International Fund for Houbara Conservation Participates in ADIHEX
The International Fund for Houbara Conservation, which is one of Abu Dhabi governmental initiative to preserve the future of the Houbara in the wild, as well as keeping alive the tradition of Arab falconry, is participating in Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) which is being held in the capital from October 8 – 11, 2008 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center.
During the show the Fund will be promoting for its objectives which is focus on protecting the Asiatic houbara whose wild population is crashing sharply due to over-hunting and smuggling, as studies showed that the actual situation of the Houbara population and the levels of hunting and pressure on the species are not sustainable in the long-term.
This Fund is to follow the efforts already done by the Abu Dhabi government, through its National Avian Research Center (NARC) in Abu Dhabi and the Emirates Center for Wildlife Propagation (ECWP) in Morocco.
The aim of this organisation is to secure a wild population of Houbara bustard that can sustain managed falconry activities in the long term, where four main goals have been identified including conserving the variety and integrity of the Houbara bustard species throughout its range (genetic, behavioural and ecological specificity), manage existing wild Houbara populations to maintain a level compatible with the expectations of the falconers, set up a global management system for Houbara populations and their habitat and increase the wild population of Houbara bustard through the release of captive-bred Houbara bustard.
To achieve these goals, the Fund will set a long-term strategy, and conduct studies and scientific research to manage hunting activities wiping out the illegal hunting and trading in wild bustard and promote the implementation of a series of protection procedures in the places they are raised in captivity and releasing areas, as well as participate in the international protection activities and take initatitives aiming at protecting bustards and their habitats across the ares where they are spreading.
The fund will also develop and implement plans and projects aiming at protecting bustards and maintaining the permanency of Arabian Falconry sport on the long-term level, in addition to cooperate and coordinate its activities with any international organization that is concerned with bustard protection related issues and conserving the Arab heritage of falconry.
It worth to note that The National Avian Research Centre (NARC), which is one of the main centers of Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), is also participating in the Show, where it is presenting its programmes and research development in the field of conserving Houbara and its captive breeding programme.
Since it was established in 1989 near the town of Sweihan, NARC took steps to successfully breed increasing numbers of houbara in captivity, and to expand the Center’s facilities to accommodate the growing size of the breeding flock. The Center is also pursuing the survey and study of wild houbara in its range countries across Asia, and the first steps have now been taken in the release of captive bred houbara from NARC back into the wild. In 2008 NARC has produced 980 houbara chicks in captivity. The Center planned annual production of 2,000 chicks in 2010.
On the same area the Emirates Center for Wildlife Propagation (ECWP), which is based in Missour, Morocco, is focusing its efforts on implementing an overall conservation strategy aiming to restore and preserve North Africa’s native houbara bustard populations. To achieve that far-reaching goal, the ECWP has implemented a multi-disciplinary approach combining fundamental and applied research in such varied areas as ecology, physiology, nutrition and veterinary medicine.
Ten years later, the ECWP has proven its ability to conciliate saving an endangered species with maintaining a cultural heritage, thereby helping to improve knowledge about eastern Morocco’s ecosystems and contributing to their preservation. In 2008, around 8232 chicks were produced and about 6160 houbara will be released by end of this year.
View News Headlines
