The Babbler 32

Limestone Leaf-warbler Phylloscopus calciatilis (Ulf Johansson/ Swedish Museum of Natural History) and its habitat in the karst limestone regions of Laos and Vietnam (Jonathan C. Eames)

The Babbler Number 32 - December 2009

Number 32 - December 2009

Working together for birds and people

BirdLife International in Indochina is a subregional programme of the BirdLife Secretarial operating in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. It currently has two offices in the region: Vietnam Programme Office: N6/2+3, Lane 25. Lang Ha. Ba Dinh P.O. Box 89, 6 Dinh Le, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Tel: +84-4-3 5148904 Cambodia Programme Office: #61B, STreet 386, Sangkat Boeung Keng Kang III, Khan Chamkarmon Phnom Penh, Cambodia Tel/Fax: +85523 993 631 www.birdlifeindochina.org

CONTENTS

• Comment • Features A Watershed in Vietnamese Conservation

Cambodia: Conservation of Tigers, their prey, and habitat in Lomphat Wildlife

Sanctuary • Regional News • IBA News: Hydropower project to damage Dakrong Nature Reserve • Rarest of the rare: Phylloscopus calciatilis Limestone Leaf Warbler • Project Updates: CEPF - RIT update

Securing the future for Gurney’s Pitta and its forest habitat

Cambodia: Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary Integrated Conservation Support Project,

Phase Two

Cambodia: Focused Protection for White-shouldered Ibis and Giant Ibis in

Lomphat WIldlife Sanctuary

Vietnam: Integrating Watershed and Biodiversity Management at Chu Yang Sin

National Park

MacArthur Climate Change Project October - December 2009 • Review: International Journal of Galliformes Conservation Volume 1

A Pictorial Guide for Quick Identification of Some Wild Animals Protected by

Vietnamese Laws and CITES • Obituary: Mekki Salah: A great loss to conservation in Vietnam • Profile : Richard Craik: A bird in the bush is worth two in hand • Staff News

Comment

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The Babbler 32 - December 2009

The Babbler is the quarterly newsletter of BirdLife International in Indochina. This quarter The Babbler was complied by Phuong Nguyen and edited by Jonathan C. Eames, eames@birdlife.org.vn. The views expressed are those of contributors and are not necessarily those of BirdLife International.

environmental impact assessment (EIA) were enacted, and if EIAs were conducted by independent parties, their findings fully and openly disclosed, following a process public consultation, I have no doubt that many of these schemes would be exposed as unnecessary wastes of public money, that contribute little to the national grid and which have unacceptably high impacts on biodiversity. BirdLife worked long and hard to ensure that some of the last lowland evergreen forests were conserved in Dakrong Nature Reserve. This investment and the viability of the nature reserve are now open to doubt with plans to go ahead with such a hydropower scheme.

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he flaws in Vietnam’s energy policy were Minister of Industry and Trade was put under pointed-out by the international scrutiny in the National Assembly by a deputy community back in 2008. Over investment who said that developers were earning high in hydro-electricity, it was said, would lead to profits and receiving preferential treatment form future power shortages during the dry season the government. He was right. In Babbler 30 I when reservoir levels were low and that in many mentioned the need for an independent national cases Vietnam did not have sovereign control of project investment board, which could prevent upstream water sources. The report from Harthese excesses. The national debate has now vard scholars went on to claim that there was a moved on to consider he impacts of hydropower lack of strategic vision in the energy sector or development on forests, fauna and flora and we the undo influence of special interest groups. In report on this in this issue. Whilst I share the BirdLife Indochina’s Biodiversity Monitoring Researcher Nguyen Van Quang Quang (spectacled but view that national energy policy is seriously theno last quarter this debate has at last erupted moustache!) at the meeting in Manila, the Phillipines flawed if only the existing laws on the need for into©the national November Photo Credit: press.

NguyenInVan Quang the

The most exciting ornithological revelation this quarter has been the publication in the Ibis of a new species of leaf warbler named Limestone Leafwarbler Phylloscopus calciatilis which takes pride of place on this issues’ cover.

BirdLife was intimately involved in this work because we obtained the two specimens on which the type description was based. These were obtained by my colleagues Dr. Nguyen Cu, Le Trong Trai and I back in 1996 during a survey to locate the Imperial Pheasant. Some compensation then for so much time and effort invested in searching for a

species that is widely believed now to be a hybrid. The karst limestone regions of Laos and Vietnam are noted for their levels of plant, invertebrate and mammal diversity. It is however, only relatively recently that its importance for bird diversity has begun to be appreciated. The ranges of four bird species are now known coincide with the karst. Could there be others and do we need to review the conservation importance of karst for bird endemism?

At the end of 2009 we said goodbye to Mekki Salah who sadly passed away after a long struggle with cancer. There are too few conservationists in Vietnam and we can’t afford to loose a single one. It is with sadness and regret that we note the passing of one who championed Tam Dao so forcefully and who was so energetic and inspiring.

At the end of the year two of our Hanoi office staff moved on to new pastures. Tran Van Hung left us after two and half years leading on our work in central Vietnam and Lam Dong Province. Tran Thi Phuong Lan, finance officer initially recruited to work on the biodiversity corridors conservation initiative also left us to pursue her career elsewhere. We wish them every success in 2010.

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FEATURE

A five-year project in Chu Yang Sin National Park, Vietnam is coming to an end, but has it achieved its goal of combining conservation with protection of a vital watershed?

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The five-year project was co- financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Birdlife, and the Government of Vietnam, and its overall goal was to combine conservation of Chu Yang Sin’s biodiversity with protection of a vital watershed. The Park boundaries enclose a substantial part of the remaining forest in the upper catchment of the Srepok River, a Against this background, it is hardly major tributary of the Mekong River. surprising that key decision-makers in developing countries sometimes offer only Nearly 17 million people inhabit the Mekong Delta of Vietnam and Cambodia, token backing to ecosystem protection, while putting their real commitment behind and conservation of Chu Yang Sin’s forests competing interests such as roads and dams is part of a wider strategy to safeguard the hydrological ecosystem services on which which support economic growth. they depend.

So there was great cause for optimism The Park’s newly established management when, in 2005, BirdLife in Indochina board were well- educated yet began work on the project, Integrating inexperienced, and the project aimed to Watershed and Biodiversity Management in Chu Yang Sin National Park. The project provide them with the knowledge to manage the Park effectively, so, to integrate team were able to assert that “unlike for the Park’s management goals into land-use certain other protected areas in Vietnam, and development plans. A primary there are no known development or objective was to prevent encroachment and infrastructure plans which would compromise the integrity of Chu Yang Sin illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Park by enforcing regulations, since National Park”. hroughout the world, economic imperatives can conflict with the goals of biodiversity conservation and the protection of ecosystem services.

This has happened, and continues to happen, in countries with the bestdeveloped networks of protected areas.

A Watershed In Vietnamese Conservation The forests of Chu Yang Sin National Park are vital for water and biodiversity ©Photo: Nguyen T. Luyen / BirdLife International in Indochina

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A Watershed In Vietnamese Conservation (cont’d.)

since local government lacked the human and financial capacity to do this. The intention was to incorporate existing cultural use into the Park’s management framework, thus respecting the rights of indigenous people.

But shortly after project start-up, it emerged that several major infrastructure development plans were under consideration which would threaten the project’s goal, and the ecological viability of the Park. These included three hydropower plants and a highway within the original boundaries of the Park, despite such plans being against the law which forbids infrastructure development in national parks.

Part of the project’s remit had always been to establish support for Chu Yang Sin National Park (CYSNP) among the public, officials and politicians. Now there had to be a major shift in emphasis, to raise awareness of the threats to the Park and its ecosystem services among decision-makers at provincial and national levels, and to ensure that Park staff were able to engage in the planning and assessment processes associated with infrastructure development.

Chu Yang Sin National Park is an important site for Grey-crowned Crocias Crocias langbianis Photo : Jonathan C. Eames

FEATURE

said Pham Tuan Anh, BirdLife’s Vietnam Programme Officer.

Chu Yang Sin was designated as a nature reserve in 1986, and upgraded to a National Park in 2002. The original area was 59,278 ha, but subsequent decrees and decisions have reduced it to 58,947 ha, with a 133,567 ha buffer zone.

Situated in the north of the Da Lat plateau in south central Vietnam, CYSNP is the single most important site within the Da Lat Plateau Endemic Bird Area (EBA), the only site known to support all of the EBA’s restricted range bird species. It may be the global stronghold of the Endangered Collared Laughingthrush Garrulax yersini, and probably the most important of the three sites with recent records of the Endangered Grey-crowned Crocias Crocias langbianis.

Five of the remaining six restricted-range species are Near Threatened: Crested Argus Rheinardia ocellata, Short-tailed Scimitarbabbler Jabouilleia danjoui, Black-hooded Laughingthrush Garrulax milleti, Yellow-billed Nuthatch Sitta solangiae and Vietnam One of the hydropower facilities has now been Greenfinch Carduelis monguilloti. The sixth, completed and construction of the East Truong White- cheeked Laughingthrush Garrulax Son Highway will start soon, bisecting the south- vassali is considered of Least Concern. eastern section of the Park. The threat posed by the two remaining hydropower plants has The Park comprises a range of deeply folded receded as a consequence of prevailing hills embedded in a larger, mostly intact forested economic conditions and credit shortages. landscape. It is dominated by several peaks over 2000 m, including Mount Chu Yang Sin, which “The project has a window of opportunity for at 2,442 is the highest point on the Da Lat persuading national and provincial officials to plateau. To the south, Chu Yang Sin is bordered re-visit plans for infrastructure development

by Bi Dup Nui Ba National Park, which includes inside the Park, and to mitigate the long-term much of the Lang Bian Important Bird Area damage to the Park from road construction”, (IBA), which is also part of the Da Lat 3

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The Babbler 32 - December 2009

Poachers’ firearms and equipment recovered by the Park’s rangers © Photo: Nguyen T Luyen / BirdLife International in Indochina

FEATURE

A Watershed In Vietnamese Conservation (cont’d.)

Plateau EBA. To the west, it is bordered by Lak Lake Landscape Protection Forest.

The Park protects the largest block of broadleaved evergreen forest in the plateau, covering 65% of the Park’s area. The restricted-range bird species are all found in montane broadleaf evergreen forest, except for Vietnam Greenfinch Carduelis monguilloti, usually found in pine forest, which covers a further 12% of the Park.

The Park is also believed to hold 2,000 mature ‘Fujian Cypresses’ Fokienia hodginsii, highly prized for their dense, aromatic wood, and listed

by IUCN as Near Threatened.

To date a total of 486 vertebrate species have been recorded: 72 species of mammal, 220 species of bird, 60 species of reptile, 53 species of amphibian and 81 species of fish. The Park supports some of the largest populations of Endangered Black-shanked Douc Langur Pygathrix nigripes and Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon Nomascus gabriellae in Vietnam.

Seventeen amphibian and reptile species found by recent surveys are thought to be new to science, along with 28 species endemic to the central and southern highlands of Vietnam.

Until recently Chu Yang Sin had been protected by its remoteness, inaccessibility, and the low human population density in the buffer zone. But a traditional, subsistence society in which two long-settled ethnic groups predominated, the Ede and the M’nong, is being rapidly transformed by the arrival of newcomers, mainly Kinh (ethnic Vietnamese) and H’mong and the development of a cash-driven economy with links to regional and global markets.

During and following the Vietnam (American) war, tribal people who had lived by slash- andburn (swidden) agriculture and harvesting forest products moved down to the valleys, taking up more settled forms of cultivation, including irrigated rice and livestock husbandry. With the change from shifting cultivation to sedentary lowland farming, the communal decisionmaking systems that had managed the use of the forest and its resources broke down.

The end of hostilities in 1975 marked the beginning of a period of transformation of the landscape of the central highlands as millions of rural poor northern Vietnamese flooded into the south to clear forests, hunt wildlife and bring the area under cultivation. More recently, this flow of Chu Yang Sin also supports high levels of plant humanity has continued and has included diversity and endemism. A total of 876 vascular an influx of H’mong , who being accomplished plant species have been recorded, and the park hunters pose a severe threat to the Park. supports 18 species of Gymnosperms (conifers Traditional H’mong livelihoods are based on etc), one third of the species recorded in Vietnam. swidden farming, hunting, and exploitation of 4

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timber and non-timber forest products.

But law enforcement data, collated for the project’s survey of the wildlife trade, suggests that almost all the full time hunters working in the Park are landless H’mong, and that H’mong are the main suppliers of rattan from the forest to local markets.

The Ede and M’nong communities, by contrast, generally see the Park as a protector of the forest, its fauna and flora, and of the precious water system. But it doesn’t stop them hunting anyway. They have a long tradition of using the forest in a sustainable way, and it is felt that closing the forest of the Park to them is not a major issue.

But the switch from a subsistence to a market economy has seen the arrival of traders from elsewhere, keen to exploit the timber and wildlife. By providing a channel to cash previously unavailable to local people, and with the complicity of corrupt local government officials they have begun to undermine traditional respect for the forest

FEATURE

The project set out to deliver effective on-theground enforcement and protection through the establishment of an active community“The fact that hunters penetrate to even the A complex and efficient wildlife trade based ranger service. Patrols by Park staff most remote areas of the National Park, and network now surrounds CYSNP, allowing based at guard stations would be carried out the sheer numbers of some species rapid transfer of wildlife products and live more frequently, and over wider areas, confiscated, indicates that many species, animals from hunters to final consumers blending community liaison and public particularly threatened primates, are likely through a chain of traders and middlemen. awareness, checking and monitoring of highto be in decline”, said Pham Tuan Anh. “For Although subsistence hunting for meat risk boundaries, maintenance of park example, rangers confiscated more than 70 continues, the high value of wildlife meat dried Black-shanked Douc Langurs in just two infrastructure, and when necessary, means most is supplied to restaurants, where warnings or firmer actions against months.” it is seen as a status symbol. The project has offenders. They would work with the district recorded policemen and government The report, which recommends ways the Park Forest Protection Departments (FPD), who departments among the consumers of wild have the power to arrest and prosecute staff can work with local government and meat. enforcement agencies to shut the trade down, offenders. has been published and distributed.

Mammals such as primates (both BlackSubsequent training has covered a wide range shanked Douc Langurs and Crested Gibbons), of topics, including language training, Perhaps most worryingly, two-thirds of the pythons, bears and large cats are used to patrolling skills, dog training and handling, produce a medicinal animal bone ‘glue’ known hunters in CYSNP were part-time and the GPS and GIS applications, and biodiversity as cao. Live and stuffed animals are traded as majority of them were found to be from the monitoring skills. Some rangers received Ede and M’nong, who had moved on from pets and trophies. training in handling people found to be traditional subsistence hunting to supplying violating forest protection laws, and others got the wildlife trade. Similarly, all the illegal The project’s wildlife trade chain report training in dealing with cases related to logging in the Park appears to be carried out identifies ten traded species classified as protected species. Rangers also continued to by the M’nong, working for local traders.

