Birds need Yemen’s resources, but Environmentalists warn that birds are dying [Archives:2004/791/Last Page]
November 18 2004
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In its latest report, the Environment Protection General Authority warns of the extinction of 11 kinds of birds in Yemen such as white-eyed gull and the Arabian bustard.
Experts say that some kinds of birds disappearing, especially the bald ibis that need the swamps of Taiz to live.
The report also showed that dryness of the such areas are responsible.
The disappearance of these birds of the Yemeni environment indicates things like cutting of trees is a factor. The authority also showed that the pollution caused by oil spells is extremely harmful.
Tourist activities in Yemeni ports also hurt the sea environment of birds because there's no consideration for maintaining the environment.
Yemen is considered as a station in the way of the birds' journeys performed during spring and autumn when they travel from northern homes such as Russia, to the warmer places in the south of Africa.
Studies done by the Yemeni Association for Wild Life Protection show that there are 54 main areas that have water resources, plants and animals. Scientists and researchers in this field report that there are 400 kinds of birds available in Yemen in the whole year: 19 of them are inhabitants, 17 are of the inhabiting birds of prey and 15 pass through Yemen during their journey while some spend the winter in Yemen.
There are many of these rare birds that live in Socotra, which has more than 363 kinds, forming 61 families and 177 classes.
The experts said that the availability of this great number of birds is due to many factors, such as the biodiversity of nature and variety of the geographical regions including the desert and marine environment.
The strategic location of Yemen near African and Asia, and being in the south of the Peninsula, make it attractive to the traveling birds.
Hunting birds, especially in Tihama where the majority of birds are found, is also now considered a main threat.
It is known that Yemen has assigned a five-year agreement with UAE in Abu Dhabi in 2004 on the artificial breeding Asian bustard inhabiting Yemen, with the aim to protect them from extinction.
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