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鷸鴴科候鳥過境中東非洲 危機四伏

2009年06月02日
摘譯自2009年5月28日ENS英國,倫敦報導;張桂芳編譯;蔡麗伶審校

俄羅斯沿岸流蘇鷸和高蹺鴴,Sergey Yeliseev攝 根據國際溼盟(Wetlands International)5月20日在倫敦公佈的鷸鴴科鳥類圖鑑(Wader Atlas)顯示,過境歐洲、西亞、非洲的鷸鴴科鳥類數量急速下滑,凸顯更妥善保護其飛行路徑濕地的重要性。文案中首次完整地描繪了這些小水鳥在上述地區過境棲息的主要地點,同時指出尤其在非洲和中東國家,出現這些鳥類保護區網絡破洞的地帶。

所謂鷸鴴科鳥類(wader,一般稱涉禽),係指體型較小的水鳥,像是鳥頭麥雞、千鳥、黑尾鷸、麻鷸、鷸鳥,也有體型較大的如紅鶴。其中有許多鳥類不辭長途跋涉,從孵育的北極地帶一路遷徙到遠在非洲的南部地區過冬。

火鶴和涉禽類過境阿曼沿岸,Pieter van Eijk 攝,國際溼盟提供在《鳥類指令》(Birds Directive)規範下,歐盟内部建立了完整的鷸科鳥類保護區網絡。但區外重大場域的保護和管理仍顯不足。據圖鑑,集中在非洲西部沿岸綿延不絕的溼地,從薩赫勒(Sahel,由數個西北非國家組成)地區沿塞內加爾和尼日河、查德湖周邊、到東非沿裂谷和非洲東海岸一帶,對於衆多遷徙的這些鳥類存亡至關重要。

圖鑑作者賽蒙德拉尼(Simon Delany)說:「這些鳥類在歐盟區内受到嚴密保護,農民獲得數千歐元的補助保護它們免遭網捕之害。然而同樣這些鳥類卻在馬利的莫普提市場,每隻僅以25美分的價格出售!」

圖鑑就「聯合國歐亞非遷徙水鳥保護協定」(UN Africa-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement)覆蓋的國家,列舉876個如湖泊、海岸地區、洪氾區等關鍵地點90種鷸鴴科鳥類的59種鳥類。此外,還記錄了68個出現5種以上這些鳥類的地點,其規模之大罕見,超過全球總數的1%。另在112個地點,出現過4萬隻以上的數目。

德拉尼說,「非洲西海岸溼地面臨著巨大的壓力。尼日河或塞內加爾河上的水壩霸占了薩赫勒地區稀少的水資源,讓原來的淺水溼地變成永久旱地。」

他又說,「中東的溼地也面臨類似的威脅。許多從北極和斯堪地納維亞半島的鷸科鳥類遷徙到波斯灣沿岸地區。而這些沿海地區因快速開發,導致原本就稀少且數量不斷減少的寬嘴鷸棲息地受到威脅。」

圖鑑分別列出各鷸鴴科鳥類最需要保護的重要溼地,提供整個歐亞非地區的決策者重要信息,加強並完善溼地的保護。

圖鑑下載網址:http://www.wetlands.org/waderatlas

Migratory Wading Birds At Risk Across the Middle East, Africa
LONDON, UK, May 28, 2009 (ENS)

Populations of migratory wading birds in Europe, West Asia and Africa are declining more quickly than ever, and they need better protection of wetlands along their flyways, finds the first comprehensive overview of key sites for these small waterbirds in Europe, West-Asia and Africa. The Wetlands International's Wader Atlas released May 20 in London contains this overview and also shows that there is an incomplete network of protected areas for these birds, especially in Africa and the Middle East.

Waders are small waterbirds such as lapwings, plovers, godwits, curlews and sandpipers as well as larger birds such as flamingoes. Many of them undertake long distance migrations from their Arctic breeding grounds to wintering areas as far away as Southern Africa.

The European Union has established a comprehensive network of protected areas for waders in Europe under the Birds Directive. But outside the EU the protection and management of key sites is still inadequate. A string of wetlands concentrated on the western coast of Africa, in the Sahel zone along the Senegal and Niger rivers, around Lake Chad, and in East Africa in the Sudd, along the Rift Valley and eastern coast of Africa, is crucial for the survival of many migratory waders, the atlas shows.

Wader Atlas author Simon Delany said, "waders such are heavily protected in the EU; farmers receive thousands of Euros for nest protection. These same birds are for sale in the markets of Mopti, Mali for just 25 cents each! "

The Wader Atlas identifies 876 key sites such as lakes, coastal areas, floodplains for 59 of the 90 wader species in those countries covered by the UN African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement. Amongst these, the book identifies 68 sites at which more than five wader species occur in internationally important numbers, calculated as more than one percent of global population. There are 112 sites where more than 40,000 waders have been counted.

Delany says the wetlands of the African west coast are under enormous pressures. The sparse water resources in the Sahelian zone are tapped by dams on the Niger or Senegal rivers, which have turned formerly shallow wetlands into permanently dry lands.

Wetlands in the Middle East are under similar threats. Many waders migrate from the Arctic and Scandinavia to the coastal zones along the Persian Gulf. These coastal areas are now suffering from rapid development which threatens the habitat of the scarce and declining broad billed Sandpiper, Delany says.

The Wader Atlas highlights the most important wetlands to be protected for each wader population, providing decision makers across the Africa-Eurasian region with crucial information so that they can increase and better focus their efforts for wetland conservation.

Species' chapters and high resolution photos of the book can be downloaded from: www.wetlands.org/waderatlas

作者

蔡麗伶(LiLing Barricman)

In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.