Threatened or Near Threatened globally, and and its biodiversity.

19 Threatened or Near Threatened nationally.

Bear Macaques Macaca arctoides Photo: Le Manh Hung / BirdLife International in Indochina

A Watershed In Vietnamese Conservation (cont’d.)

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learn ethnic minority languages to facilitate their work with buffer zone residents. Turnover of Park staff is unusually low, so this skills training should have an enduring impact.

ment biodiversity surveys.

Other surveys carried out during the past year have improved knowledge of the Park’s mammals, birds, and, reptiles and amphibians. Preliminary results During the fourth year of the project (2008-2009), suggest that species of conservation concern, such monitoring results indicate that law enforcement has as Grey-crowned Crocias and Collared Laughingthbeen strengthened. The Management Board reports rush, remain fairly common in appropriate habitat. that encroachment within the boundaries of the Park had now stopped.

The project has helped the Park establish a monitoring and evaluation system. Information is Although both hunting and illegal logging remain gathered on indicators related to pressures acting serious problems, the Park’s staff are beginning to on the national park, capacity to deal with current get to grips with them. Over 1,000 traps were threats, and biological indicators of the current state confiscated and ten hunting camps destroyed of the national park. Data gathered has between January and March 2009. Monitoring data demonstrated that the project is having a positive for various indicator mammal species shows no effect. The framework will eventually be integrated clear trends for the year; the populations of these into the conservation management plan. species appear to be stable. The quarterly report for January- March 2009 indicated that there had been Over 2,700 people took part in various awarenessno new cutting of the much sought-after Fokienia in raising events organised by the national park during the monitoring plots—after all the mature trees were 2008-2009 in the buffer zone area, including village lost from earlier plots. meetings, special lessons in schools, a radio broadcast and a field trip for school children.

Using regulations for coordinated enforcement Vietnam Television’s science and education channel drawn up with support from the project, joint VTV2 has made a short film about Chu Yang Sin, patrols with rangers from Bidoup Nui Ba National and a website is being developed for the Park.

Park are now routine. Joint patrolling also takes place with village protection groups holding forest Rattan seedlings have been delivered to farmers in protection contracts within the Park, and with the the buffer zone, part of a livelihood improvement FPD, environment police and rangers from the scheme devised by the project and enthusiastically adjacent Lak Lake Landscape Reserve. taken up by the Park staff.

Selected rangers have received study grants to learn surveying techniques, and teams have begun gathering data on the Park’s ungulates, primates and gymnosperms. As well as improving knowledge of the status of these important groups, CYSNP now has a core of staff with the skills required to imple-

FEATURE

H’mong people living in the buffer zone Photo: Nguyen T. Luyen/ BirdLife International in Indochina

A Watershed In Vietnamese Conservation (cont’d.)

To enable park management staff to detect patterns of forest loss, staff received training in fixed-point photo monitoring. Monitoring of 14 locations in the buffer zone takes place quarterly. In the year remaining, the project will support the purchase of satellite images from 2005 and 2009 to further 6

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FEATURE

analyse patterns of forest cover change.

During its final year, the project will oversee the implementation of a communications strategy and programme with a focus on high level decision makers and (forest) law enforcement bodies. The programme will be incorporated into the park conservation management plan, which covers the years up 2015. A consultancy package has been put together to enable park staff to work with developers to assess the risks posed by the road construction inside the park, and to design ways to offset them.

The conservation management plan has recently been completed, and all the biological and social data gathered during the course of the project will be assembled in a book which will showcase Chu Yang Sin to the outside world.

Collared Laughingthrush Garrulax yersini Photo: Le Manh Hung / BirdLife International in Indochina

A Watershed In Vietnamese Conservation (cont’d.)

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In its mid-term review in May 2009, a World Bank Team commented: “Overall administration of the project remains good and BirdLife maintains an excellent working relationship with the Chu Yang Sin National Park Management Board. The project has contributed to notable conservation achievements and improvements in park management at CYSNP.�

Feature Story A Watershed in Vietnamese Conservation published in World Birdwatch December 2009 Volume 31 no. 4

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FEATURE

omphat Wildlife Sanctuary (LWS) is located in Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri provinces in northern Cambodia. LWS covers an area of over 250,000 hectares of mixed dry dipterocarp forest, evergreen and semi-evergreen forest, river, grassland and seasonal wetlands.

Endangered species existing in the Sanctuary include the Tiger, Leopard, Sun Bear, Gaur, Banteng, White-shouldered Ibis, Giant Ibis, White-rumped Vulture, Slender-billed Vulture, Red-headed Vulture and Sarus Crane.

CAMBODIA: Conservation of Tigers, their prey, and habitat in Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary

The project was implemented in partnership with the Royal Government of Cambodia, represented by the General Department of Administration for Nature Conservation and Protection (GDANCP) of the Ministry of Environment (MoE) and BirdLife International in Indochina - Cambodia Programme (BirdLife).

This project was lead by Acting Programme Manager, Bou Vorsak with the support of Jonathan C. Eames, BirdLife International in Indochina Programme Manager. Day to day project implementation was by Ung Sam Oeun, Project Coordinator and Senior GDANCP staff, By Seng Leang, Project Assistant and Director of Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary and 35 rangers.

The project had the following goal and objectives: Goal To train and equip the LWS management team and rangers to ensure that Tigers and other globally threatened species in LWS are provided with long-term protection and conservation through law enforcement, monitoring, and long term funding support.

Objectives • To enhance the conservation of Tigers and other globally threatened species in LWS by maintaining and enhancing regular patrols; • To increase engagement and collaboration of national - and provincial - level authorities in conservation of LWS; • To improve the capacity of government counterpart staff to develop fundraising proposals for long-term conservation of LWS. Project achievements The project provided significant financial and technical support to an internationally important site, without which the conservation status of LWS would have declined. On these grounds the project has contributed to the long-term conservation of Tigers and their preys along with other wildlife.

Photo credit: Jonathan C. Eames

The equipment purchased assisted rangers in their patrolling efforts, and ranger capacity increased as a result of additional recruitment. As A result patrol coverage has increased to cover almost the entire sanctuary. Specific biodiversity and wildlife training along with essential equipment training have also been invaluable for rangers to understand the values of the Sanctuary and the importance of protection and the correct handling and use of necessary equipment.

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FEATURE

A study tour to India increased the experience and understanding of senior management staff in relation to sanctuary protection, conflict resolution, ecotourism initiatives, and the advantages of government commitments to sustain conservation activities in the Sanctuary. In particular, this study tour provided a good chance for the LWS Director to develop a clear vision in managing and conserving LWS in the long-term. Through the study tour to Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary, rangers had a chance to share their experiences within each sanctuary. The study tour was a way to establish a working relationship with the other sanctuaries and improve collaboration between protected areas in the same region. The involvement of government authorities at the local and national levels in LWS has progressed slowly, however, more initiatives are required in next phase of the project. Collaboration with other NGO projects significantly enhanced project success.

In total eight project proposals were developed with mixed success. Government counterpart capacity in fund raising was improved, however, success at achieving long-term funding support for conservation work in LWS has not occurred. The lack of proficient English language skills constrains proposal development and funding success.

For the foreseeable future LWS will require continued financial support and until the government fully accepts its financial responsibilities, these can only be met from international donors such as USFWS.

Above: Leopard and Tiger observations from Jan 2008 – July 2009, (source: monthly reports).

Top Right:Confiscated Indian Muntjac with poacher.

Bottom Right: Study tour group. From left Ung Sam Oeun, Project coordinator and GDANCP senior officer, Jonathan C. Eames, BirdLife International in Indochina Programme Manager, Thorn Kim Hong, Deputy Director of Department of National Park and Wildlife Sanctuaries of Ministry of Environment and By Seng Leang, LWS director (source: J. C. Eames).

CAMBODIA: Conservation of Tigers, their prey, and habitat in Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary (cont’d) 9

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new species of warbler has been described from the karst limestone country of Vietnam and Laos by scientists from BirdLife International, Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Swedish Museum of Natural History, and Wildlife Conservation Society.

Named Limestone Leaf-warbler Phylloscopus calciatilis, the new species is very similar to Sulphur-breasted Warbler P. ricketti, in morphology, but it is smaller with a proportionately larger bill and rounder wing. Its song and calls are diagnostic. Based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, the new species is most closely related to P. ricketti and Yellowvented Warbler P. cantator.

New warbler found in South-East Asia “The karst limestone regions of Laos and Vietnam are noted for their levels of plant, invertebrate and mammal diversity” — Jonathan Eames, BirdLife

“Although this was a collective effort involving a number of institutions and individuals I would like to pay particular tribute to Per Alstrom, the lead author who undertook most of the hard work, research and analysis in putting this together”, said Jonathan Eames, Programme Manager of BirdLife International in Indochina.

Initially, the bird was identified as a Sulphurbreasted Warbler, in itself an interesting finding, since it was apparently breeding more than 1,000 km south of its previously known breeding areas in China. Later it was realised that its songs differed markedly from the songs of the Sulphur-breasted warbler, and further studies were undertaken. The BirdLife and Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources authors provided proof that the species was a resident breeding species in the karst limestone region of central Vietnam. The type description of the species is published in the latest issue of the Ibis, the international journal of avian science published by the British Ornithologists Union.

REGIONAL NEWS

“The karst limestone regions of Laos and Vietnam are noted for their levels of plant, invertebrate and mammal diversity. It is however, only relatively recently that its importance for bird diversity has begun to be appreciated”, said Eames.

The ranges of four bird species are now known coincide with the karst. One of these, Sooty Babbler Stachyris herberti was rediscovered in the same region of Vietnam as the Limestone Leaf Warbler by BirdLife researchers in 1994 after an absence of 64 years.

There are large areas of forested karst within the known range of the species and it is known to occur in Hin Namno National Protected Area in Laos and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam. Although the species is not believed to be under any immediate threat the conservation status of this taxon will be assessed in due course by the BirdLife Taxonomic Working Group; BirdLife will then evaluate its extinction risk category for the IUCN Red List (for which BirdLife is the official Red List Authority).

BirdLife staff Jonathan Eames and Le Trong Trai, have now been responsible, with co-workers for the discovery and description of four bird species new to science, all from Vietnam. The other three comprising Black-crowned Barwing Actinodura sodangorum, Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush Ianthocincla konkakinhensis and Golden-winged Laughingthrush Trochalopteron ngoclinhense. In addition with co-workers, they have described a further 13 new bird sub-species for science from Cambodia and Vietnam.

----Source: http://birdlifeindochina.org/content/new-warbler-found-

south-east-asia Photo courtesy of Ulf Johansson/Swedish Museum of Natural History 10

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Second blow for Asian vultures

REGIONAL NEWS

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esearch published by the BirdLife Partnership in the journal Biology Letters has discovered a second veterinary drug causing lethal effects in Asian vultures, adding further pressure to already beleaguered vulture populations.

For every 1,000 White-rumped Vultures Gyps bengalensis occurring in southern Asia in the 1980s only one remains today because of the lethal effects of diclofenac - a drug used to treat livestock - on vultures.

Alarmingly, researchers looking into safe alternatives have now identified that a second, livestock treatment in Asia - ketoprofen - is also lethal to the birds. Vultures feeding on the carcasses of recentlytreated livestock suffer acute kidney failure within days of exposure.

Following this discovery, the RSPB, the Bombay Natural History Society and Bird Conservation Nepal - (BirdLife in the UK, India and Nepal) - are calling for tighter controls on the use of this second drug in veterinary use in southern Asia. The organisations are keen to see the promotion of drugs that are safe, and currently the only similar livestock treatment known to have no harmful effects on the continent’s vultures is meloxicam. Meloxicam is no longer under patent and is currently manufactured by at least 20 companies in South Asia.

Richard Cuthbert of the RSPB said, “From millions of individuals in the 1980s, vultures have simply disappeared from large swathes of India, Pakistan and Nepal and at least three species have been brought to the brink of extinction. The rate of decline of these magnificent birds is staggering. For White-rumped Vultures, for every two birds alive last year, one will now be dead, and this is all because of the birds’ inability to cope with these drugs in livestock carcasses, the birds’ principal food source.”

Photo: Jonathan C. Eames 11

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REGIONAL NEWS

Second blow for Asian vultures (cont’d.)

He added, “Everyone interested in conservation, quite rightly knows about the plight of India’s tigers, but in the race towards extinction the vultures will get there far sooner!”

Dr Vibhu Prakash, Director of the Vulture Programme of the Bombay Natural History Society in India, added, “Only meloxicam has been established as a safe alternative for vultures, while at the same time being an effective drug for treating cattle. We would like to see other safe alternatives, but it should be the responsibility of the Indian pharmaceutical industry to test these to determine their safety to vultures.”

The research, published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters shows that ketoprofen is lethal to the birds in the dosages that would be administered to livestock to reduce pain and swelling of those animals suffering from rheumatism or arthritis. Worryingly, researchers have already recorded the drug in one in 200 carcasses in southern Asia, with 70% of those occurring in potentially lethal concentrations.

The authors add that ketoprofen could already be contributing to further declines of the remaining vulture populations caused by diclofenac, and this is a trend likely to increase if ketoprofen replaces diclofenac. In addition to ketoprofen and diclofenac, other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs sold by veterinary pharmacies for treating livestock include meloxicam, phenylbutazone, analgin, nimesulide, flunixin and ibuprofen. Just three of these have been tested to determine their effects on vultures. Diclofenac and ketoprofen cause lethal kidney failure and only meloxicam is known to be safe.

The RSPB and the UK Government’s Darwin Initiative have been the main funders of research to find safe alternative drugs and to measure levels of diclofenac contamination in the environment, as well as in partnership with the Indian and Nepalese governments supporting construction and running costs of the vulture breeding centres.

The research, which was partially conducted in South Africa, involved: the Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria; The Vulture Programme of the Rhino and Lion Non-profit Organisation, Skeerpoort, South Africa; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa; Rare and Endangered Species Trust, PO Box 178, Otjiwarongo, Namibia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK; Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, Ronda de Toledo, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain; RSPB. Vinny Naidoo, Kerri Wolter, Duncan Cromarty, Maria Diekmann, Neil Duncan, Andrew A. Meharg, Mark A. Taggart, Leon. Venter and Richard Cuthbert. 2009. Biology Letters.

Toxicity of NSAIDs to Gyps vultures: a new threat from ketoprofen.

