http://www.unep.org/Documents/Default.asp?DocumentID=264&ArticleID=3135
Bonn/Nairobi, 25 September 2002 -
Nearly 70 nations, attending the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)
tri-annual conference ...
<snip stuff to do with whales>
... decided to protect a range of bird and other migratory species including sea
eagles, cranes, herons and the Amazonian manatee by listing them on CMS
Appendices.
Furthermore delegates backed plans to save migratory animals from power lines
and wind turbines following proposals by Germany.
There has been increasing concern that large numbers of birds are being
electrocuted across the globe during their annual migrations because many power
lines have been strung and constructed across their "flyways".
The resolution urges countries to adopt bird-friendly techniques when
constructing medium-voltage power lines and to investigate installing
bird-friendly kit including the erection of so called "bird-safe poles" to
reduce mortalities from existing ones.
The growing popularity of wind power across the world presents a new, potential
threat, to migratory birds. Delegates approved a resolution requiring countries
to study the impacts of both offshore and onshore wind farms which, it is
believed, could benefit not only birds but migratory marine mammals such as
dolphins, porpoises and whales.
Delegates also supported a campaign, spearheaded by the Prince of Wales and
BirdLife International, to reduce the huge losses of albatrosses and petrels to
long line fisheries.
More than 300,000 seabirds, of which 100,000 are albatrosses, are thought to be
dying annually after drowning on baited hooks set to catch fish such as the
Patagonian Toothfish of the Southern seas.
The Prince urged delegates to support the ratification of an Agreement on
Albatrosses and Petrels so that it can come into force as soon as possible.
Arnulf Muller-Helmbrecht, Executive Secretary of the CMS which is a United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) linked convention, said: " The Prince's
intervention was well received. We will be writing to all countries with
albatross populations and nations with long line fleets urging them to come on
board. I will also be writing to Klaus Toepfer, the Executive Director of UNEP,
asking him to raise the issue when he meets ministers over the coming months. I
am now convinced that we will get the necessary ratifications by countries for
this Agreement to come into force, hopefully, by early next year. The only real
question now, is how many more nations will join this vital conservation
effort".
<snip>
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