Africa-Press – Mauritius. Government is committed in ensuring the preservation and restoration of the biodiversity of the Republic of Mauritius, including wetlands and migratory birds”.
The Attorney General, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Maneesh Gobin, made this statement, today, at the Opening Ceremony of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) SIDS Training of Trainers Workshop at Gold Crest Hotel, in Quatre Bornes.
The event marked the celebrations of World Wetlands Day 2023 and World Migratory Bird Day 2023. The Minister also proceeded with the launching of a poster on World Wetlands Day on that occasion.
The UN Resident Coordinator for Mauritius and Seychelles, Ms Lisa Singh; the Senior Chief Executive, Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Medha Gunputh; the Director of National Parks and Conservation Service, Mr Kevin Ruhomaun; the Coordinator of AEWA African Initiative, Ms Evelyn Moloko; the Senior Advisor (Africa), Ramsar Convention, Mr Z.
Njisuh; and other personalities, were present. Presentations on AEWA and on the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands were also made by the resource persons during the event.
In his address, Minister Gobin highlighted the importance of the AEWA as well as its relevance to Mauritius and likewise to neighbouring countries whereby wetlands welcome annually migratory birds from far away locations.
AEWA, he recalled, is an inter-governmental treaty developed under the framework of the Convention on Migratory Species and is dedicated to the conservation of migratory waterbirds that migrate along the African-Eurasian Flyway.
The Agreement covers 255 species of birds ecologically dependent on wetlands for at least part of their annual cycle including waders, cormorants, storks, geese and tropic birds, he indicated.
A total of 82 countries and the European Union have signed the environmental treaty, which has a geographic range covering 119 countries across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, Greenland and the Canadian Archipelago, he also pointed out.
Speaking about estuarine wetlands, the Minister remarked that in Mauritius there is not only the Rivulet Terre Rouge Estuary Bird Sanctuary, but also Bras D’Eau and Ile d’Ambre which are well known for wetlands.
He announced that two more sites in the country will be proclaimed wetlands in the coming few months so as to give special status to these areas and protect those wetlands for the sake of our biodiversity.
It is also crucial to protect other sites located across the Republic of Mauritius’s territory that are endangered including in St Brandon and the Chagos Archipelago, he emphasised. Training Workshop
Some 25 participants including technical experts from the six Small Island Developing States in Africa namely, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius (including Rodrigues), São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Madagascar, Reunion and Mayotte as well as some relevant wildlife training institutions with a regional outreach in the target countries, are attending the Workshop being held from 06 to 10 February 2023 in Mauritius.
The aim is to enhance the knowledge and understanding of participant on the flyway approach to the conservation and sustainable use of waterbirds and wetlands, as well as ensure a sustainable approach to training.
World Wetlands Day World Wetlands Day is celebrated each year on 02 February to raise awareness about wetlands. This day also marks the anniversary of the Convention on Wetlands, which was adopted as an international treaty in 1971.
Wetlands are critically important ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, freshwater availability, world economies and more.
Unfortunately, we are losing wetlands three times faster than forests World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) WMBD is an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats.
It has a global outreach and is an effective tool to help raise global awareness of the threats faced by migratory birds, their ecological importance, and the need for international cooperation to conserve them.
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