The executive director of the West African Bird Study Association (WABSA), Lamin Jobaate has recently presented a paper on WABSA mangrove planting activities in The Gambia and its impacts on the migratory birds, at a three-day popular Rutland Bird fair in England, the United Kingdom.

The bird fair is undoubtedly the world's most important show for nature lovers seeking holiday of life time, with more than 200 countries with their stands offering trips to different destinations.

According to Jobaate, the bird fair is an annual event that has been attracting thousands of people across the globe for the past 24 years, adding that this year's programme included all the personalities, who were generously giving support to the fair celebrity lectures.

He noted that it was a great opportunity for The Gambia and WABSA to also give lecture in the three-day important event, along with world-class naturalists, which would no doubt expose The Gambia in terms of its biodiversity conservation and tourism promotion.

He revealed that in 2011, British Bird Watch Fair was launched; it was in support of Birdlife International Flyways Programme to becoming the first global sponsor.He noted that the focus was on the African Eurasians Flyway Funding Projects to study and help species migrating between Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, such as the turtle dove and common cuckoo.

"This year, we are targeting to raise $3 million (three million pounds) to support conservation in the East Asian-Australian Flyway, where more than 50 million birds use these flyway annually, including the endangered black-faced spoonbill, spotted greens hank, and critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper," Jobaate disclosed.

Jobaate called on the Gambia Tourism Board for their continuous support to Gambia's stand at the bird fair, as it is one of the top most priorities in terms of promoting tourism in The Gambia. He thanked Laico Atlantic Hotel for the logistics support and also commended Stuarts Burns, who is partnering with him in running The Gambia Birding Explorers, West African Bird Study Association.