----Source: http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/12/vultures.html

Photo: Jonathan C. Eames

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REGIONAL NEWS

VIETNAM: Dammed and be damned

POWER PLANTS

in the central region and Central Highlands Quang Nam Province: 62 licensed projects Thua Thien-Hue Province: 11 projects on the Huong River and other 12 small-sized plants Binh Dinh Province: 7 licensed projects and 20 others were submitted by the end of 2008.

Gia Lai Province: 7 major plants and 113 small-and-medium sized projects, including 21 in operation.

Dak Nong Province: 3 plants under construction and 70 small and medium sized, with 26 in operation.

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ovember 2009: A total of 60 largescale hydropower plants of between 54 megawatts and 2,400 megawatts capacity will be constructed on central region rivers by 2020. This is not including hundreds of smaller plants in central provinces, including 80 in Kon Tum, 57 in Quang Nam and 64 in Dak Nong.

“Besides vast areas of protective forest being chopped down, the Tra Xom power plant project has swallowed nearly 80 percent of the commune’s rice area and hundreds of hectares of other crops,” said Dinh Drin, chairman of Vinh Son Commune People’s Committee in Binh Dinh Province’s Vinh Thanh District.Many officials are concerned about an even more serious threat, severe environmental impacts on the region as a whole.

The construction of the biggest dam in Vietnam Photo: Zenith Phuong

Bui Cach Tuyen, head of the Environment Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said dams would obstruct the natural flow of rivers and affect local flora and fauna. “I have never come across an aggregate report on possible impacts to river systems from collecting wa-

ter in reservoirs to generate power,” he said.

Hoang Van Bay, deputy head of the ministry’s Water Resource Management Department, said people in the central region could suffer serious droughts and floods because of the power plants.“A series of hydropower plants will be constructed on each river but there has been no assessment of possible impacts,” he said. “The investors have focused on the electricity to be generated without paying attention to regulating water flow in the river. This has worsened the threat of dangerous floods in rainy seasons and drought in dry seasons in the lowlands,” he added.

The US Energy Information Administration has reported up to 20 percent of Vietnam’s domestic energy consumption comes from hydropower, the highest in Southeast Asia.

With the fast-track growth that the country is set on, the hunger for power is unlikely to be satiated any time soon.

Deeper destruction “Most hydropower plant projects are located in major protective forests and projects in-

vested in later often destroy more forests than the earlier ones because they are located deeper,” said Huynh Thi Thanh Thuy, deputy director of the Phu Yen Province’s Department of Planning and Investment.

More than 630 hectares of forest in Binh Dinh Province’s Vinh Thanh District have been chopped down for the construction of the Tra Xom hydropower plant alone. Up to 11 large-scale power plants in the district are being built or have been approved. Another 1,100 hectares of forest in Binh Dinh will be destroyed for other projects, including Vinh Son 2, Vinh Son 3, Vinh Son 4, Vinh Son 5 and Nuoc Luong.

In Quang Nam Province, up to ten largescale power plants will be constructed on the Vu Gia, Thu Bon rivers besides dozens of other small-and-medium sized projects in the survey stage. Duong Chi Cong, director of Quang Nam Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said up to 4,000 hectares of forest had been cleared for the construction of four power plant projects, excluding 6,000 hectares being chopped down to construct the electric lines.

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Dammed and be damned (cont’d.)

Nguyen Thanh Quang, vice director of Quang Nam Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, slammed the plant operator, A Vuong Hydroelectric Joint-stock Nguyen Van Doi, deputy chairman of Hong Company, saying the discharge of nearly 150 million cubic meters of water while Early this month, a serious flood in Quang Thuong Commune in Thua Thien-Hue downstream water levels were increasing Province’s A Luoi District also criticized Nam triggered by the typhoon Ketsana submerged many villages in Dai Loc the social consequences of hydropower that hit the region on September 29 swept District. The floods then rose higher than huge amounts of chopped logs downstream plants. “The number of poor families has those of previous years by nearly 1.5 increased from 80 to 167 after a power the Vu Gia River. People have said they meters, he added. had been cut for the construction of power project was constructed,” he said. plants rather than by illegal loggers. The Le Minh Anh, chairman of Quang Nam construction of Dak Ru Power Plant in the Local media have repeatedly reported on People’s Committee, said the locality has how residents displaced by power plant Central Highlands province of Dak Nong has also devastated hundreds of hectares of construction have to struggle to adapt with learnt the hard way the consequences of hydropower plant construction through sloppily constructed resettlement areas forest although it could only generate 7.5 while they no longer have any land for cul- recent flooding, including the A Vuong megawatts of power. incident. He said committee would tighten tivation. the planning and construction of the plants Social catastrophe as well as investor’s commitment to plant Signs of things to come forests to replace areas they had cut down.

More than 6,000 residents will have to be “Investors failing to keep their commitment Late September, the A Vuong power plant displaced for constructing the Plei Krong in Quang Nam Province allegedly released will be fined the money needed to replant hydropower plant project in Kon Tum water without warning, worsening flooding the forest,” he said. However, Anh Province, the reservoir for which will ocadmitted no investor has so far kept the caused by typhoon Ketsana, making it cupy more than 4,000 hectares of land. promise to replant forests, nor has any impossible for the province to take timely A recent survey reported residents of the action been taken against them. mitigation measures and provide relief. province’s Sa Thay, Dak Ha and Dak To districts have suffered seriously from the “It is unimaginable [the consequences] if Quang Nam completes construction of all approved hydropower plant projects,” he said.

The construction of the biggest dam in Vietnam Photo : Zenith Phuong

project, including many families having to give up four hectares of coffee gardens each.

IN THE BREACH Ta Van Huong, head of the Energy Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, admitted that a drastic increase of hydropower plants has affected the environment. However, he said it was the provincial administrations that were responsible for assessing and approving small-and-medium sized plants as stipulated in a governmental decree.

“Many enterprises have invested in hydropower plant projects because it can bring in good profit,” he said, adding plants of less than 1 MW capacity have been built.

He also said the government has issued strict procedures for planning and building dams including the need for environmental impact assessments, because the reservoirs in these projects would use forest land and force the resettlement of residents.

But some localities have breached the regulations and gone ahead with the projects without going through the needed preparatory steps, he added.

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Source: http://www.thanhniennews.com/features/?catid=10&newsid=53447

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VIETNAM: Bears tortured to meet Asian thirst for bile

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A NOI — More than 4,000 Asian Black Bears Ursus thibetanus are being forced to live in cages across Vietnam so that their bile can be regularly siphoned off and sold as a super tonic, according to the Agriculture ministry’s Forestry Department. There is little hope for them. A few have been rescued and placed in sanctuaries, but the rest languish and eventually die because of weak laws.

From 2001 to 2005, the average number of bears caught in the wild was 1,000 per year, according to Ha Cong Tuan, head of Forest Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.In an attempt to control the situation, since September 2005 the department started to register and micro-chip captive bears to try and prevent bears being illegally captured in the wild.

“Although Vietnam has relevant laws, fines for Nguyen Van Anh, wildlife trading co-ordinator with those who violate the rules are only a slap on the Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) said the bile wrist. Unless the bears are taken from them, things farming industry exploded about 10 years ago, won’t change,” said Tuan Bendixsen. raising the numbers of bears in captivity from hundreds to thousands.

“Since the introduction of the micro-chip registration, the demand for bile in the south seemed Vietnamese Australian Tuan Bendixsen, Vietnam to decline,” said Nguyen Vu Khoi, executive director of the Hanoi-based Animal Asia director of the HCM City-based local NGO Wildlife Foundation, said most bears were kept under at Risk. inhumane conditions. Those that he has inspected were forced to survive in cages measuring just Education for Nature coordinator Anh said although 150cm x 200cm x 150cm.The trapped animals stay domestic demand had declined, there was a new idle all day, while in the wild, each can roam in a trend to sell bile to foreign tourists, especially in territory of about 5 km radius. tourism hot-spots.According to ENV, in the past year it has uncovered a secret world of Korean bear “The bears are fed terribly,” Tuan said. “They are tourism in Ha Long Bay. During a total 10-day ingiven waste food normally reserved for pigs.” He vestigation, ENV documented more than 100 said it was heartbreaking to see bile extracted. As busloads of South the gall bladder is beneath the liver, drugged bears, Korean tourists restrained with ropes, have their abdomens visiting bear farms. repeatedly jabbed with 4-inch needles until the gall The visits are not a bladder is found - and then the painfull exraction last minute thought, begins. “Bears suffer a thousand times and the men- but a planned part of tal torture is unimaginable,” he said. the tour operation.

REGIONAL NEWS

During the visit, tourists witness, and seemingly enjoy, bile extraction, taste wine mixed with the bile, and are then buy bear products to take home.

Do Quang Tung, head of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Unit of the Forest Protection Department said: “Seven out of 15 registered bear farms in northeastern coastal Quang Ninh Province operate tours, but in fact are selling bear products.”

Many Asians believe bear bile is capable of curing even cancer. That’s why many people are ready to pay a lot of money to buy it. However, it is doubtful if bile taken from such mistreated bears has any medical benefits, not to say possible harmful effects according to doctor Dang Van Duong, chief pathologist at the Bach Mai Hospital in Ha Noi. After conducting clinical examinations of the damaged gall bladders of three rescued bears at Tam Dao sanctuary, he concluded: “Had those gall bladders belonged to humans, they would already be dead.”

© Tuoi Tre Newspaper

Breeding bears for bile could eventuate in the extinction of bears in Vietnam and neighboring countries as it encourages more and more hunting. Extracting bear bile is an act not only breaking Vietnam’s laws in protecting endangered species, but also violating the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, otherwise known as CITES. Moreover, Vietnam could face the protest of world public opinion, which could place embargoes on our legal export products such as crocodile, python and turtle and make our farmers suffer.

If we do not deal with bear farm owners more strictly, it will weaken and invalidate laws regarding forest protection, environment conservation, and Biodiversity.

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NGUYEN DINH XUAN (Science, Technology and Environment Committee of Parliament) 15

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The Babbler 32 - December 2009

VIETNAM:

Bears tortured to meet Asian thirst for bile (cont’d.)

REGIONAL NEWS

An Asian Black Bear taken out of a cage lies unconscious at a bear farm run in Ha Long, Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, as farm managers extract bile from the animal in front of a group of tourists. © Joong Anh Daily

According to Animal Asia Foundation, many traditional medicine doctors agree that bile can be susbstituted with 54 recognised herbs. Ursodeoxycholic, the main ingredient in bear bile, can also be synthesised under laboratory conditions. Both herbal and synthetic options are readily available, making the use of bear bile unnecessary.

“Although there are rescue centres under the provincial Forest Protection departments, they are generally not well equipped. The only good thing for bears kept there is that they are no longer tortured for bile,” Tuan said.

In 2008, in an effort to create a home for bears, the foundation, in co-operation with the agriculture ministry, opened the 12 ha Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre in northern Tam Dao National Park.The centre can hold up to 100 bears and is designed to restore a bear’s natural behaviour, including climbing and searching for food. However, there is no record of any having been released back into the wild.

Equipment to extract bile.

At present, the centre houses only 28 bears, half of them illegally traded from neighbouring countries.

In the south, the Wildlife at Risk and Free the Bears organisations have built three separate bear centres - Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, Cat Tien Bear Sanctuary in southern Dong Nai Province, and the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta Bear Sanctuary. They are taking care of only four to 10 bears each, but the sanctuary can handle up to 100 bears, said its director Khoi.

© Tuoi Tre Newspaper

ENV’s coordinator Anh said the 4,000 bears in captivity were generally not suitable for release into the wild and many would have difficulty reproducing. Tuan said that after years of captivity, they would never survive in the wild.

“In the long run, if we don’t want to see such precious animals become extinct, we must stop illegal hunting and trading.”

At the same time, agencies agree that a committee, including Forest Protection, Customs and Police departments should join hands more effectively to stop the trading.

-------Source: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01ENV031009

© Tuoi Tre Newspaper Bear bile disguised as ginger tea.

The sad life of Ha Long bears Tuoi Tre newspaper published an extraordinary exposé of the lucrative but flagrantly illegal business of ‘bear bile farming’ near Ha Long City. You can find the story here: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/reports/2009/09/869353/

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© Tuoi Tre Newspaper

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he government should enforce its laws and help forest wardens fight illegal loggers instead of wasting time and money raising banners that call on locals to “love the forest.”

Statistics from Indochina forest departments in 1943 showed that Vietnam then had around 13.5 million hectares of forest. By 1980 the number had dropped to 9.9 million hectares, meaning we had lost around 100,000 hectares of forest a year during the period.

VIETNAM: Laws protect trees better than awareness campaigns

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Vietnam has chosen November 28 as Forestation Day to remind people of the importance of protecting trees and using forest resources carefully.

The National Assembly ratified the Forest Protection and Development Law in 2004.

But both the day and the law have failed to help as forests continue to be destroyed at alarming rates.

We still define protecting forests simply as fighting illegal loggers and educating the public on the importance of “loving” trees.

Since then, Vietnam has managed to add new That’s way too abstract. We have laws and green cover thanks to efforts to we should stick to implementing those laws. re-plant forests, but we’ve still lost many of our old and primeval forests to industrial For example, Article 13 in Vietnam’s projects, most recently a slew of hydropower Forest Protection and Development Law plants. requires a person/unit to set up plans to plant new forests if their work clears existing After the discharge of water from A Vuong forests. But not one of our hydropower plant plant was blamed for worsening floods investors has ever planted a single tree after caused by typhoon Ketsana in October, construction.

Duong Chi Cong, director of the local Department of Natural Resources and EnThe government should better equip vironment in Quang Nam Province, told forest rangers and pay them better so that Tuoi Tre that the locality had “only carried they don’t have to cooperate with illegal logout four hydropower plants and has already gers in order to supplement a poor salary. A lost 4,000 hectares of forest, not to mention timber dealer in Quang Nam Province, who another 6,000 to be cleared to give space to wished not to be named, once admitted that new electric cables.” he would be out of business if park rangers were stricter.

“If Quang Nam carries out all the projects that have been approved, things will be Thus, residents in forest areas need to be unimaginable,” Cong said. provided better job opportunities so they are not forced to cut down trees for a living.

The central region, including 12 the highlands, ------is home to 150 existent and future Source: hydropower plants.Protecting the forests will http://www.thanhniennews.com/ be impossible unless the government takes a others/?catid=13&newsid=54172 brave stand and acts firmly and consistently © Photo courtesy of Global Witness to enforce its own rules.

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he Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is seeking ways to calculate forest-preserving charges for power and water users in the country to contribute money to water regulation and forest soil protection.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai signed a decision last year to carry out the pilot project to charge the fees in Lam Dong and Son La provinces for two years.

