FG strengthens enforcement against vulture killings

By Anan Geolengs

Federal Ministry of Environment said it is strengthening wildlife law enforcement, habitat restoration and public awareness to address declining population of vultures in Nigeria.

Mrs Alaba Azande, Head, Wildlife and Scientists Management Division, Forestry Department of the ministry, disclosed this during International Workshop on Strengthening Coordination and Implementation for West Africa Vulture Conservation in Abuja.

Azande said government was implementing measures to protect vultures, which currently have declining population across region.

She said task force comprises 18 government agencies, coordinated by Federal Ministry of Environment, including National Park Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and Nigeria Police Force.

“We also do extensive public awareness creation to let people know that vultures are not enemies. They help clean up environment and remove materials that could be hazardous to human health,” she said.

Also speaking, Dr Joseph Onoja, Director-General, Nigerian Conservation Foundation, said success of West African Vulture Conservation Action Plan depended largely on effective policies and enforcement.

He said the workshop, which held from Nov. 2 to Nov. 5, brought together government representatives, wildlife experts, conservation organisations, traditional institutions and international experts across West Africa.

He said the meeting was aimed at strengthening regional coordination, reviewing progress in implementing action plan and identifying priority projects requiring technical and financial support.

Also, Mr Wenceslas Gatarabirwa, Flyways Manager and conservation expert from Rwanda, said vultures play essential role in maintaining environmental and public health by feeding on animal carcasses and reducing risk of disease transmission.

He said Africa is home to 11 vulture species, six of which are considered to be on edge of extinction, with populations declining rapidly over past decades.

He identified poisoning as leading cause of vulture mortality, accounting for more than 60 per cent of deaths, while belief-based use accounted for nearly 30 per cent.

“Traditional practitioners can really help turn tide for vultures by becoming influencers who communicate importance of conserving these birds,” he said.

Also, Ms Fadzai Matsvimbo, conservation expert from BirdLife International, identified poisoning, belief-based practices and infrastructure-related incidents as major threats to vulture populations across Africa.

She said poisoning accounted for more than 60 per cent of vulture mortalities, explaining that birds were often victims of secondary poisoning during illegal hunting activities and human-wildlife conflicts.

According to her, poachers sometimes deliberately poison animal carcasses to prevent vultures from gathering around them and exposing their illegal activities to wildlife rangers.

She added that vultures also suffered collateral deaths when people used poisoned baits to eliminate predators involved in human-wildlife conflicts.

People’s Daily reports that the workshop seeks to translate conservation action plan into practical projects capable of attracting funding from international conservation partners.