Working against electrocution on a global scale

Falconers against electrocution Working against electrocution on a global scale

Janusz Sielicki IAF Vicepresident for Europe, Africa and Oceania IAF Conservation Officer sielicki@iaf.org, www.iaf.org

Working against electrocution on a global scale

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The Google show 80 thousand texts on Saker electrocution only

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One cannot deny the problem

Working against electrocution on a global scale

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Electrocution is also a problem for falconers.

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Falconry birds are even more in danger than wild birds, as we use electronics, antennas, bells, jesses. All of them can be additional way for electrocuting bird.

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There is a special section on electrocution on IAF webpage iaf.org

Working against electrocution on a global scale

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Poles attract birds, especially birds of prey.

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They are especially attractive in open landscapes, steppes and deserts.

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There is a big problem of electrocution in less developed countries, especially in Central Asia, Central Africa, South America,

Working against electrocution on a global scale

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Situation needs solutions which let to prevent electrocution.

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Current approach to electrocution is not effective.

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Saker Task Force identified electrocution as mains threat to Saker on global scale.

Working against electrocution on a global scale

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There were many conferences on electrocution

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There were many resolutions against electrocution

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Perhaps millions of euro were invested on insulation and other ways to mitigate electrocution

BUT

Working against electrocution on a global scale

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There is a need for a simple system of certification of poles – prevention is easier and cheaper.

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Producers are one solution – governments should implement obligatory „Bird safe certificates”

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Poles should be from the beginning

Working against electrocution on a global scale

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Electric companies also need to understand a big value of birds, not only ecological, but also economic.

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One thousand killed Sakers is few milions dollars lost.

Saker Falcon research and Conservation in Mongolia

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Batbayar Galtbalt1, Nyambayar Batbayar1 Andrew Dixon2, Lutfor Rahman2, •

1Wildlife Science & Conservation Center •

2International Wildlife Consultants

Working against electrocution on a global scale

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How big problem is it?

Some pictures from Mongolia

Sakers are not the only victims.

Ravens, Stepe Eagles, and many other species are killed there on the midvoltage lines

Some are eaten by other predators and scavengers. That means the birds we accidentally see are a portion of real problem. Some birds are not killed immediately and fly away to die in distance. So how big is the problem?

Somehow we feel that was underestimated.

15 kV ‘dangerous’ lines 

Line poles

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Anchor poles

Working against electrocution on a global scale

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In Mongolia the most dangerous are 15 kV lines.

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Two types of poles which kill birds are made of concrete and steel.

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In the old time wooden poles were used, which were much safer.

2013-14 line monitoring 

56 km 15 kV line

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12 months

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How many dead Sakers were found?

2013-14 line monitoring 

The study conducted by team under lead of Andrew Dixon and financed by Environment Agency Abu Dhabi had the aim to check the real size of the problem

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The one line choosed for study and experiment

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The survey was conducted by employed and trained local surveyors from the villages at either end of the 56 km line, and they conducted daily line surveys on motorbikes

Electricity Network in Mongolia

2013-14 line monitoring

439 surveys

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01 April 2013

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to

14 August 2014

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434 Sakers carcassess

These are 24/7 killing machines

Have you ever seen over 300 Sakers in one room?

IAF Statement, 2014 A shocking fate for thousands of endangered falcons Tens of thousands of birds of prey are electrocuted at power lines worldwide every year. The situation is especially bad in Central Asia where an estimated 4000 globally endangered Saker Falcons are killed each year along with thousands of other birds of prey including eagles. The Saker Falcon is the focus of an extensive

Working against electrocution on a global scale

Saker Falcons were killed by a 15 kV line at an annual rate of 55 dead birds per 10 km of line* * And that number could still be

How widespread is Saker Falcon electrocution in Mongolia?

What is the number of electrocuted Sakers in Mongolia?

It is estimated that 20 most dangerous lines kill circa 4100 Saker per annum There is another 50 less dangerous lines, which can kill another 1000 Sakers.

There are also lines which kill a small number of birds only, but they also count.