The policy also took effect in other provinces and cities such as Dong Nai, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Hoa Binh and HCMC. Under the policy, visitors and water and power users in the localities pay for forest rangers via water companies, hydropower plants and travel agents operating at special-use forests. The fees are VND40 for each cubic meter of water and VND20 for a kilowatt of electricity.

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preservation project suggest that water regulation and forest soil protection costs are VND240,000 and VND880,000 for each hectare of forest per year. The costs are equivalent to environment protection charges of VND11 for a cubic meter of water and VND32 per kilowatt.

Rames Peter, director of the Dong Nai River Valley preservation project, said each hectare of upstream protective forest could help Da Nhim Hydropower Plant earn nearly US$70 per year. Meanwhile, five hydropower plants along the Sap Spring in Son La Province can earn VND3 billion per month each thanks to 14,000 hectares of protective forest but just VND15.7 billion per year if the forest is chopped down.

Vuong Van Quynh from the Vietnam Forestry University suggested charging 50% and 70% of power and water costs, Customers of Dai Ninh, Da Nhim and Hoa or 6.6% and 3.3% of electric and water Binh power plants in Hoa Binh Province prices respectively. The way is suitable as and hydropower plants in Son La Province we will not have to calculate again due to also pay for rangers of watershed forests. price hikes, he told a seminar on environVisitors have the fees included in tourism ment charges in Hanoi on Tuesday. products.

Son La Province expects to reach VND Vietnam is the first nation in Southeast 400-800 billion from the charges within Asia to carry out such a program to pay for a few years, increasing by four to eight forest protection services and plans to ex- times from the current level. pand it. The ministry will set aside 10% of the fees collected for the forest protection ------Source: and development fund, 10% for http://www.vfej.vn/en/detail/20021/vietnam_to_charge_ forest_protection_fees management and 80% for forest rangers.

Results of the Da Nhim River Valley Photo: Zenith Phuong

Vietnam to charge forest protection fees 12

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The Babbler 32 - December 2009

However, hamlet head Nguyen Thanh Hung said he was not aware of the case and had not been instructed to supervise construction of such a road from higher authorities. Nguyen Manh Tien, secretary of Ham Ninh Commune Party Unit, said there was a plan to construct the road, but it was still on paper and did not include forest land. Thanh Nien visited the site cleared by Hong last week and found that mango and coconut saplings had been planted there.

“It will soon become her orchard,” a neighbor said.

VIETNAM: Protected forests go unprotected

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ast swathes of protected forest on Phu Quoc Island have been illegally cut down by landowners holding fraudulently-obtained property rights.

© Photo: Jonathan C. Eames

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It looks like football fields scattered around the forest,” said a local resident on the country’s biggest island in the southern province of Kien Giang.

Several other areas along Phu Quoc National Park’s border with Ham Ninh Commune were found with newly-cut stumps and cleared hillsides.

At Neighborhood 11 in Rach Ham Hamlet, many trees dozens of years old had been cut down and several makeshift ovens had been built to turn logs into charcoal.

REGIONAL NEWS

Quoc National Park said a local named Lam Van Son was fined VND30 million (US$1,600) for having illegally cleared 1.2 hectares of forest land. However, Son was still able to claim ownership over the land plot, which is now worth at least VND1 billion ($54,000), he added.

ing all official maps of private landholdings in Vietnam.

Binh said authorities opposed CESC’s wrongdoings.

But reports of misappropriation on the part of the firm are rampant. One Ho Chi Minh City man known only as K. bought 7,500 square meters of land from local residents Ironically, many owners like in Ham Ninh in 2003. He Son have shown the records had his land plot extended to of their violations as evi18,660 square meters in 2008 dence of their ownership over by submitting documents, cleared forest areas whenever including a map drawn by disputes arise.

CESC, which included parts of a nearby protected forest as Pham Quang Binh, director his own private property. The of Phu Quoc National Park, case was only detected after admitted that deforestation in three other locals simultanethe area was increasing. ously submitted applications for land use rights over parts However, he said park manof the land attributed to K. by agement was unable to folthe CESC map. Upon inveslow through on several cases tigation, Phu Quoc District in which arrested loggers authorities then said K.’s map had confessed to their crimes had been mistakenly apbecause they refused to reveal proved by commune authoriwho had hired them. ties.

‘Host of difficulties’

“CESC had wrongfully included forestland when drawDisputes Binh called untrue rumors ing residential land maps and that the government would this caused a host of difficulA Ham Ninh Commune local recognize the land ownership ties for forest managers,” said “They make double profit deforesting here because of illegal loggers so long as Nguyen Trung, director of illegal loggers can sell the cleared land and the char- who identified himself only coal they make from the wood,” he said, adding that as L., said he migrated to Phu they could prove that they had Phu Quoc Protective Forest Management Board. He also charcoal was easier to smuggle than pure timber. In Quoc Island six years ago and used the cleared land in the had been recently hired by past. said this could also give resia recent case last month, a woman named Nguyen several local officials to clear dents the impression that all Thi Hong was found by park rangers clearing cling- forestland. He said the comBut Thanh Nien found that they had to do to obtain legal ing plants from trees in a protected forest in Rach munal deputy police chief the Cadastre and Engineerownership over a plot of land Ham Hamlet, Ham Ninh Commune. promised to pay him for ing Survey Company (CESC) would be to have CESC map clearing the land with the ap- under the Ministry of Natural in their name.

But just a few days later, she was detected using proval of his permanent resi- Resources and Environment heavy machinery to clear several hectares of trees at dence registration. However, had been including protected ------------Source: the site. She claimed that she was repairing a road to he said the deputy had broken forest land into privately http://english.vietnamnet.vn/ his promise after the area was owned plots in Phu Quoc. make it easier for local children to go to school. tech/200912/Protected-forests-gocleared. A park ranger at Phu CESC is tasked with produc- unprotected-883933/ 19

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The Babbler 32 - December 2009

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VIETNAM:

Recent evidence of one-horn rhino found

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he World Wide Fund for Nature said on Friday it had found the traces of the extremely rare and endangered Vietnamese subspecies Javan Rhinoceros, of which no more than a dozen are thought to exist.

Seven dung samples found on the five-day search launched by the WWF in cooperation with local rangers will be sent to Canadabased Queen’s University for analysis, the non-governmental organization said on its website.

The DNA analysis there will help experts determine the sex and the number of rhinos they are tracking through Cat Thien National Park in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

The group referred to the creature (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) as “one of the world’s rarest mammals.”

“This field survey aims to reveal

the secrets of Vietnam’s little known Javan rhino population in an effort to save it from extinction,” Sarah Brook, leader of the WWF rhino project in Vietnam, said in the statement.

The search has been aided by two sniffer dogs from the US. London’s Zoological Society, meanwhile,will carry out a hormone analysis to reveal the animal’s breeding capability, WWF said, adding that it would draft a conservation plan based on the analyses.

rhino was thought to be extinct on mainland Southeast Asia until hunters in Vietnam were reportedly killed one in 1988.

Although its population is believed to be less than ten in Vietnam, no conclusive survey has ever been conducted to verify it, the organization noted.

WWF said Javan rhino are often hunted for their horns, skin and faeces for medicinal purposes. The species’ habitat has also been encroached upon by agricultural expansion and hydropower projects.

WWF Vietnam’s country director Tran Minh Hien said: “The rhino is not only a rare animal unique It is possible to follow the to this country, but protecting the progress online via: www. rhinorhino is a flagship for conservation mania.blogspot.com efforts in Vietnam.”

“If we lose the rhino, the future does not look good for Vietnam’s other rare and endemic species.”

According to WWF, the Javan

------Source: http://www.thanhniennews.com/ education/?catid=4&newsid=53806

© Photo courtesy: Lazette Gifford

Fishing Cat found in An Giang

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everal residents on Ba Hoa islet, Binh Thanh commune, Chau Thanh district, in the Mekong delta province of An Giang , have caught a number of Fishing Cats Prionailurus viverrinus, a rare species listed in the national Red Book of precious fauna and flora.

Banh Thanh Hung, of the An Giang Forest Ranger Department, on November 8 informed that the office has released a Fishing Cat into the Tra Su cajeput forest in Tinh Bien district.Earlier in mid October, the office also released another fishing cat to the nature.

Fishing Cats live in fragmented groups in China , Vietnam , Thailand , and Indonesia.They mainly inhabit areas where there are streams and rivers of fresh water, usually those covered by reeds, swamps, mangroves, and marsh.

As their name implies, they eat mostly fish. They will sit and wait on the shore, and scoop the fish out of the water with its paws, and are even known to dive for fish. They also eat frogs, snakes, crustaceans, snails, birds, and small mammals.

------Source: http://www.vfej.vn/en/detail/19597/rare_fishing_cat_found_in_an_giang

©WWF / Mike Griffiths

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HUA THIEN-HUE, 23 December 2009 — World renowned ornithologist Vo Quy has confirmed that a rare pheasant discovered by a railway worker is an Edwards’s Pheasant Lophura edwardsi – classified as an endangered species. The pheasant, which has a greyish-brown coat with a short, shaggy white crest, red legs and face, was found near Tunnel 11 of the Hai Van Pass in Thua Thien-Hue Province with a wounded left leg. It had been trapped by a wildlife hunter.

Forest rangers brought the 52 cm long bird with a wingspan of 31 cm, and 14 cm long legs, to the forest management station of the Bac Hai Van Nature Reserve.

“It is a female with a uniform greyish-brown coat,” said Ulrike Streicher of the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre, Vietnam.

Lophura edwardsi is a bird of the pheasant family that is endemic to the rain forests in the central provinces of Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.It was first discovered 70 years ago on

REGIONAL NEWS

Bach Ma Mountain by a French citizen.

The second recorded sighting was a couple of birds trapped by local hunters in 1996 in the Khe Lau forest, Phong My Commune, Phong Dien District, Thua Thien-Hue. The Deputy Director of the province’s Department for Agriculture and Rural Development, Hoang Ngoc Khanh, said his office has contacted the Hanoi National Zoo to find a solution for conserving and multipling this rare bird.

“Or we will release it in the forest in northern Hai Van Pass, where it was discovered,” Khanh said.

----Source: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=02ENV231209

Staying alive: The endangered Lophura edwarsi was discovered in Thua Thien Hue in December 2009

Edwards’s Pheasant found in Thua Thien Hue

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VIETNAM: Communist Party, industry leaders and TRAFFIC focus on wildlife trade in Vietnam

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am Dao, Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam, 10–11 December 2009— CEOs, private entrepreneurs, State-owned enterprises, and multinational corporations are among the nearly 90 participants attending a workshop this week on the protection of Vietnam’s wildlife.

The meeting, Corporate social responsibility for the protection of wildlife, the conservation of natural resources and the sustainable development of Vietnam, is the first collaboration of its kind between the Communist Party’s Central Committee for Communications and Education (CCCE); the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and TRAFFIC.

strategic advisory bodies of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

“With the new emphasis on corporate social responsibility of enterprises, commerce is increasingly going hand-in-hand with wildlife protection, particularly in the economic integration process,” said VCCI Vice President, Dr Doan Duy Khuong.

He added that the new emphasis also helped create a comparative advantage for businesses in Vietnam as well as contribute to long-term national sustainable development.

The trade in wild plants and animals for food, medicine, and luxury goods has caused a significant decline in wildlife in Vietnam and throughout Entrepreneurial representatives attending the two-day workshop Southeast Asia, threatening the existence of many unique and will learn about the need to rare species in the region. One protect wildlife and natural such species is the Javan resources and how businesses Rhinoceros, highlighted among can help, based on examples other rhino species in the recent from other NGOs and joint report by TRAFFIC and companies with conservation © Courtesy of Global Witness IUCN (International Union for strategies, including the the Conservation of Nature) on European Chamber of Commerce, Holcim Vietnam, In- the alarming escalation in global trepid Indochina, Truong Thanh trafficking of horns from African and Asian rhinoceros species, Furniture Corporation, and Ton with Vietnam highly implicated Phat Crocodile Farming and as a destination for this trade. In Trading Co., Ltd. Also present Vietnam, only an estimated five will be officials working in the

Javan rhinos remain in the wild.

An earlier TRAFFIC survey found that business and government officials are the biggest consumers of wildlife in Hanoi. The two groups are now the focus of a campaign funded by the Royal Danish Embassy to change attitudes and behaviour regarding wildlife consumption.

“Raising awareness amongst consumers of wildlife products and developing strategies for reducing consumption is an important initiative to conserve the valuable wildlife resources in the region,” said Thomas Osborn, Co-ordinator of TRAFFIC’s Greater Mekong Programme.

The workshop discussions will focus on wildlife protection measures, highlighting the social responsibility of the enterprises and entrepreneurs, as well as producing recommendations to the Party and Government to issue more policies to complete existing wildlife conservation laws.

------------Source: http://www.traffic.org/home/2009/12/10/ communist-party-industry-leaders-and-traffic-focus-on-wildli.html

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A hunter caught with 40 dried Endangered Black-shanked Doucs in Chu Yang Sin National Park in 2005 © Photo courtesy of BirdLife International in Indochina

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REGIONAL NEWS

Participants from Hanoi Police at the first of two CITES training workshops being held in Vietnam © Hanoi Environmental Police

------Source: http://www.traffic.org/home/2009/11/23/ improving-viet-nams-cites-enforcement.ht mleducation/?catid=4&newsid=53806

Improving Vietnam’s CITES Enforcement

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anoi, Vietnam, 23 November—More than two dozen of Vietnam’s Environmental Police will gather this week in Hanoi for four days of training on wildlife trade enforcement. The training, led by German CITES experts, will focus on the regulations, implementation and enforcement of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), the primary agreement regulating international trade in wildlife and wildlife products. The workshop is one of two being conducted by the Greater Mekong office of TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, in co-operation with the German CITES Management Authority.

The week’s training will be held in Hanoi for environmental officers from northern Vietnam, while the second will take place 30th November–3rd December in Ho Chi Minh City for officers from the southern provinces. Both workshops are sponsored by the German Ministry for Environment and the Federal Agency for

Nature Conservation (BFN) and will include a fieldtrip to nearby wildlife centres and farms to give trainees hands-on experience in animal identification and CITES compliance.In Vietnam, as in other parts of Southeast Asia, the illicit wildlife trade has pushed species such as the Tiger, Asian Elephant, Javan Rhinoceros and Hawksbill Turtle to the brink of extinction, and caused a sharp decline in wild populations of many others.

TRAFFIC Greater Mekong Programme, such results are encouraging for Vietnam’s CITES enforcement efforts. “When the Environmental Police were first created, officers didn’t know which plants and animals were protected.

Now we see the evidence of the effectiveness of these trainings in providing the technical skills and knowledge necessary to monitor and confiscate wildlife traded illegally,” said Van.

