The government has been advised to prioritize habitat protection, reduce taxes on birding equipment, and guarantee the safety of tourists if the birding tourism sub-sector is to achieve its full potential.
These calls were made at the inaugural International Conference for Women Birders (IC4WB) held in Kampala from 6th to 8th December. The conference which attracted over 500 birders from all over the world was organized by Uganda Women Birders, Uganda Safari Guides Association, Bird Uganda Safaris, and supported by Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU).
Speaking at the conference, Judith Mirembe, the chairperson of Uganda Women Birders, noted that much as a lot of ground has been covered by Ugandan female birders, they continue to be constrained by the high cost of equipment used in this activity and the limited awareness.
''The Uganda Women Birders Club has been active for the past ten years. We have grown from less than 20 to more than 150 members. We have also been able to extend this across East Africa. However, there is still limited awareness about birding as an activity with the potential of transforming our country. This is made worse by the high cost of equipment used in bird watching. The binoculars, spotting scope, and cameras are all costly,'' Mirembe said.
Her sentiments were reechoed by Jeff Bouton, the sales and marketing manager of Nature Observation USA, who noted that the massive difficulty in getting birding gear can only be addressed if the government exempted the sector from hefty taxes.
''There are massive import taxes on these products that make them hard to get. The government should find a way of reducing or removing these taxes. This will help create more professional guides, make the birding tools more available and improve the overall birding experience for tourists,'' Bouton said.
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Birding as an activity involves watching birds in their natural environment, identifying different species and doing research on them and studying their behaviours. It is a globally cherished activity with over 80 million enthusiasts traveling to different parts of the world to enjoy it.
Uganda is home to some 1,100-bird species which is about 11 per cent of the world's total population and more than 50 per cent of Africa's total bird population. But even with this variety, the country is yet to explore the massive opportunities presented by this sector. Players in the sector believe that the just concluded conference will help turn around the sector.
According to Isabella Kankunda Sabune, business development services specialist in charge of tourism at PSFU, by hosting the first of its kind international women birders conference, Uganda has proved that it has matured as an international birding destination in the region and is now ready to receive thousands of global birders.
''Birding has the potential to earn us millions of dollars each year. The issue of birding is a mindset issue that the private sector and other partners can change. The communities where these birds are should be made to appreciate the need for these birds. We must train more guides and make the birding more attractive,'' she said.
Already, PSFU is partnering with Uganda Women Birders to train more women in the birding sector to provide the much-needed guiding services to tourists.
