Threats to Sea Turtles

 Water Birds conservation

Bangladesh is highly significant for wintering area of waders, shorebirds and other resident water birds. The southeastern coastal area of Bangladesh especially Sonadia-Moheskhali mudflats and wetlands are very important which lies within the East Asian Australasian Flyway. Vast coastal plains and adjacent wetlands provided numerous habitats of intertidal mudflats, lagoons, mangrove, seashore and canals. However, the last remaining habitat has been destroyed over the last decades by invasion of shrimp and salt farming. In addition, future is more problematic as government is planning to establish a Deep-water seaport just on the heart of Sonadia Moheshkhali area. To mitigate this prevailing and upcoming problem we are proposing this project. The site falls within the western border of the East Asian Australasian Flyway located at 21°29'6.62"N 91°56'38.84"E to 21°34'35.88"N 91°51'49.40"E and serve as home of many resident water birds. The area is very important as it is habitat of some globally threatened species viz., Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipulmatus, River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii, Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer, Spoonbill sandpiper Eurhynchus pygmeus. 94 species of water birds has been identified in this area along seashore and inland water bodies. The area included under this proposed activity are Sonadia & Moheshkhali island covering direct mudflats and mangrove of about 800 hectors. The increased threats in these areas to water birds are intense and becoming tremendous day by day. The prospects of the globally threatened water birds thriving in this area are bleak unless urgent steps are taken to protect the mudflats, water bodies and seashore where birds are roosting and feeding. The proposed project included activities toward the sustainable conservation of the water birds in this area. Major goal of the project is to build up community and officials technical capacity for monitoring, identification and conservation work and to convince officials to raise issues to change the deep-sea port site by legally informed to government focal points. 

To conserve water birds in Cox’s Bazar coastal wetlands with direct participation of local community through their capacity building, mass awareness, outreach production establishing monitoring and ornithological center and by protecting water birds habitat.

Awareness Raising Among Community

To raise awareness among community to reduce threats derived from people intentionally and unintentionally. program conducted at Sonadia Island and Cox Bazar Teknaf coastal areas. Villages included were: West Village, East Village, Ghotivanga Village, Gorokghata Village, Pechardwip Village, Sonarpara Village, Jalkiapara Village, Dakhinpara Sahporirdwip, GolarPara Sahporirdwip and  Inani Beach. Total Participant: 328 (including 15 trappers from Sonadia-Moheskhali and 14 trappers from Sahporirdwip). Awareness with Hunting people from Ghotivanga Village, Sonadia West Village, Tajiakata, Moheskhali, Golar para-sahporirdwip. To build community peoples capacity that they can monitor and protect waterbirds.

Community Training:

We trained 22 persons as bird volunteers and out of them, 10 have been recruited for conservation and observation, data collection on bird areas, and hunting in their respective regions. We distributed bird ID cards to the participants and it is very important to make materials in the local language as people are illiterate and most even can not read the local language. It will take time to build their capacity fully to monitor waterbirds especially the shorebirds not available in the area over the years and long-distance migrants. Also, we need a handful of funding to continue the program with the community people and ecotourism can be a good option with this but for this, we also need international support and focus.  

 

School Education:

We conducted education programs on waterbirds with 317 school children. Children were very much interested in waterbirds. They agreed some of them are frequent slang shot users to kill birds. These are not waterbirds or local birds like Black Drongos, Mynas, etc. (Do the children decide not to kill birds again after the program?) We distributed bird posters, and leaflets among the children and teacher.

Students were very enthusiastic about the bird photos and wanted to be engaged in the annual bird survey. One of the most important issues is the lack of instruments that students want to use binoculars that they do not have. Therefore they emphasized providing enough binoculars during participation. More telescopes and good-quality binoculars can make field work and bird observation easier and more effective in terms of species identification, counting, confirmation and community participation. For a good impact, we need 10 pairs of good quality binoculars and at least 4 telescopes. The telescope is also not available in our country one can buy it anytime.

 

Children were agreed to raise awareness among themselves and parents and encouraged to conduct more programs in their school regularly. Similarly teachers were interested to be trained to know waterbirds and conserve. School children emphasized to continue our program on birds conservation and school program.

To develop monitoring station that can be helpful for scientific study and conservation and the Bird center will raise mass awareness and help enormously in basic scientific education towards the community and outside people.

Strengthening Monitoring Station:

For bird monitoring, research, and conservation, three monitoring stations have been established in three important bird areas at Sonadia and Sahporirdwip. Now monitoring stations are being furnished with various displays, guides, accommodation facilities, and 3 permanent local observers. This base station for waterbirds conservation and research centers will be developed gradually in future activities. These will be equipped where scientists would be able to stay for bird research. Moreover, these stations would be used as bird area protection stations.

 

We have purchased all the materials for the monitoring station like safe custody, and sleeping rack and produced the materials regarding bird information including flyways and area map. All we fixed during the last winter and 2 of these have been damaged in the cyclone storm, but we recover the most of the materials inside and currently building the center again. As due to climate change we are facing late rainy season and frequent oceanic depression and winter coming far delay unlike before. We still searching funds for the  permanent staff for the monitoring station that the center is well protected and main problem in the area of the project is the community people are very poor and Sahporirdwip area is affected by Myanmar illegal settler and they usually engage in thieving materials from home and other miscreants in the local area. We in fact in need continuous support for the 3 permanent staff at three monitoring stations to prevent hunting.