Although relatively new, the Department of Environmental Police has shown an everincreasing commitment to ending wildlife trafficking since its inception in 2007. It has expanded to a force of nearly 1,000 officers stationed around the country, and has been increasingly more active in investigating and seizing illegal wildlife products. The growing frequency of wildlife seizures by authorities indicates an improved understanding of illegal trafficking and CITES regulations, thanks in part to two previous trainings conducted by TRAFFIC in 2008.

According to Nguyen Dao Ngoc Van, Senior Project Officer with

The trainings taking place over the next two weeks will include an element of capacity building for the Environmental Police. A selection of the 50 workshop participants will be taught how to lead their own trainings for other officers in their unit, and thereby ensure the long-term sustainability of CITES enforcement in Vietnam.

“It is the quickest way for Viet nam’s Environmental Police to familiarize its officers with basic CITES knowledge” said Mr. Franz Böhmer, the lead trainer for these workshops, who has more than two decades experience conducting CITES trainings.

©WWF / Mike Griffiths

© Photo Courtesy: Zenith Phuong

Vietnam to establish 11 more marine protected areas

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ietnam will set up 11 new marine protected areas (MPAs) from now to 2015 so that MPAs will cover 0.24 percent of the country’s total sea area, according to an MPA development plan for the 2010-2020 period.

At a seminar held in Nha Trang city, the central province of Khanh Hoa on November 30, the Department of Fisheries Resources Management presented a list of the planned MPAs, including Tran and Co To islands in Quang Ninh province, Cat Ba and Bach Long Vi islands in Hai phong city, Hon Me island in Thanh Hoa province, Hai Van-Son Tra island in Da Nang city, Ly Son island in Quang Ngai province, Hon Cau and Phu Quy islands in Binh Thuan province, Con Dao island in Ba RiaVung Tau province and Nam Yet island in Khanh Hoa province.

Between 2016-2020, the department will focus on improving the legal documents and development plans regarding MPAs, as well as the capacity of officials involved in the area. The department will also try to zone up five more MPAs in this period.

Vietnam currently has four MPAs situated in Nha Trang bay, Con Co island in Quang Tri province, Cham isle in Quang Nam province and Phu Quoc island in Kien Giang province.

------Source: http://en.vietnamplus.vn/Home/Vietnam-to-establish-11-more-marine-protected-areas/200912/4634.vnplus

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REGIONAL NEWS

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hnom Penh - 6 November 2009: Cambodia has formally joined a UN programme that helps nations develop the capacity to reduce emissions from deforestation, the United Nations confirmed.

... they have no permit, no paperwork.” Gauntlett recounts various stories from the field. One concerns a billboard at the entrance to the only stretch of national highway with rainforest on either side, which published a number to call for people who wanted to buy land in the Cardamoms. Wildlife AlREDD, or Reducing Emissions from liance intervened and had the sign replaced with a Deforestation and Forest Degradation in forest protection message. Soon enough, however, Developing Countries, operates on the principle banners appeared in restaurants all over Koh Kong that the world’s forests are the greatest single offset province with the same phone number. to human-generated carbon emissions, now widely accepted as the primary cause of climate change.

The stubborn, elusive sources of forest degradation By preserving these forests, developing countries make the REDD programme especially attractive, earn credits (measured in metric tonnes of seques- since revenues from carbon credits can be poured tered carbon) that can be sold on a global market. back into forest sites in the form of additional rangers with better training.

Suwanna Gauntlett, president of Cambodian environmental NGO Wildlife Alliance, said that In October, the Seima Protected Forest in a sequestration-based carbon credit system was Mondulkiri – drawn with the support of the ideally suited to the Kingdom. “Cambodia is the Wildlife Conservation Society – became the first country in Southeast Asia with the most forest left. REDD-based wildlife preserve officially declared When we arrived in 2000, 60 percent of by the Council of Ministers. Pact Cambodia is due Cambodia’s ground cover was forested.” to launch its REDD project in Oddar Meanchey province some time in the coming months. Wildlife Wildlife Alliance focuses its work on the remote Alliance has also proposed a REDD forest area in Cardamom Mountains of southwestern the Southern Cardamoms.

Cambodia, where vast tracts of forest still remain.

There, Gauntlett says, commercial land While these and other such projects are at development is a far more destructive and different stages in terms of assessing carbon stocks widespread cause of deforestation than logging. and connecting with carbon brokers, none have yet sold their credits on the current “voluntary” Gauntlett described how a boom in land prices, market. stoked by the shrinking pool of private property Siamese crocodile Crocodylus siamensis on the market, drove Cambodian entrepreneurs to --------© L. Bruce Kekule carve out illegal plots of government-owned forest, Source: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2009110629361/National-news/freshsituated conveniently far away from the eyes, or bid-to-protect-forests.html cares, of the law.

“There are many, many approaches people take,” Gauntlett said. “They think it will go unnoticed

©Photo: Zenith Phuong

CAMBODIA: Fresh bid to protect forests 24

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The Babbler 32 - December 2009

CAMBODIA: DNA uncovers nearly extinct Siamese crocodiles in captivity

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ongobay - October 2009: Cambodia’s Royal Government’s Council of Ministers has declared the creation of the Seima Protection Forest, a 1,100 square miles (2,849 square kilometers) park home to tigers, elephants, and endangered primates. The park’s creation was developed in part by the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) “Carbon for Conservation” program, which intends to protect high-biodiversity ecosystems while raising funds through carbon sequestration schemes such as Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD).

“We commend the Royal Government of Cambodia for their decision to protect this important refuge for the region’s wildlife and also for safeguarding stocks of carbon,” said WCS Asia Program Director Colin Poole.

REGIONAL NEWS

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he Critically Endangered Siamese Crocodile Crocodylus siamensis, once believed to be extinct in the wild, received some uplifting news this week. DNA testing of 69 rescued crocodiles at Phnom Tama Wildlife Rescue Center (PTWRC) in Cambodia found 35 purebred Siamese crocodiles.

“This could provide a critical lifeline for the long-term preservation of this critically endangered species,” said Mr. Nhek Ratanapech, Director of PTWRC.

Map of new reserve in Cambodia.

WCS is working with Cambodian officials to measure the total carbon stocks contained within the Seima Protection Forest. In addition to massive amounts of stored carbon, the reserve is home to seven cat species, two bears, and two species of wild dog. Recently, scientists have also discovered a new species of bat and two new species of frog.

“In addition to safeguarding the wildlife of Cambodia, Seima Protection Forest will serve as an important model for demonstrating how REDD could be implemented on the ground,” said Dr. Jane Carter Ingram of WCS’s Conservation Support Team. “Forests provide numerous benefits for both wildlife and rural communities, so efforts such as these will help on local, regional and global scales.”

WCS is pursuing similar projects to protect biodiversity and carbon in Bolivia, Guatemala, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Indonesia.

Researchers with Fauna and Flora International (FFI), the Cambodia Forestry Administration, and Wildlife Alliance collected blood and tissue samples from crocodiles at the rescue center in February. They found six adult Siamese Crocodiles, which could be important breeding animals, and twenty younger animals that may be able to be returned to the wild.

The organizations hope to begin captive breeding in early 2010. Offspring would be raised for two years and then released

The Seima Protection Forest will remain open to local hunters and farmers from the Bunong ethnic minority.

-------Source: http://news.mongabay.com/2009/1026-hance_seima.html

into the wild to bolster current populations.

In 1992 Siamese Crocodiles were declared “effectively extinct in the wild” by the IUCN. Once widespread throughout Southeast Asia, the species suffered decades of poaching and habitat loss until it vanished. However, eight years later, FFI and the Cambodian Forestry Administration rediscovered a population of the crocodiles during a joint expedition within Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains. Together they initiated the Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Program (CCCP).

Although protected by law in Cambodia, wild Siamese Crocodiles are still captured and sold to crocodile farms. In addition, planned dam developments in rivers and habitat loss still threaten the species.

Little is known about this species’ behavior in the wild.

The DNA analysis was made possible with funds from the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.

------Source: http://news.mongabay.com/2009/1115hance_siamese.html

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CAMBODIA: New reserve created with REDD in mind

View of the Seima Protection Forest. Photo courtesy of WCS

Siamese crocodile Crocodylus siamensis © L. Bruce Kekule

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Amphibian and reptile survey along the Mekong river, Cambodia yields new findings

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hree herpetological surveys were conducted along a 130-km section of the Mekong River in north-eastern Cambodia, in 2006 and 2007, over three seasonal periods, the early dry, mid dry and wet seasons. Most sampling effort focused on a 56-km section of river, midway between Kratie and Stung Treng Towns, which until the 1990s was largely off-limits due to security restrictions and now supports the most intact riverine habitats and lowest human densities in the study area. Fifty-six species (16 frogs, six turtles, 17 lizards, 17 snakes) were recorded, including the second country records for a gecko (Hemiphyllodactylus yunnanensis) and a snake (Homalopsis nigroventralis), a range extension for another snake (Enhydris longicauda), and six threatened turtle species (Heosemys grandis, H. annandalii, Malayemys subtrijuga, Indotestudo elongata,

Photo: Jonathan C. Eames

REGIONAL NEWS

Amyda cartilaginea and Pelochelys cantorii).

Turtles, large lizards and snakes are hunted for commercial trade and local consumption. A crocodilian, Crocodylus siamensis, reported to have occurred historically, appears to be locally extirpated or nearly so. Conservation priorities are discussed and comparisons are made with species richness elsewhere in Cambodia.

A paper by Mark R. Bezuijen (WWF Greater Mekong–Cambodia Country Programme in Phnom Penh, Cambodia), Bunna Vinn (WWF Greater Mekong–Cambodia Country Programme in Phnom Penh, Cambodia) and Lieng Seng (Fisheries Administration, Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries). Hamadryad Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 135 – 164, 2009.

Left: Juvenile Amyda cartilaginea in channel between Koh Rongnieu/Koh Kring Islands. Below: Adult Glyphoglossus molossus, Koh Kring Island.

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BirdLife International in Indochina

The Babbler 32 - December 2009

MYANMAR has suffered more than almost any other country in the world from Climate Change

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YANMAR has suffered more than almost any other country in the world from the harmful effects of climate change, according to a report issued as world leaders meet for the UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen.

2008, was the most devastating storm in the country’s history, causing the death of 85,000 people, with a further 54,000 people missing, the loss of K3.3547 trillion in the public sector and K8.3800 trillion in the private sector, according to official Myanmar government figures.

A survey issued by the NGO Germanwatch on December 8 placed Myanmar second on a list of countries badly affected by extreme weather events during the period 1990-2008. For the year 2008 alone, Myanmar featured in the top three worst-hit countries, together with Yemen and Vietnam, AFP reported. Bangladesh, Yemen, the Philippines and Honduras also suffered greatly during the period in question.

AFP quoted Germanwatch as saying that weather extremes are an increasing threat to life and property around the world, and their impact is likely to intensify in the future due to climate change.

Similarly, the Asian Development Bank estimated in its April 2009 report on the Economics of Climate Change in South East Asia that by 2100, the region is likely to suffer more than the global average, with a reduction in regional GDP of nearly 7% every year as a result of climate change.

“While Vietnam and the Philippines are relatively regularly affected through storms and flooding, as can be seen in the Climate Risk Index editions 2006, 2007 and 2008, the high figures for Myanmar and Yemen are exceptional,” the report said.

The study takes into account a range of factors, including the total number of deaths from storms, floods and other weather extremes, deaths per 100,000, losses in absolute US dollar terms, and losses as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

All the 10 most affected countries from 1990 to 2008 were developing countries in the low-income or lower-middle income country group. In total, 600,000 people died as a direct consequence of more than 11,000 extreme weather events, which together caused losses of US$1.7 trillion.

Photo: Jonathan C. Eames

REGIONAL NEWS

Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar in May

The report said climate change could seriously hinder Southeast Asia’s sustainable development and poverty reduction efforts, and called for urgent action to combat climate change.

The British foreign office has announced a proposal by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown for a US$10 billion “Copenhagen Launch Fund” to help developing countries tackle climate change immediately, with priority given to the poorest and most vulnerable.

But advocacy groups say between $50 billion and $160 billion will be needed each year to fund adaptation by 2030, with some projections reaching as high as $350 billion.

----Source: http://www.mmtimes.com/no501/n005.htm 27

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REGIONAL NEWS

MYANMAR:

Dramatic decrease in illegal timber trade between Myanmar and China but smuggling continues

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lobal Witness: The illegal cross-border timber trade between Myanmar and China has decreased significantly since 2005. However, ‘snake business’ is widespread and the authorities in China should do more to clamp down, according to a new detailed review by the campaign group Global Witness.

The full report can be downloaded at http://www.globalwitness.org/media_library_detail. php/856/en/a_disharmonious_trade_china_and_the_ continued_dest © Photo courtesy of Global Witness

government aspires to achieve a ‘harmonious society’ but the continued destruction of Myanmar’s northern frontier forests, largely by Chinese companies, provides a striking counterpoint to that vision.”

In late 2006 as part of their research, Global Witness investigators posed as buyers at flooring companies. At the A Disharmonious Trade, the third in a series of reports on time, thirteen out of 14 companies said that it was still illegal logging in Myanmar, is based on field research possible for them to obtain timber from Myanmar across the carried out between 2005 and 2009 in Kachin State, along land border despite import restrictions. These companies the Burma-China border, and on China’s eastern seaboard. export timber throughout the world, including to Europe The field research is supported by an analysis of the latand America. A number of US-based companies are still est trade data which shows that imports of logs and sawn advertising Burmese wood flooring on their websites wood across the land border from Myanmar fell by more despite the fact that the Lacey Act now bans commerce in than 70% between 2005 and 2008. However, 270,000 m3 of logs, and 170,000 m3 of sawn timber, were still imported illegally obtained timber and wood products. into Kunming customs district in 2008, more than 90% of This is just part of a wider problem. Half of China’s timber which was illegal. imports from all countries are probably illegal and China accounts for roughly a quarter of all illegal timber being The decline in the illegal cross-border timber trade can be traded internationally. Chinese timber exports account for largely attributed to measures put in place by the Chinese 10% of the global trade in illegal timber. This has a knockauthorities following the publication of Global Witness’ report A Choice for China in October 2005. At that time, an on effect for other countries. For example, the UK imports average of one truck carrying 15 tonnes of illegally logged more illegal timber than any other EU country because it buys so much from China. timber crossed an official Chinese checkpoint every 7 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In stark contrast, Main recommendations: Global Witness saw very few log trucks along the border during 2006-07 and 2009.

