source: National Wildlife, tured. Biologists were opti-
dispute between the Bureau of August-September 1991, 27. mistic that some birds could be
Land Management, which released into the wild by the
wants to allow logging on end of 1991.
1600 ha of federally owned for- Four more species listed
Source: Endangered Species
est, and the Fish and Wildlife During May 1991 the US Fish Technical Bulletin, June 1991,4.
Service, which has blocked and Wildlife Service listed three
these logging permits (while plants and a mussel under the
approving others) because the Endangered Species Act. The Shrimp name honours
logging would harm the owl. leafy prairie-clover Dalea foliosa Nature Conservancy
The committee has 6 months to is known only from 14 small A newly described species of
make a decision. populations in Tennessee, fairy shrimp has been named
Source: New Scientist, 12 Alabama and Illinois, only four after the US Nature
October 1991,13. of which are safe. The north- Conservancy, the first time a
eastern bulrush Scirpus species has been named for an
ancistrochaetus occurs in 13 pop- environmental group.
Grass invader in ulations in the north-eastern Branchinecta conservatio was
Washington states, 10 of which are on pri- described in 1990 by scientists
A species of cord grass Spartina vate land potentially threat- from California's Department
sp. from the eastern coast of the ened by development. A sun- of Fish and Game, who wished
US has colonized mudflats off flower Helianthus schweinitzii to recognize the Conservancy's
the western state of also survives only in 13 small efforts to protect the seasonal
Washington, turning them into populations in North and pools in central California
15
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where the shrimp lives. compel the Service to imple- Amazbnas has been declared a
Source: Nature Conservancy ment recovery plans (see Oryx, biosphere reserve. Covering
News, July/August 1991, 6-7. 24,44). 83,000 sq km it encompasses all
Source: 'Elepaio, July 1991,1 & 3. the headwaters of the Orinoco
and is the home of Yanomami
Three taxa listed an Yekuana indians. The presi-
In April 1991 the US Fish and CENTRAL AMERICA dential decree creating the new
Wildlife Service added three Orinoco-Casiquiare Biosphere
taxa to the list of threatened Reserve and, within in, the
Action over pesticide Parma-Tapirapeco National
species. Schoepfia arenaria, a
small evergreen tree endemic to Environmental groups in the Park, was a response to concern
the coastal forest and limestone US are threatening to sue the by the indians themselves
hills of northern Puerto Rico, federal government over its about the difficulties their peo-
remains in three small popula- programme to eradicate the ple are experiencing over the
tions. All are under develop- Mediterranean fruit fly in border in Brazil as a result of a
ment pressure, although a Guatemalan banana planta- road-building programme,
landowner in Isabela has tions. The US Department of which has brought settlers and
offered to donate the cliffs on Agriculture is spraying gold prospectors into the
which some trees grow to the malathion illegally without region (see 'Illegal road in
Puerto Rico Department of consulting the Fish and Wildlife Brazilian park' below).
Natural Resources. The white- Service about the programme's Source: BBC Wildlife, October
necked crow Corvus leucog- effect on endangered species. 1991,665.
naphalus has disappeared from The pesticide is killing many of
St Croix and Puerto Rico and the insects important for of the
now occurs only in parts of endangered golden-cheeked Rain forest destroyed for
Dominican Republic and Haiti. warbler Dendroica chrysopareia. satellites
Its remaining forest habitat is Source: National Wildlife, The French Government has
being cleared and the bird is August-September 1991,26. started building a dam in
also hunted in the Dominican French Guiana to provide
Republic. The silver rice rat hydroelectricity for Kourou, the
Oryzomys palustris natator has Mosquito Coast to be rocket construction and launch
been listed as endangered; it is protected site for the European Space
endemic to Florida's Lower The Mosquito Coast Protected Agency's satellites. The dam, at
Keys where its remaining man- Area will cover 12,950 sq km of Petit-Saut on the River
grove and salt-marsh habitat is coastal lagoons, mangroves, Sinnamary, will flood 310 sq
threatened by residential and offshore coral reefs and sea- km of rain forest and the
commercial development. grass pastures along the north- French authorities have decid-
Source; Endangered Species east coast of Nicaragua. ed not to attempt to harvest the
Technical Bulletin, May 1991, Residents in 23 coastal commu- timber. Engineers warn that
10-11. nities will be trained to manage rotting vegetation will generate
and defend the coastal region, methane, hydrogen sulphide,
which suffers serious problems carbon dioxide and ammonia
Crow in court case from foreign boats fishing ille- and will consume all the oxy-
The Hawaii and National gally. gen in the reservoir. Some of
Audubon Societies have filed a Source: Crocodile Specialist Group the poor quality water will be
lawsuit against the US Fish and Newsletter, January-March discharged directly into the
Wildlife Service in Hawaii 1991, 6. river downstream to prevent it
Federal District Court in an damaging the turbines.