Establishing Ornithological Center:

Resource center are being established to facilitate community education on waterbirds and for permanent training center purposes. It is near the important bird area, Sonadia Island, within the village community area. It will be facilitated with solar panels in future and we are currently trying to raise funds for the development of the center. Annual bird survey volunteers are agreeing to work on the various display boards information drafting with the help of organization people. The display materials will be hanged regarding ornithological basics like identification guides, maps, migratory routes, threats, Bangladesh status, important waterbirds areas, role of birds in the nature and wetland in particular. Unfortunately the initial cottage has been partially damaged by the recent cyclonic storm and we are currently waiting for repairing in this winter and have to build at upper part of the area to protect from tidal flooding. The main ornithological center is under replacement construction in Sonadia Island. It will take time as oceanic depression is unpredictable currently. In the mean time we produced the materials for the center. The new establishment will be on RCC (What is RCC?) column to save the center from the flood. One of the major back forces of the activity is the funding limitations. And we are seeking funding to develop the center as it needs larger funds than it has been budgeted before. There is extreme necessity for the solar panel for lighting inside the cottage as we do not want any noise and other disturbances using generators during programs.

Outreach Materials Production

To distribute among students and community, professional and amateur to get the scientific fact information regarding waterbirds and their conservation needs in Bangladesh. We distributed materials to over six hundred people. Some materials still to come out from the production company. We hope to get those finish by August and ready for distribute. (This is the same as you’ve mentioned in the progress report, please update the number.)

Community Based Waterbird Protected Areas

To conserve the important bird area to allow safe area for migratory and resident waterbirds.

We are monitoring bird and hunting activity in the Sonadia West Belekerdia and East at Southern part and at Sahporirdwip area. Today’s bird area would be encroached for shrimp farming, salt pans or agricultural land within near future it is very urgent to conserve the bird habitat before it has been altered. We are trying to motivate community these areas would be conserved with volunteer from the community. (How many community people have been approached regarding the issue?)

 

Currently there is no hunting pressure as our people are trying to save these from threats. The total area would be more than 5 square kilometres. (Please provide a map.) But one of the major issues is that the future is still uncertain since government not emphasizing doing permanent protected areas even there are declarations in the papers. We have to keep proposing regarding the protected areas. (What government departments have been approached regarding the issue?)

Bird Census

To gather information regarding migratory and resident birds in terms of population decline that needs conservation. To monitor the birds frequency and population year-wise to address the threats and find solutions to restore habitat and the population with the concurrent development. In 2008-2010 we conducted two annual bird surveys on waterbirds in the project area. Area in Cox’s Bazar including Sonadia island, Teknaf Peninsula, Sahporirdwip in vast mudflats, tidal shores, and mangroves. These habitats are gradually spoiled by unplanned urbanisation and indiscriminate use for tourism, road development and shrimp/salt farming in recent years. In the first survey more than 11,878 birds were found at Sonadia and Moheshkhali. Two globally endangered species, Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Nordmann's greenshank, were also spotted in Sonadia during census. A total of 15,933 birds of 52 species have been spotted in Cox's Bazar including 37 species migratory birds. Their habitat is gradually spoiled by unplanned urbanisation and indiscriminate use of water bodies.

 

In the second survey during 18-20 December 2009 more than 12,286 waterbirds has been recorded under 42 species. It is not clearly stated that the birds being declining as the number shows here but definitely the habitat itself under severe threats in current time. Regular monitoring and the area protection are very important. The activity of the Government is not providing any positive impact as there is a running 7 million dollar UNDP/GEF project under DOE (What is DOE?) of the Government of Bangladesh. It’s because there is no complete strategy and monitoring by the project personnel as what is happening in reality.

 

The migratory birds flocks particularly along the coast of sandy shores particularly gulls and terns are often disturbed by tourists driving jeeps on the beach on their way to and from Teknaf. Birds are losing their habitats because of indiscriminate use of water bodies and setting up of huge structures in an unplanned way. The shrimp enclosures at Sonadia and Maheshkhali are also causing severe damage to their natural habitats.  Moreover, shrimp enclosures have been built along the forest near the Naf River in Teknaf, posing a serious threat to their habitats. The habitats include marshlands at Alokardia and adjacent sandy beaches, Belekardia in Sonadia, Taziakatarchar and Paikdia in Maheshkhali. Besides, Badar Mokam in Shahporir Dwip is also considered as a very important bird habitat. Spoon-billed Sandpipers had earlier been spotted in the area, according to surveys conducted in 2006 and 2007. The area of census falls under the East Asian Australian Flyway of migratory birds. The migratory birds come to these natural habitats travelling thousands of miles.

 

If the proposed Deep Sea Port is built at Sonadia Island, the bird habitats might be lost forever. Government has the contradictory project Deep Sea Port by hiding the necessity of this pristine natural habitat in Sonadia island that is very critical for the whole areas natural production and community people’s livelihood.

To conserve water birds in Cox’s Bazar coastal wetlands with direct Participation of local Community through their capacity building, mass awareness, outreach production, establishing monitoring and Ornithological center and by protecting water birds habitat.

 

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