• The Government of the People’s Republic of China should make all relevant authorities and businesses in However, some illicit trade continues, causing serious China aware of the 11 May 2006 ‘Interim Measures to damage to the environment in Kachin State as the forest is Manage Timber and Mineral Cooperation between cleared, often to make way for plantations. Timber is Myanmar and Yunnan Province.’ The ‘Interim Measures’ transported at night, official checkpoints avoided and should be enforced; documentation routinely falsified. In some instances, local enforcement agencies have turned a blind eye to smuggling; • The Myanmar authorities should continue efforts to stop 12 sources claim that corruption and bribery are rife. illegal and unsustainable logging in Kachin state and end the illegal cross-border timber trade with China.

“Clearly action taken by authorities in China and Myanmar to combat illegal logging in Kachin state has had a sig• Timber importing nations, including China, should adopt nificant positive impact. But they should do more to close down the remaining industry, which is almost wholly reliant national legislation to prohibit the importation and sale of timber, which has been harvested, transported, bought on the illegal timber supply from Burma,” said Jon Buckor sold in violation of national laws. rell, Global Witness’ Head of Forest Policy. “The Chinese

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BirdLife International in Indochina

The Babbler 32 - December 2009

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he Dakrong Hydropower JS Company will build its A Cho project in the “strictly protected area” of the Dakrong Nature Reserve. The Quang Tri Forest Protection Department and Dakrong Nature Reserve management board continue to protest, saying that it will greatly harm the protected area.

Le Van Qui, Quang Tri Forest Protection Department Vice-Chief, revealed that in a 2004 meeting to evaluate the A Cho project, almost all representatives from the local Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Department of Planning and Investment, the Department of Construction, the Forest Protection Agency and the authorities of Dakrong objected to building the hydropower plant inside the Dakrong Nature Reserve. Only the representative from the local Department of Industry and Trade approved.

Quang Tri Vice-Chairman Le Huu Thang also added: “To protect the specialized forest under the law on forest protection and development, Quang Tri does not permit the construction of A Cho hydropower plant.”

According to a Dakrong Hydropower JS Company dispatch sent to the Dakrong Nature Reserve on May 17, 2006, Quang Tri People’s Committee agreed to the project.

On March 6, 2008, the committee approved a plan to build 17 hydropower projects in Quang Tri from 2008 to 2010, including the A Cho project with an investment of 167 billion dong, signed by former chairman, Le Huu Phuc.

Dakrong Hydropower JS Company Director Do Thanh Vinh stated that “We are building this plant based on the hydropower development plan approved by the Quang Tri People’s Committee and our agreement with

IBA NEWs

The planned site for A Cho project is an area rich in biodiversity, with many species of endemic plants and animals like deep-blue Quang Tri Department of Industry and Trade pheasants, langurs and Tibetan bears. Nature reserve specialists argue that that the Director Thai Vinh Khang said: “The hydropower project will seriously harm the Department of Industry and Trade is only biodiversity and the fragile ecological involved in planning and arranging the site for the above project. Our view is entirely on system.Concurrently, Quang Tri Forest Protection Department and the Dakrong supporting enterprises to develop the Nature Reserve management board are being economy.” urged to conduct formalities so the investor Quang Tri Chairman Nguyen Duc Cuong said can launch its project in the first quarter of 2010. that the A Cho project is still in the evaluation process and has not been licensed According to Quang Tri’s hydropower yet. Vinh disclosed that investment in development plan, there are will be up to six surveys is already 2 billion dong.The power plants on the Dakrong river, including Dakrong Nature Reserve’s management board said that the A Chon project is located Dakrong 1, 2, 3, 4, Se Pa Ling and A Cho. The Dakrong 3 and 4 were kicked off in entirely inside the Dakrong Nature Reserve and its reservoir, dam, canal and other works October and early November 2009. The Dakrong 1 and 2 began in December 2009. are centered in the protected area. The total land for this project is 53.3 hectares, but its influence will be huge as the company ------will, for instance, destroy the forests to build Source: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/reports/200911/ roads, environmental experts cited.

Hydropower-project-to-damage-nature-reserve-877936/ the Quang Tri Department of Industry and Trade.”

Hydropower project to damage Dakrong Nature Reserve 12

The map showing the site where the A Cho power plant will be built \ inside the Dakrong nature reserve.

Despite protests from environmentalists, the construction of the A Cho hydro-power plant will commence in early 2010 in the Dakrong Nature Reserve (an Important Bird Area) in the central province of Quang Tri.

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Rarest of the rare

BirdLife International in Indochina

The Babbler 32 - December 2009

Phylloscopus calciatilis Limestone Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus calciatilis: (a) Ha Giang Province, Vietnam, 1 June (NRM 20086529; U. Johansson ⁄ Swedish Museum of Natural History); (b) Ha Giang Province, Vietnam, 5 June (NRM 20086571; U. Johansson ⁄ Swedish Museum of Natural History); (c) Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, mid-April (NRM 20047134; P. Alstro¨ m, from video); (d) Hin Namno National Protected Area, mid ⁄ late February (P. Davidson); (e) Phylloscopus ricketti, Sichuan, China, early May (NRM 20037006; U. Olsson); (f) Phylloscopus goodsoni goodsoni Ba Bao Shan, 1 May (P. Leader); (g) same individual as in d; (h) same individual as in a; (i) same individual as in e; (j) same individual as in f.

A

new species of Phylloscopus warbler, Phylloscopus calciatilis Limestone Leaf Warbler, was recently described from central and northern Vietnam and central and northern Laos; it probably also breeds in southernmost China. The 12 photographs reproduced here are from the type description. The full reference is; Altrom, P., Davidson, P., Duckworth, J. W., Eames, J. C., Le, T. T., Nguyen, C., Olsson, U., Robson, C., and Timmins, R. 2010 Description of a new species of Phylloscopus warbler from Vietnam and Laos. Ibis 152, 145–168.

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Project PROJECT updates UPDATeS

BirdLife International in Indochina

The Babbler 32 - December 2009

CEPF-RIT Updates Six more large and nine new small grants made in the region So far, 37 of 173 applications made to BirdLife/CEPF in Indochina have been approved, with sixteen grants to projects in Cambodia, twelve to Vietnam, one to Lao P.D.R., one to Thailand, and seven to projects working in more than one country. In the last quarter of 2009, six more large grants were made, bringing the total number of funded large projects to 13, and nine more small grants, bringing the total number of funded small projects to 24. In total, more than US $3.5 million has now been granted.

Six more large grants The Centre for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies in Vietnam received just over $40,000 for “Identifying priority populations and reviewing current known distributions for threatened bat and turtle species in northern and central Vietnam.” They will focus on filling gaps in knowledge for five globally threatened animals for which core populations have yet to be located in Vietnam (Indochinese Box Turtle Cuora galbinifrons, Four-eyed Turtle Sacalia quadriocellata, Impressed Tortoise Manouria impressa, Wattle-necked Softshell Turtle Palea steindachneri and Vietnam Leaf-nosed Bat Paracoelops megalotis).

Key project activities will be targeted field surveys, formulation of specific management recommendations for protected area managers, and awareness raising for local communities.

Also addressing tortoises and turtles, which were identified as very high priorities for conservation in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile, are two new linked projects led by Cleveland Zoological Society and Conservation International (for over $150,000 and $90,000 respectively). These aim to improve the conservation outlook for some of Indo-Burma’s most threatened species, including Asian Giant Softshell Turtle Pelochelys cantorii, Vietnamese Pond Turtle Mauremys annamensis, Indochinese Box Turtle Cuora galbinifrons, Yellow-headed Temple Turtle Hieremys annandalii and Mangrove Terrapin Batagur baska. Planned conservation activities in Cambodia and Vietnam are often species-specific, but include protecting breeding sites, initiating community incentive programs for conservation, and enhancing legal rotection under national laws.

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (www.cepf.net) is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the World Bank.

A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.

CEPF began a $9.5 million five year investment plan in Indochina in July 2008, in partnershipwith BirdLife International, who provide the Regional Implementation Team (www.birdlifeindochina.org/cepf). As the RIT in Indochina, BirdLife International will: raise awareness of CEPF; solicit grant applications and assist organisations to make applications; review applications; give small grants and jointly make decisions with CEPF on large grants; and monitor and evaluate progress with the investment strategy.

Impressed Tortoise Manouria impressa, one of five globally threatened species addressed by CRES project. Photo: Turtle Conservation Centre, Cuc Phuong National Park

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PROJECT UPDATeS

CEPF-RIT Updates The Douc Langur Foundation was granted just over $40,000 for “Safeguarding Vietnam’s douc langur population through conservation and sustainable ecotourism”. At Son Tra Nature Reserve, in central Vietnam, conservation of a core population of Redshanked Douc Langur Pygathrix nemaeus will be enhanced by promotion of sustainable tourism, including certification of tour guides, and reinforcement of protection measures. Meanwhile, at Chu Mom Ray National Park in the central highland province of Kon Tum, activities will focus on determining the status of Grey-shanked Douc Langur P. cinerea populations and assessing the feasibility of conservation action for them.

supporting the establishment of a Coordination Unit for the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network focal point to allow Cambodia to participate more effectively in regional and global initiatives to combat illegal wildlife trade.

Nine new small grants

The International Centre for Environmental Management will distill information on effects of hydropower development on biodiversity in Vietnam to produce and distribute a set of educational and guidance materials on mainstreaming biodiversity issues into hydropower sector development, including the use of Strategic Environmental Assessment.

Birds have not lost out! In Cambodia, the Wildlife Conservation Society received nearly $700,000 to conserve a suite of highly threatened bird species in a four year project across a number of sites. The aim is to secure core populations of a suite of globally threatened bird species, particularly vultures and large waterbirds, through a set of innovative conservation interventions focused on providing direct incentives to local communities; including payments for bird nest protection, improved value-chains for “wildlife-friendly” produce, and ecotourism development. All of these interventions will be achieved and sustained via a strong focus on strengthening the capacity of local organisations to engage in long-term conservation efforts.

The final large grant of this year (for nearly $100,000) went to Wildlife Alliance for “Improving wildlife law enforcement in Cambodia to protect CEPF priority species from overexploitation and illegal wildlife trade”.

This project aims to address the cross-border trade of wildlife from Cambodia into Vietnam by facilitating inter-agency collaboration and information exchange and

A Red Shanked Duoc Langur Pygathrix nemaeus © Photo : Jonathan C. Eames

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Project PROJECT updates UPDATeS

BirdLife International in Indochina

The Babbler 32 - December 2009

CEPF-RIT Updates Also addressing hydropower, but with a broader focus on the Mekong and its major tributaries across the region, the University of Canterbury aims to broaden partnerships and improve planning among key stakeholders interested in modelling and monitoring potential hydrological changes owing to hydropower development.

The University of East Anglia received two more small grants to conduct crucial conservation research for two Critically Endangered bird species in Cambodia. One project “Measuring the effectiveness of conservation interventions for in Cambodia” plans to improve knowledge of the ecology of White-shouldered Ibis, and make recommendations for conservation management, particularly focusing on factors influencing the species’ patchy distribution, nest failures and effectiveness of nest protection, and positive and negative influences of local livelihoods on ibis habitat requirements. The second project will provide recommendations for appropriate wet season habitat management and site-based conservation management of Bengal Florican in the Tonle Sap floodplain, Kampong Thom Province, by field research – including satellite tracking – to locate key wet season sites, identify non-breeding habitat preferences, and assess threats to non-breeding sites.

The first University of East Anglia project will provide critical support to another new project, led by the People Resources and Conservation Foundation, that will implement protection activities for White-shouldered Ibis and Giant Ibis in Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary, eastern Cambodia. The project aims to establish local community groups to manage and protect prioritized feeding sites, raise awareness of ibis conservation, and prepare an action plan for ibis conservation for incorporation into the wildlife sanctuary management plan and zonation.

A male Bengal Florican taking off © Photo: Eleanor Briggs

Also addressing bird conservation in Cambodia, the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna is targeting three Critically Endangered vulture species in a study of feeding and breeding ecology, threats, and conservation. With populations elsewhere in Asia having undergone rapid declines, remaining – albeit small – populations in Indochina are of increasing importance to the global conservation of these species.

In north-east Cambodia, POH KAO will conduct environmental awareness raising and pilot conservation agreements in Voeun Sai and Siem Pang districts, Ratanakiri and Stung Treng provinces; asking for commitment by local communities to wildlife and forest conservation in return for livelihood activities and development benefits.

Lastly, the World Wide Fund for Nature received two small grants. One focuses on targeted searches 33

PROJECT UPDATeS

BirdLife International in Indochina

The Babbler 32 - December 2009

CEPF-RIT Updates

within suitable habitat for Javan Rhinoceros in the Cat Loc sector of Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, through a combination of video camera traps and systematic dung surveys with detector dogs. DNA and hormone analysis of dung will help to provide a population N Red List training estimate, and information on shop in Phnom Penh. whether males are able to o: IUCN reproduce and whether females are pregnant or receptive to breeding. A second project in Cambodia will support “Planning and partnership development for conserving freshwater biodiversity and resources along the central section of the Mekong River in Cambodia”, with the aim of stimulating more conservation action among stakeholders in this area.

Progress of Funded Projects The Harrison Institute, funded under one of the first two small grants in this region, has continued its three pronged approach to enhance bat conservation in Cambodia.

Following an international bat workshop in the Phnom Penh in October 2009 it is developing a network of regional and international bat specialists to support the bat team in the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), with founder members from Cambodia, Ireland, Lao PDR, Hungary, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Kingdom. Secondly, it is raising in-country research capacity through training of RUPP staff and students. Lastly, it undertook a bat survey in Preah Vihear Province to look for Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bat Otomops wroughtoni, an extremely rare and Data Deficient species, with records from only three sites worldwide – of which just one is in South East Asia. Although there were no sightings on this survey, more field work is planned for February 2010.

in Cambodia, has released it annual report for July 2008-July 2009. The most noteworthy achievement this year was the authorisation by the Cambodian Department of Animal Health of a ban on the veterinary use of the drug diclofenac, which is toxic to vultures and appears likely to have caused staggering declines across much of the global range of these species. The full report is available HERE. The International Union for

Conservation of Nature, Lao PDR Country Programme, hosted the first meeting of the Saola Working Group in August 2009 in Vientiane (mentioned in The Babbler 31). The full workshop proceedings are now available HERE and a final project report, summarising the process, major achievements and lessons learned is available HERE In late November, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Freshwater Biodiversity Unit, one

of the first two large grantees in the region organised a Red List training workshop for the project “Freshwater Biodiversity Assessments in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot: Fishes, Molluscs, Odonates and Plants” in Phnom Penh. Around 30 scientists and representatives from research institutions, non-governmental organisations and government agencies in eight countries attended the event.

