|
|
|
| |
Capital centre will protect dugong
posted on 13/10/2009
 It is the cow of the sea: almost half a tonne of slow-moving mammal, a defenceless giant that spends its life feeding ponderously on sea grass. And although its numbers are now much depleted, some 7,000 endangered dugongs still roam the waters of the Arabian Gulf. The only place there are more is off the northern shores of Australia.
Now Abu Dhabi plans to set up a new regional wildlife centre to protect the remaining population.
An agreement between the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) means an office dedicated to the conservation of dugongs, as well as the region's native migratory birds of prey, will open in the capital.
It will be the only one of its kind to focus on these species, Elizabeth Mrema, the UNEP's officer-in-charge, said yesterday, after signing a donor agreement with the agency. "Whether we intend to establish other offices, I think we'll avoid that particularly if the other offices are to protect the same species,ā€¯ Ms Mrema said.
"That is a privilege of the Government of Abu Dhabi to play that key role.ā€¯
From now until 2011, the outpost will preside over more than 47 member countries that have adopted memoranda of understanding on protecting dugongs.
The unit, which will operate independent of the EAD but within its premises, will also monitor the actions of 104 member states that have agreed to act to protect migratory birds in Africa and Eurasia
"By agreeing to host and fund this office, we are elevating our posture as an environmentally aware country that is very conscious of its role in conservation. Not only regionally but also globally,ā€¯ said Thabit al Abdessalaam, the agency's marine director in biodiversity management.
He also suggested that having the outpost for the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) within the building would improve local marine and wildlife research.
"It provides us with an avenue of co-ordination with other countries, which would enhance our own efforts to serve and protect dugong and the birds of prey ā€“ sharing research, sharing information,ā€¯ he said.
"Their presence here would very much simplify us getting readily available information and ... give us the opportunity to tap into a lot of expertise from CMS and UNEP in terms of biology and conservation.ā€¯
Majid al Mansouri, the secretary general of the EAD, said the centre was a natural fit for Abu Dhabi, as the presence of dugongs in the Arabian Gulf has long been intertwined with the country's marine heritage.
Traditionally, the mammals, which can grow to about three metres long and weigh as much as 400kg,ā€“ were hunted for their red meat and oil.
Today, they are protected by federal law from being exploited and sold.
The 4,200 sq km Marawah islands reserve is the largest protected area in the Gulf and is a sanctuary for more than half of the region's dugongs.
Ms Mrema agreed that Abu Dhabi was a fitting place to set up shop. She said the geographical advantages of setting up the CMS base in Abu Dhabi was that many "range statesā€¯ would be under its purview. "When we deal with international issues, we're looking at the bigger picture.ā€¯
The new unit will initially be staffed by six people from the CMS, including two programme officers.
One officer will focus on ensuring that countries that have signed up to the dugong memorandum are making the strides to protect the animals; the other will play the same role for birds of prey.
The UAE boasts roughly 440 species of birds, including migratory birds of prey. "We have on average 100-plus birds which regularly breed here and the rest are largely migratory ā€“ sea birds and gulls, including flamingos,ā€¯ said Dr Salim Javed, the deputy manager of bird conservation at the EAD.
In April, a colony of 18,000 greater flamingos was discovered near the Mussaffah Channel.
While the CMS base will not be predominately research-orientated, Dr Javed said its conservation efforts would be closely watched in the region.
"It's obligatory for the countries that signed this agreement to implement the action plan,ā€¯ he said. "This unit in Abu Dhabi will make sure those action plans are implemented.ā€¯ ā€“ The National
RELATED ARTICLES
20 turtles wash up on Saadiyat this winter - 02 February 2012
Dubai Municipality to observe World Wetlands Day on Thursday - 01 February 2012
Marine biodiversity under threat - 23 January 2012
Sharjahā€™s own eco-treasure island - 12 December 2011
Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi releases rehabilitated 'Amal' the Hawksbill Turtle - 11 December 2011
RETURN TO MAIN NEWS PAGE | WAM
UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
|
|
Home