attempt to prevent the extinc- Source: New Scientist, 19
tion of the endangered SOUTH AMERICA October 1991, 9.
Hawaiian crow Corvus hawai-
iensis. There may be as few as
10 crows in the wild, all on the Venezuela declares largest Road planned through
McCandless Ranch on Big rain forest conservation Sangay
Island, whose owners refuse to area in the world
The Ecuadorean Government
allow government access. The Nearly one-half of the entire plans to build a road through
purpose of the lawsuit is to Venezuelan territory of the Sangay National Park,
16
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which straddles the eastern
cordillera of the Andes in
Ecuador, to improve access to
the Amazon basin forests from
the densely populated high
Sierra. Other roads constructed
in the Ecuadorean Amazon
have encouraged colonization
of forest lands, often resulting
in severe land degradation and
soil erosion.
Source: IUCN Forest
Conservation Programme
Newsletter, No. 11, 6.
Black caiman reintroduced
into wild—a first
The black caiman Melanosuchus This photograph of an elephant seal and a tussac bird in the Falkland Islands
niger, one of the most endan- was taken by Fritz Polking, runner-up in the Humorous Views category of
gered New World crocodilians, the British Gas Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition organized by
BBC WILDLIFE Magazine and The Natural History Museum in association with
remains only as small isolated FFPS (see pp. 59-60).
populations in the Amazon, the
upper Essequibo and Berbice
drainages in Guyana, and in forests, agreed in 1990 by the only found out about the pro-
coastal French Guiana. In G7 group of seven most devel- ject when the bulldozers
Bolivia, where the species is in oped countries, has stalled moved in. The main reason
danger of imminent extinction, through lack of funding. At the given for the road is 'to develop
25 individuals were released in 1991 London Summit the EC a route for the commercializa-
July 1990 in the Normandia announced its commitment to tion of Yanomami agricultural
lagoon near Beni Biological support the programme with a produce'. The Yanomami grow
Station, once home to a black contribution of $US15 million, no crops, however, and the sec-
caiman population. The ani- just 1 per cent of the total ondary reasons are given as
mals were donated by required, but no further funds 'facilitating military transport'
Hacienda El Caiman in north- have been promised. The and 'security'. The park is
ern Bolivia, having been cap- German Government in associ- home for many threatened
tured in the late 1970s to form a ation with the World Bank, has species, including the golden-
breeding nucleus for a commer- decided instead to stage a sepa- backed uacari Cacajao
cial farming operation that rate initiative. melanocephalus ouakary (see
proved unsuccessful. Eleven Source: Friends of the Earth, 16 Oryx, 25, 80-88).
hatchlings and yearlings are October 1991. Source: BBC Wildlife, September
being kept in a lagoon at the 1991, 589.
biological station until they are
large enough to release. Illegal road in Brazilian park
Source: Herpetological Review, Spix's macaw
An extension of the BR309 road
September 1991, 90-91. is being built through the west- The only Spix's macaw
ern section of the Pico da Cyanopsitta spixii in the wild is
Neblina National Park in north- still at the same site, in Bahia
Amazon fires worst ever
ern Brazil by army engineers at state, Brazil, and is being care-
Air and satellite surveys of the the request of the garrison com- fully guarded (see Oryx, 24,
Amazon region of Brazil mander in Sao Gabriel da 224-228). The Brazilian
revealed 50,000-88,000 fires Cachoeira. Road building in Government's environmental
during September 1991, mak- national parks contravenes agency (IBAMA) has sent an
ing it the worst year ever for Brazilian law and the plans ornithologist to study the ecolo-
burnings. Meanwhile, the pilot were made in secret. Brazil's gy of the bird and its apparent
programme for the conserva- environmental agency, IBAMA, requirement for caraiba wood-
tion of Brazilian Amazon which administers the park, land. There is strong support
17
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for and pride in the macaw building unions and the on Birds of Prey, 15b Bolton
locally and the mayor of the Department of Conservation Gardens, London SW5 0AL,
nearest town has offered assis- and Environment. UK or Wangenheimstr. 32,1000
tance for the recovery plan. Source: Weekend Australia, 7-8 Berlin 33, Germany.