The Wildlife Conservation Society, which received a small CEPF grant in March 2009 to continue the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project, a partnership of Cambodian government agencies and NGOs IUCN Red List training workshop in Phnom Penh. Photo: IUCN IUCN Red List training workshop in Phnom Penh. Photo: IUCN

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CEPF-RIT Updates

Besides project review and work planning, essential training was provided to the experts who will undertake the assessment work on how to compile species data using the Species Information Service database, and to assess species conservation status using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Mapping training was also provided to allow assessors to produce species distribution maps, which accompany all red List species assessments. A second workshop will be held in mid-2010 to review the assessments and maps produced by the experts, and the project is due for completion by early 2011, when assessments will be submitted to the IUCN Red List, and all data and maps made freely available to inform conservation planning and decision-making within the region.

On 6 December, the Center for Water Resources Conservation and Development organised the mid-term workshop after six months of running the project “Thai Baan Research on Aquatic Species on the Năng River, Tributary of the Gâm River, Na Hang District, Tuyen Quang Province, Vietnam.”

Full details of this event are available HERE.

The Nang River after the construction of Tuyen Quang Hydropower Dam. Photo: Nguyen Hoang Long-BirdLife International in Indochina 35

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Outline progress over the last 6 months:

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Weed control operations continued and the trees were growing vigorously and most were in good condition. However, roughly 1020% of the trees inspected had been The nursery seed germination severed at the root collar by large, facility was expanded to approximately three times its former burrowing, beetle larvae (which we area to accommodate increased tree are currently trying to identify). The full extent of the damage will be production. A similar expansion of assessed in the end-of-rainy-season the standing down area is now monitoring in December. underway. More than 18,000 trees are currently under production and The planting event was carried out most will be ready for planting in much later than desirable (optimal June 2010.

The FORRU-Krabi tree nursery planting time is late May for Krabi) facility continues to employ a local due to bureaucratic impediments.

Specimens of young seedlings are team of 2 full time and 2 part-time Permission was repeatedly granted staff to propagate trees and carry out also being collected from the for two other sites and then nursery to act as a reference field work. In addition, Ms. collection for support of surveys of inexplicably withdrawn, even after Panitnard Tunjai (“Dia”), a PhD weeding had been carried out and natural forest regeneration in the candidate, from Walailuk future. Seedling growth monitoring paid for to prepare one of the sites University, is having a major input for planting. This has caused some experiments are ongoing. into the project. A former field minor budget problems. Between officer at FORRU-CMU, Ms. May and August, a total of 3 On 8th August, an area of 10 rai Panitnard has excellent experience planting plans were prepared, sub(1.6ha) was planted with 5,000 in forest restoration. She visits the mitted, approved and then cancelled framework trees, (raised over the site monthly to help out with staff

by Government officials. previous year in the nursery, with management, set work schedules and check on data collection. BCST sponsorship from OBC). In a subplot of 2 rai (0.3ha), 32 species were The uncertainty of the planting date have continued the employment of selected and labeled for monitoring and location meant that FORRUa Community Liaison Officer to CMU staff were unable to plan their (30 individuals per species). The undertake the educational aspects attendance and organise community labeled trees are being monitored of their work.Dr. Stephen Elliott participation. Furthermore, the trees (FORRU) and Kritsana Kaewplang for baseline height and root collar were planted too late in the rainy diameter. The planted site is (Director BCST) have overall adjacent to a forest where Gurney’s season to allow sufficient root responsibilities for their Pitta had been presented in the pre- development to take place before organisations work. vious two years. The 10 rai, planted the onset of the dry season in The phenology study, started under by the project this year, was part of November. Therefore, it is likely that high mortality of these trees a much larger planting program of the first Darwin project has will occur by next April-May. 300 rai (48ha), funded by the Thai continued. FORRU-Krabi staff scanned 68 local forest tree species Government. project planning meeting was held in April 209 in Bangkok involving the Thai partners (BCST and FORRU) and RSPB. In August, a planning meeting was held in the UK between the Myanmar partner (BANCA), BirdLife in Indochina and RSPB. In addition, Skype conference calls have been held between Thai partners and RSPB to discuss progress and future work.

every 3 weeks to determine when each species flowers and fruits to optimize seed collection times.

Securing the future for Gurney’s Pitta and its forest habitat Half Year Report Country(ies): Thailand and Myanmar UK Organisation: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Collaborator(s): Bird Conservation Society Thailand (BCST), Forest Restoration Research Unit (FORRU), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, Biodiversity And Nature Conservation Association (BANCA), Myanmar, BirdLife International in Indochina.

Project Leader: Ian Barber (RSPB)

© Photo courtesy of Global Witness

© Photo Courtesy of Paul Hopkins

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A “Treasure Tree” program has been initiated to involve local school children in seed collection and to begin to build a sense of “community stewardship” of the nursery and planted plots.

Teachers nominate pupils to join activities in and around the nursery, such as tree seed collection, germination and potting.

Their participation is recorded on a Treasure Tree Club member card. After five activities the children are rewarded with “treasure” (i.e. a T-shirt). Large labels, advertising the scheme, have been placed on the identified framework species (from the strategy document) and progress with collection of seeds of those species is displayed on a large poster in front of the nursery. Two events have been run so far and another involving 20 school children is planned for October.

As well as assisting with the Treasure Tree programme, BCST have been working with local teachers and the first Teacher Training course is planned for November to develop ways of incorporating the project into the school curriculum. The first Youth Camp Weekend looking at bird and tree identification was organized for 10-14 yr olds.

The Government Research staff undertook a survey of 15 protected forest areas in Southern Thailand from January to May 2009 but did not detect any new areas for Gurney’s Pitta.

The results from Khao Nor Chuchi lowland forest area revealed 12 individuals responded to tape playback. The survey will be repeated next year and extended to cover some non-protected areas and a more intense study of the Khao Nor Chuchi area is proposed.

In July, a paper titled “Population, distribution, habitat use and breeding of Gurney’s Pitta Pitta gurneyi in Myanmar and Thailand” by Paul Donald et al, based on the results from the original Darwin funded project was published online in Bird Conservation International.

Securing the future for Gurney’s Pitta and its forest habitat (cont’d.)

Half Year Report

Range of Gurney’s Pitta

Survey work in Myanmar was timetabled from the start of the project in April and the results would feed into survey work in Thailand in 2010. However, the relatively late announcement by Darwin of the Post Project funding caused problems for BANCA to put together a survey team and so the survey has been delayed a year until the 2010 breeding season. After discussions with all partners it was agreed that this will not adversely affect the survey work in Thailand as the likely new areas to survey are generally known and can be fed into the Governments Research work next year.

There may be a slight impact on the budget allocation as the survey work continues into May and so the project may have to request a budget carry over from 2009/10 into 2010/11.

This is the second year that planting has been disrupted due to bureaucratic obstruction. An overhaul of the system to identify planting sites and grant permission to restore them is required and it is hoped that this impediment to restoration will be addressed in the workshop in October.

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CAMBODIA: Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary Integrated Conservation Support Project, Phase Two

Leopard camera trapped in 2007 Courtesy of Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary

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he mixed dry dipterocarp forest of north-east Cambodia is a global conservation priority, representing a small remnant of an ecosystem that once extended across southern Laos and northern Thailand. Populations of globally threatened species remain in this region however, with significant populations of large mammals including Tiger, Asian Elephant, Gaur, Banteng, Eld’s Deer and a host of other rare and endangered species, collectively referred to as ‘Key Species’ in this proposal.

Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary (LWS) covers over 2,500 square km of this dry dipterocarp habitat type, but suffers from a range of threats, exacerbated by a low institutional capacity and very limited human and financial resources to address them. Anecdotal evidence suggests that recent years have witnessed declines in wildlife populations in LWS, and forest encroachment is observably on the increase.

Despite LWS’s important role in protecting what is left of Cambodia’s dry forest landscape, it has so far received very little international support. One notable exception is donor support from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which supported establishment of ranger stations and a trained and equipped ranger force. From late 2007, USFWS also provided funding support to LWS through the People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF) and BirdLife International. Such support helped to

FEATURE

implement the Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary Integrated Conservation Support Project, Phase One. Phase one of the project has improved the Sanctuary’s management understanding of resource use patterns among resident communities in and around the protected area. It also put into place the foundation for community-based conservation and outreach, and helped to improve information vital for conservation management, and has investigated options for sustainable financing for the Sanctuary. This project, comprising a second phase of the original project, will build on progress since 2007. It retains the original project goal and objectives, with a slight modification to fit with the needs identified within the LWS Operational Management Plan 20082010.

The goal of the project is to strengthen conservation of Tiger and other globally important species in LWS, through improved capacities for conservation management and community-based collaborative management.

Immediate objectives

The project has two immediate objectives, which are: To improve management information within LWS, especially the understanding of specific pressures on habitats and wildlife, and the application of appropriate responses, and; To establish flexible mechanisms that encourage sustainable and collaborative 36

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approaches between protected area officials and local communities.

The specific project activities are to complete natural resource inventories (IRUAs) and resource use mapping within the Sanctuary; to conduct an assessment of the seasonal ecology of the Tiger and other Key Species; to define conservation criteria for Key Species and Key Habitats/Features; and to conduct a conservation assessment in an evergreen forest area west of the Sanctuary.

Also, the project aims to establish two Community Protected Areas (CPAs) in priority villages identified during Phase One; to draft a zonation plan for the Wildlife Sanctuary; to improve communications and conflict resolution mechanism among institutional stakeholders and to prepare business plan for tourism development as source of sustainable financing

FEATURE

CAMBODIA: Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary Integrated Conservation Support Project, Phase Two (cont’d.)

The following outputs are expected, in addition to the inception report and standard progress, financial and final reports: • • • • • • •

IRUA reports for eight additional villages Draft zonation plan for the sanctuary Conservation criteria for Tiger and other Key Species defined Resource inventory and wildlife distribution report and map Business plan for tourism development in Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary Communications and awareness outputs Conservation assessment of the western forest block, with recommendations

As for project monitoring, GDANCP will oversee implementation by seconding one member of staff to the project as project coordinator. The project manager and directors from PRCF and BirdLife will make regular monitoring visits during the course of the project. The project will be overseen by a steering committee (members to be decided). The committee will ensure project activities are integrated with other conservation activities in and around the sanctuary.

Banteng camera trapped in 2007 courtesy of Lomphat WIldlife Sanctuary

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CAMBODIA: Focused Protection for Whiteshouldered Ibis and Giant Ibis in Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary

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nce widespread throughout southeast Asia, Giant Ibis Thaumatibis gigantea and White-shouldered Ibis Pseudibis davisoni are now considered Critically Endangered and restricted to the dry forests of north-eastern Cambodia. Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary protects over 250,000 hectares of this habitat, and is known to provide refuge for both species; the presence of Giant Ibis and the first record of White-shouldered Ibis breeding were both confirmed in early 2009.

Both species are highly susceptible to disturbance and hunting, and this is believed to be the main cause of precipitous population declines witnessed in the past few years. The best available knowledge indicates that curtailment of hunting and monitoring of disturbance and land use activities at feeding sites is the best hope for stabilizing populations of both ibises in the short-term. We aim to invest Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund monies in achieving this by expanding existing conservation and community resource management approaches in the sanctuary. In particular, we will: i) Prioritize trapaengs and veals for intensive protection activities based on participatory surveys; ii) Establish Site Support Groups (SSGs) in six priority local villages to begin managing and protecting prioritized feeding sites and raise awareness of trapaeng conservation, and; iii) Prepare an Action Plan for ibis conservation in the sanctuary for incorporation into the LWS management plan and funding strategy, and as a basis for sanctuary zonation.

Aim: Initiate immediate measures to conserve the

White-shouldered Ibis (Pseudibis davisoni) Photo: Jonathan C. Eames

White-shouldered and Giant Ibis in Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary.

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Objectives and activities Objective One: Prioritize trapaengs and veals for intensive protection

activities • Map and classify trapaengs and veals, using existing data augmented with additional participatory surveys undertaken with nearby villages • Define of criteria for priority ranking of feeding sites and application to landscape/ habitat map (eg, importance for feeding, level of disturbance, threat from encroachment) • Prioritize and participatory threats assessment for six specific high priority sites

CAMBODIA: Focused Protection for Whiteshouldered Ibis and Giant Ibis in LWS (cont’d.)

Objective Two: Establish and support at least six Site Support Groups

(SSGs) for the improved management and protection of six prioritised sites • Define role and responsibility of SSGs (monitoring key species, reporting infractions on use regulations and monitoring land use practices), and establish working framework between SSGs and rangers • Train SSGs in species identification, monitoring and recording methods and awareness-raising skills • Define regulations for priority sites, agreements with villagers and sign-posting of priority sites as “Village Conservation Zones” (or similar) • Monitor ibis nests to determine the threat to ibis nests from human and natural causes

Objective 3: Prepare an Action Plan for ibis conservation, to be

incorporated into the Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary Management Plan and as a basis for future sanctuary zonation • SSG monitoring results reviewed to evaluate enforcement effectiveness at priority sites • Results of ongoing White-shouldered Ibis research (within and external to LWS), SSG awareness activities and SSG feedback reviewed to design suitable management actions • Finalisation of prioritisation map and patrol regime • Workshop to discuss findings and devise action plan for species conservation and restoration.

White-shouldered Ibis (Pseudibis davisoni) Photo: Jonathan C. Eames

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QUATERLY PROGRESS REPORT FOR THE PERIOD 1ST JULY TO 30TH SEPTEMBER 2009

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uring the reporting quarter (July – September 2009), project implementation focused on the development of an Operational Management Plan (OMP) for the period 2010-2015, and a communication strategy and plan for the same period, which also was incorporated in the OMP. Both documents were well received

by CYS NP and its provincial line managing agency (Dak Lak Department of Agriculture and Rural Development) and will guide the park’s operations in the coming five years.

Field survey and camera trapping activities were relatively low as the reporting quarter was the middle of the rainy season in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

However, training (community rangers, Ede ethnic minority language), research (3 mini-research projects by park staff on primates, conifers and ungulates), joint patrolling and biodiversity monitoring activities were carried out as planned. An important survey – the repeat wildlife trade chain survey – was conducted about two months ahead of schedule and revealed a worrying trend of wildlife exploitation and trading, which may guide some further reallocations of project resources in the remaining time of the project to strengthening enforcement efforts and capacity of the park.

The procedures for upgrading two guards stations for CYS NP were still lagging, thus this major activity was still behind schedule.

Vietnam:

Integrating Watershed and Biodiversity Management at Chu Yang Sin National Park

Chu Yang Sin National Park Rangers go on patrol with dogs. ©Photo: Zenith Phuong

Another major activity which was not deployed as scheduled was the establishment of a radio communication system for the park. A technical feasibility study was conducted for such a system, and the finding was that its establishment would not be cost-effective due to difficult topography within the park, and particularly now that the core zone of the park had been increasingly covered by mobile phone signals.

