Adam Hartman
9 April 2008
Windhoek — WITH 1,8 million birds migrating over Namibia annually along the east Atlantic Flyway, of which 800 000 stay over in the coastal lagoons, wetlands, river mouths and islands, Namibia is increasingly being recognised as crucial to maintaining the global survival of several species of coastal and marine bird species.
There are 11 coastal birds on Namibia's Red Data list of endangered species.
Several professional, amateur and volunteer conservationists, representing small private initiatives, NGOs and Government institutions, met at Swakopmund last week to mobilise an action plan for the conservation of coastal and marine birds in Namibia.
Presentations were done on some of Namibia's most important bird conservation projects.
Namibia currently boasts with three coastal wetlands with 'Ramsar' status - international conservation priority sites - namely the Orange River Mouth, Sandwich Harbour and the Walvis Bay Lagoon.
Two important criteria for achieving Ramsar status are the number of birds in a unique environment, and that this area accommodates at least one per cent of the global population of a single species.
Rod Braby of the Damara Tern Project and the Namibia Coast Conservation and Management Project (Nacoma) said that Cape Cross and the Kunene River Mouth were also proposed as Ramsar sites, although these have not been officially acknowledged.
Professional conservationist Holger Kolberg, who counts birds at the Orange River Mouth and Sandwich Harbour, pointed out that there were various impacts to the environment that affected the biodiversity of bird species - impacts aggravated by both natural and human elements.
He said although not much could be done to contend with the natural elements such as environmental changes, sustainable action should be taken against human elements such as fisheries, development and tourism, which have the most impact on bird biodiversity.
Kolberg said the Orange River Mouth has shown a major decrease in environmental and bird diversity because of heavy industrial and agricultural extraction of water from the river in South Africa.
Human intervention to avoid flooding of small settlements near the river's mouth has also resulted in the destruction of important wetland areas.
On the other hand, natural forces at Sandwich Harbour have led to the decline of the freshwater environment there, which has seemingly had little effect on the number of species frequenting the area.
Keith Wearne of the Coastal Environmental Trust of Namibia, who monitors the Walvis Bay Ramsar Site and other local bird sanctuaries, said not all human activities were detrimental.
He said the establishment of the salt pans had enlarged the bird-friendly environment, increasing the bird count.
Wearne said up to 250 000 of various species of terns had been recorded there, helping to make this internationally acclaimed Ramsar Site the most important coastal wetland in southern Africa.
He admitted however that an increase in uncontrolled tourism, and the resulting destruction of fauna and flora along our shoreline, could eventually have an adverse effect on biodiversity.
With regard to marine fowl, ornithologist Jessica Kemper of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources monitors the Luederitz area and offshore islands, where about 95 per cent of Namibia's jackass penguin population lives.
These colonies used to account for 33 per cent of the global population, but it has dropped at a rate of three per cent a year to 10 per cent.
The islands have 10 seabird species, many of them showing a general decrease in population.
According to Kemper, the main reason for this is overfishing of pilchard and horse mackerel, which are seabirds' primary source of food.
"The small pelagic stock needs to be recovered if we want to save some of these species," she said.
Timo Mufeti of Nacoma said there were many conservation issues regarding Namibia's coast, and that birds are one of them.
He said the coast offers a diverse environment that is important for bird conservation on a global level.
"If anything goes wrong here, it could have global repercussions," Mufeti said.
"We therefore need to work together to define optimal guidelines for conservation, but also to implement those guidelines."
Some of the proposals to be included in an official action plan are that there should be more co-operation between the various sectors - such as the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, continuity in the collection and updating of important data, and lobbying for funds, which plays a crucial role in the mobilisation of action plans.
Annual review meetings will be held to maintain momentum and review challenges and successes.
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