Working against electrocution on a global scale

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These are 24/7 killing machines

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Have you ever seen so many Sakers together?

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Estimation of at least 5 000 Sakers killed annually in Mongolia alone

CMS SAKER GAP

Convention on Migratory Species adopted Saker Global Action Plan.

That document lists electrocution as the numer 1 global threat to Saker Falcon population.

CMS SAKER GAP Flagship proposal No 4

Install or Retro-fit 1,000,000 New or Existing 'Bird-safe' Electricity Poles (Phase I)

Working against electrocution on a global scale

More problems? Ø The

problem of the new type poles arises in many countries

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are widely used in China and Central Asia

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are exported also to Africa

Working against electrocution on a global scale

Solutions?

Peregrine on rubber insulated po in Hungary

t the insulation and other mitigation do last for ever. Very often there is a need etrofit tchem again in few years, pecially in more difficult climate

Working against electrocution on a global scale

Solutions? 

But this is not real solving the problem

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New dangerous lines are built

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The real long term solution is building only safe t birds poles.

Working against electrocution on a global scale

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IUCN on its 6th World Conservation Congress in Honolulu, Hawaii, 2016, adopted Resolution 03 proposed by IAF and supported by many organisations from all over the world

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The main idea is to introduce rule of allowing only bird-safe poles in new constructions.

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https://portals.iucn.org/congress/motion/003

Working against electrocution on a global scale

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Both banks and governments are asked to introduce the necessary rules

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The role of banks in funding investments is crucial – national, global and international, private and state institutions

Banks are usually involved in all infrastructure investments on the globe, even if it financed by

Resolution 003 - Preventing electrocution and collision impacts of power infrastructure on birds The World Conservation Congress, at its session in Hawai‘i, United States of America, 1-10 September 2016: 1. CALLS UPON governmental bodies and power companies to work together and to ensure that all new and where possible existing power infrastructure complies with measures to prevent bird electrocution and collision; 2. RECOMMENDS the use of available multi-language guidance adopted by CMS COP10, AEWA MOP5 and CMS Raptors MoU MOS1, as well as BirdLife International's sensitivity mapping and guidance on this issue; 3.URGES adequate environmental assessments (Strategic Environmental Assessment – SEA, Environmental Impact Assessment – EIA) for any planned electricity infrastructure to avoid sensitive areas and to identify, and mitigate through location, bird-safe design and construction measures, potential

The World Conservation Congress, at its session in Hawai‘i, United States of America, 1-10 September 2016: 4. FURTHER CALLS UPON responsible financial institutions to adopt appropriate policies to ensure that power companies are required to minimise impacts on birds through planning to select appropriate locations, to implement adequate EIAs, to utilise safe designs and to employ effective monitoring as part of the terms of funding; 5. FURTHER CALLS UPON research institutions to develop methods and designs to mitigate the impacts of such incidents on migrating birds and assess these methods and designs appropriately;

The World Conservation Congress, at its session in Hawai‘i, United States of America, 1-10 September 2016:

6. URGES relevant governmental bodies, power companies, financial institutions and other stakeholders to liaise with each other, and with the Secretariat and Energy Task Force of the CMS to ensure that existing and planned infrastructure which is harmful to birds is identified and is subject to urgent remediation, which has no adverse ramifications for other wildlife, with monitoring, including monitoring of vulnerable species at national and international level, to measure effectiveness; and 7. COMMENDS countries and organizations, including power utilities, which are funding research and implementing remediation measures.

The safe construction will save thousands of Sakers and other birds

Here is a pole recontructed the way that it is safe for Sakers, with electric line converted under the arms of the

We do not want to see such pictures

We prefer to see those pictures 5000 such nest erected in Mongolia

Working against electrocution on a global scale

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We call the governments and financial institution to include a „bird safe” principle in the Environments Assessments for any electrical infrastructure

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Read the full text of IUCN WCC6 resolution: https://portals.iucn.org/congress/motion/003

Special thanks to Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi, Andrew Dixon and International Wildlife Consultans, Wildlife Science & Conservation Center (Mongolia) Hungarian Falconers Club

Thank you for your attention