It is therefore proposed that this activity be taken out and its budget reallocated to further strengthening basic enforcement skills for park rangers. A separate request for reallocation of funds will be sent to the Bank in due course.

Regarding project personnel and administration, from July 2009, the project office moved to the new park headquarters which was more spacious and better equipped.

Since August 2009, to strengthen the coordination and leadership capacity of the project field office to speed up implementation, the post of Project Field Manager was terminated and senior BirdLife technical and management staff had been based at least 50% at CYS. 38

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MacArthur Climate Change Project

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he project researchers continued to collect data in this quarter. The project database now has 3,466 geo-referenced point locality records, of which 1,516 records were collected in this quarter. Most of additional records have been entered in to database by researcher Nguyen Van Quang. Quang has found the records from a large number of trip reports covering Cambodia and Vietnam. Many ornithological field researchers and amateur birdwatchers have contributed for these in recent years such as Susan Myers, Ding Li, Gerry Westdean, James Eaton, Jon Hornbuckle, Jonathan Williams, Nigel Mathews, Henk Hendriks. Jack Tordoff and Richard Craik have sent us a list of 200 data records, and Le Manh Hung joined us for one week contributing a good number of records.

BirdLife Indochina’s Biodiversity Monitoring Researcher Nguyen Van Quang Quang (spectacled but no moustache!) at the meeting in Manila, the Phillipines © Photo: Nguyen Van Quang

On October 27, 2009, Quang attended a Experts’ Meeting on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Human Population in Island Ecosystems in Manila, the Philippines convened by Haribon Foundation. In the Philippines, Haribon Foundation has joined ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity and Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau-Department of Environment and Natural Resource in an initiative to determine impacts of climate change on biodiversity and human population in island ecosystems. This initiative addresses impacts of climate change on different fields such as but not limited to birds, land mammals, amphibians and reptiles, forest trees, marine mammals and fish as well as socio-economy in island ecosystem. Through the workshop, biologists, modelers, social scientists who came from difference organizations, institutes, and universities in Philippine gathered to talk about current initiatives on climate change and biodiversity, methods on modeling of impacts and exploring the forging of joint research arrangements for bigger initiative. There were three foreign experts in this meeting, Quang and two others from WWF and Birdlife in Indonesia. Quang introduced the Climate change situation in Vietnam, Birds in Indochina and the MacArthur Climate Change Project in Indochina, and Quang expected the experiences and information related to the climate change project that Birdlife in Indochina is carrying now would be a good reference point for Haribon Foundation and partners to develop climate change project in the near future in the Philippines.

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T

he World Pheasant Association (WPA) published the Journal of the World Pheasant Association between 1976 and 1993. It is now thought timely to re-launch such a publication that is dedicated to the research and management of Galliformes, but as an online journal (available at www.pheasant.org.uk), with an internationally recognised board of editors. The name of the Journal also reflects our commitment to the global diversity of research and management directed towards the Galliformes.

occur and where the availability of support and advice is in short supply, to communicate their findings to the international community. Working with Galliformes conservationists who have not published in an international journal before is a high priority for the editorial board.

This will involve providing advice on layout, analysis and presentation of results, as well as assistance with revising manuscripts and improving written English.

2

. To facilitate the publication of high quality and The International Journal of conservation-relevant inforGalliformes Conservation will mation on this highly threatened publish original papers on any Order of birds. There is a great deal aspect relevant to the conservation of research and conservation work of Galliformes. The Journal encour- being undertaken around the world ages material that enhances under- and, given that 25% of the species standing of conservation needs and are listed as threatened, it is vital has the potential to improve conser- that as much as possible is in the vation management of Galliformes public domain. Many generalist species. Its overriding aim is to im- zoological, ecological and even orprove the quality of knowledge that nithological journals have to reject is available for the conservation of up to 75% of papers owing to a lack all species of Galliformes and their of space. This occasionally means habitats. In order to achieve this, it that the more specialised work on has the following objectives.

Galliformes (often from outside Europe and North America), which . To encourage those who are is of high quality but may not be new to the field, especially in considered to have sufficient novel academic merit, will not be pubcountries where Galliformes

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lished and therefore remains largely unknown.

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. To make available information on emerging issues and opinions, approaches to conservation and research techniques that may enhance the quality of research undertaken on Galliformes. The Journal is targeted towards conservation professionals, academics, government departments, non-governmental organizations, students, those engaged in management of captive birds for conservation purposes and interested members of the public.

With ever increasing amounts of information available in many different forms, it is challenging to keep abreast of new ideas and developments that may have profound effects on the way that research and management is conducted. The Journal will, therefore, act as a forum for the dissemination of this information.

The International Journal of Galliformes Conservation is an open access journal that will be published online by the World Pheasant Association at http://www.pheasant.org. uk/page/IJGC.

International Journal of Galliformes Conservation Volume 1

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joint effort by the Forest Protection Department and TRAFFIC- Greater Mekong Programme saw the release of “A Pictorial Guide for Quick Identification of Some Wild Animals Protected by Vietnamese Laws and CITES” in late May 2009.

The guide, published in Vietnamese, includes coloured photographs and descriptions of nearly 150 species protected under national legislation and CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), focusing on key characteristics that allow for easy identification.

The handbook is meant to be a field tool for enforcement officials to quickly identify some of the protected species bought and sold in the wildlife trade. It is a much-needed resource as illegal wildlife trafficking continues to threaten the country’s unique biodiversity.

The production of this handbook was a collaborative effort between TRAFFIC, the Forest Protection Department (FPD) and the CITES Scientific Authority. To make the handbook as effective as possible, feedback on a shorter version produced by TRAFFIC in 2000 was gathered and incorporated from nearly 100 FPD, Market Control, Customs and National Park officials.

The first 1000 copies of the guides were printed with the generous funding of the

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Royal Danish Embassy and the technical support of the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR). TRAFFIC distributed these first-edition copies to officials throughout the country from the FPD, Market Control, Customs, the Environmental Police and the National Park to assist them in enforcing wildlife trade legislation. Distribution targeted officers on the ground in wildlife trade ‘hot spots’, such as the northern port city of Hai Phong where Customs Officials have recently conducted a number of major seizures of illegal wildlife products.

The Royal Danish Embassy is the donor behind the books and expressed enthusiasm for the guides as both an indispensable tool to combat wildlife trafficking, and as the culmination of successful collaboration between TRAFFIC and Vietnamese authorities. Such co-operative efforts are vital to increasing the effectiveness of wildlife trade enforcement.

Once funding is available, TRAFFIC plans to print and distribute additional guides so that more Vietnamese authorities can add these books to their arsenal of enforcement tools in the fight against wildlife trade.

-----For more information, please contact: Sarah Morgan, Communications Officer, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia - Greater Mekong; Tel: +84 4 3719 3116; Email: smorgan@traffic. netnam.vn

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obituary

Mekki Salah:

published three years earlier, showcased protected areas around the country and involved extensive travel to obtain images, his latest book took quite different skills. Mekki took most of the photos in this book during mornings, evenings, and quiet times at the Mela Hotel. That he managed to capture such a large number of species from Tam Dao in his spare time, when most dedicated birdwatchers visiting Tam Dao struggle to Text by John Pilgrim find a mist-free day or a bird that has been spared by hunters, demonstrates Mekki’s profound patience. ekki first came to Vietnam in 1985 as an The publication of Birds of Tam Dao was the Algerian diplomat, later turning his hand to achievement of a lifetime for Mekki, a culmination of successful management of a restaurant in his love of photography, birds and Tam Dao. His infecHanoi, a hotel in Tam Dao, and most recently a bar in tious enthusiasm was buoyed to ever greater heights by Hanoi. His true passion, however, was the birds and the extensive positive press coverage and reader praise nature of Vietnam. Mekki had recently seemed well that the book stimulated. Many a bystander had the on the way to recovery from a hard battle with stomach cancer, so it was a terrible shock when he suffered beginnings of an interest in nature stirred up by Mekki, and this is exactly what he wanted... Mekki believed a relapse and passed away in early November at the the publication of his book would highlight not only age of 53 in Hanoi’s French Hospital. the beauty and value of the nature of Tam Dao but also the immense threats that the park was facing from Most birdwatchers who have visited Vietnam, and many other Hanoi residents and overseas visitors, will illegal hunting and infrastructure development. He was not prepared to just stand by and watch the loss of know Mekki from his long-term home at the Mela biodiversity from Tam Dao National Park, but wanted Hotel in misty Tam Dao. Mekki helped design, build to do something about it. Such an attitude, a very brave and manage the hotel, and turned it into a welcoming one in a town that has made a business of wildlife refuge from the persistent clouds and rain of the surrounding national park. He was always a consummate consumption, brought him plenty of enemies. His book brought the nefarious activities of local protected area and generous host, every ready to share – in fluent staff to the attention of their national superiors and English, French, or Vietnamese! – his love of Vietexposed the apathy of international donors. Largely nam’s national parks, Tam Dao and, particularly, its as a result of pressure from such quarters, Mekki was birds. Such conversations were invariably punctuated forced to leave his home in Tam Dao last year and by him fetching particularly interesting or new phoreturn to Hanoi, at the same time as he was trying to tographs that he had taken, although in more recent times Mekki delighted in showing digital images on a recover from a serious operation for stomach cancer. large-screen TV. After a period of recovery, Mekki pulled himself back © Photo courtesy ofon Global hisWitness feet to establish a new bar in Hanoi, complete Mekki first studied photography in the Art and 12 of with a stunning stained-glass ceiling portrait of one Lumiere School, France, later studying black and his favourite birds, the Hoopoe. Just when his friends white photography in Warsaw, Poland. This in Hanoi thought the worst was over, and that we could extensive background in photography, coupled with look forward to seeing him more often, he has been immense perseverance, were demonstrated in the taken away from us. We can only hope that his books publication of his second book Birds of Tam Dao: will make the lasting impression on conservation in Vietnam’s Natural Treasure in 2008. While his first Vietnam for which he always hoped. photographic book Vietnam’s Hidden Pathway,

A great loss to conservation in Vietnam

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Mekki introducing his book Birds of Tam Dao in Hanoi during 2008 © Photo: Richard Craik

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Profile

Richard Craik:

A bird in the bush is worth two in hand

A Briton living in Vietnam indulges in his lifelong passion, birdwatching, and calls the country a birders’ paradise. www.vietnambirding.com Text by Ngoc Tran/Thanh Nien News

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ichard Craik, who has been living in Vietnam for 17 years and is now head of the Ho Chi Minh City-based Vietnam Birding tour company, calls Vietnam an extraordinary place to enjoy nature and be a birder.

and includes Southeast Asia’s highest peak, Mount Fansipan (3,143 m).

“I’ve been interested in birds since I was a child in England. I used to go birdwatching in the countryside around my home in Hertfordshire, 40 km north of London. When I started work I didn’t have time for birding and it wasn’t until I came to Vietnam that I started becoming interested in birds once again.”

Craik’s favorite birding spots include the Da Lat plateau which has several endemic species and has been recognized by BirdLife International as one of five Endemic Bird Areas in Vietnam. The other spots are the Hoang Lien Mountains, Cat Tien National Park straddling Dong Nai and Lam Dong provinces which have the largest remaining area of lowland evergreen forest in southern Vietnam, and the Mekong Delta.

Explaining why he chose Vietnam to settle down and start his business, he says of all the countries in mainland Southeast Asia, it has the highest number of bird species found only here and nowhere else – or endemic, in birders’ parlance. “I think it’s probably because Vietnam is such a long narrow country, and there are many different habitats for birds.”

“In this park, you can find many bird species that are usually found only in southern China or the Himalayas,” he says.

Why birding?

learn to locate birds. “It is a little like being a detective or a hunter, but instead of hunting, you are using the same skills just for the pleasure of seeing them. So you have to put together all the clues like a detective – you have to think about the habitat, the time of year, the altitude, the weather, and many other factors. “Birding can be as extreme or as leisurely as you like. But mostly a typical day’s birding would involve walking five to 10 kilometers at a very relaxed pace with plenty of stops.”

Extinction and protection Extinction is a real possibility for many endemic species in Vietnam since their numbers are low and the range where they live is very restricted, Craik warns.

“If the forest in the mountains where some of the birds live is cut down, then the birds will disappear. They will become extinct.”

One of the things he finds interesting about birding is that it connects with nature and offers “total relaxation.”

Historically the Mekong Delta would also have been of great interest but “Often when you are birding, it will be much of the bird habitat comprising In the south are the wetlands of the Me- just you, alone in the forest with the grasslands and mangrove forest has kong Delta, then there are the lowlands birds and animals. There are no cars, no been lost over the years to agriculture along the coast, the mountains of the Da motorbikes, no telephones, no emails. and aquaculture and with it many of Lat plateau and Central Highlands, and So you really do get back to nature and its unique bird and mammal species, the Hoang Lien National Park right up away from everything that’s involved in he says. Forest protection is a problem in the far northwest of the country, he our everyday life.” in Vietnam and even in national parks, lists. The park is located in the Hoang it is difficult to protect the forest from Lien Son mountain range in Sa Pa and The other factor that makes it interestpoachers and loggers, he explains.12 Than Uyen districts, Lao Cai Province, ing for him is the skill birders have to

Richard with his wife Lan and five-year-old daughter Carmen at Bach Ma National Park earlier 2009 © Photo: Richard Craik

Richard Craik has been working in Vietnam since 1992, mostly doing mainstream, cultural, and popular tours for inbound visitors.In 2007, he started the Vietnam Birding tour company which offers birdwatching and cultural tours in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.

“I decided it was time for a change. I was in international marketing, traveling overseas to trade shows in Europe, America, and Australia. I wanted to spend more time in Vietnam with my family.” He married his Vietnamese wife, Lan, who also helped him learn Vietnamese.

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BirdLife International in Indochina

The Babbler 32 - December 2009

Tran Van Hung

STAFF NEWS

T

ran Van Hung decided to leave BirdLife International in Indochina after two and a half years ‘working with birds and people”

A former Community-based conservation programme officer, Hung was in charge of the MacArthur Foundation - funded project in Quang Tri Province.

Also, he coordinated Birdlife’s techincal assistance package to the Trust Fund for Forest (TFF) funded project in Lam Dong province.

With good knowlegde and contacts in forestry and conservation area in Vietnam, Hung brought some new aspects to the work of BirdLife Vietnam Programme. He also has a good sense of humour that makes teamworking with him such a pleasure.

We wish Hung every success in the future.

Tran Thi Phuong Lan

A

fter two years working with BirdLife on the Asian Development Bank funded project entitled Initiating a Local – Stakeholder – Based Monitoring Program for the BCI Priority Sites, Tran Thi Phuong Lan decided to have a change in her career.

We all enjoyed working with Lan. We wish her good luck!

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