Thursday, Apr 09, 2009
Gulf News
Abu Dhabi: UAE officials are sceptical of banning the trade of saker falcons, one of the UAE's favourite falcons, for fear of triggering illegal trade.
The debate is on between international and regional experts and officials, whether or not stiffer conservation efforts should be put in place for better conservation of the species.
The proposal to raise the conservation status of the birds was initially put forward during a Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) meeting in Rome in 2008 but the final decision was kept at bay after some countries expressed differences in opinion.
Various stakeholders including conservation scientists and government officials got together at a follow-up meeting hosted by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) to try to reach an agreement on the status of the saker.
If the conservation status of saker falcons is upgraded, it would mean they would be moved to Appendix 1 of the CMS list from Appendix 2, which effectively bars all sorts of trade of these birds. The meeting which began on Sunday concluded on Tuesday. Although no consensus was reached participants agreed the data of saker falcons needs to be closely scrutinised before any final decision is made.
The CMS is an intergovernmental treaty, to which the UAE is a signatory.
"The decision to uplift the conservation status would have serious implications on the livelihood of people who depend on these birds", Dr Salim Javed, Deputy Manager of Bird Conservation at EAD, told Gulf News.
"While the EAD wants the species to be protected, we believe its status needs to be re-evaluated based on fresh information about the population, distribution etc of sakers", he said.
"From a scientists point of view, I think, when a species is in Appendix 1 it attracts more hunters and illegal traders," said Abdul Rab Al Hameiri, Assistant Manager for CITES at EAD.
What needs to be seen is whether officials who are against the proposal will be able to convince other CMS signatories with substantial evidence, according to Dr Nigel J Collar from international NGO Bird Life International.
"Before rushing into changing the status everyone needs to be convinced of transparency and fairness", he said.
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