Source: World Birdwatch, September, 1991.
September 1991,4. 17-19 June 1992. Systematics
and Conservation Evaluation.
Falklands Conservation
Co-sponsored by The Natural
Forest drowned in vain History Museum, Systematics
Falklands Conservation was
The Samuel Dam, 55 km south launched in August 1991 to Association and The Linnean
of Porto Velho in the Brazilian promote the conservation of Society of London.
Amazon, flooded 500 sq km of wildlife, wrecks and places of Contact: Dr Peter L. Forey,
virgin rain forest when it was historic interest in the Falkland Department of Palaeontology,
completed 2 years ago but it Islands. The Falklands hold a The Natural History Museum,
has failed to produce enough number of endemic species in Cromwell Road, London SW7
electricity even for the offices addition to internationally 5BD, UK. Tel: 071 938 9405; Fax:
on it. It was to have supplied important populations of alba- 071 938 9260.
electricity to the entire state of trosses, penguins and other
Rondonia, but only two tur- birds but the economy of the 24-28 August 1992. Tropical
bines were installed instead of Islands is developing rapidly, Trees: Potential for
five and of those, one never increasing pressure on habitats Domestication, The Edinburgh
works and the other only occa- and wildlife. Falklands Centre for Tropical Forests, UK.
sionally. Conservation will be managing Contact: Dr R. R. B. Leakey,
Source: The Guardian, 2 August projects on seabird monitoring Institute of Terrestrial Ecology,
1991. and sea lion research, conduct- Bush Estate, Penicuik,
ing botanical and freshwater Midlothian EH26 0QB,
surveys, and producing conser- Scotland, UK.
Penguin colony at risk vation education materials. It
Oil from an unknown source is also manages a number of
threatening a major penguin nature reserves, publishes a PEOPLE
colony in southern Argentina. newsletter and is a source of
The Fundacion Vida Silvestre advice on conservation matters Professor Wangari Maathai,
reported that about 500 for the Falkland Islands founder of the Green Belt
Magellanic penguins Spheniscus Government and other bodies. Movement in Kenya, was
magellanicus had been found Details from: Dr Kate awarded the 1991 Africa Prize
contaminated with oil as they Thompson, 21 Regent Terrace, (jointly with Myram
arrived at Punta Tombo, 1500 Edinburgh EH7 5BT (Tel/Fax Babangida, wife of the Nigerian
km south of Buenos Aires, their 031 556 6226). head of state). At the instiga-
largest breeding ground out- tion of the Green Belt
side the Antarctic. Some birds Movement 50,000 Kenyan
have subsequently died. MEETINGS women have established 10
Source: Nation (Bangkok), 12 million trees and 1500 tree
September 1991. 26-28 February 1992. nurseries. A further 12 African
International Conference on countries are starting similar
World Forests—Progress on schemes.
AUSTRALASIA/ Sustainable Development,
ANTARCTICA Bandung, West Java.
Contact: Dr Nani Djuangsih, CORRECTION
Institute of Ecology,
Falcons stop building work Padjadjaran University, Jl, On p 192 of the October 1991
All building work was stopped Sekeloa, Bandung, Indonesia. issue of Oryx it was stated that
on a new multistorey office- Fax 620 22 433208. there were 13-18 Bali starlings
block in Melbourne, Australia, in March 1991. World Birdwatch,
when a pair of peregrine fal- 10-17 May 1992. 4th World the source of this information,
cons Falco peregrinus nested on Conference on Birds of Prey has now published a correction:
its roof. The stop-work deal and Owls, Berlin. 13-18 was the size of the popu-
was agreed between the owner, Contact: World Working Group lation in October 1990.
18
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