3rd IAF Bulletin January 2005
| Posted
on Oct 11, 2005 |
|
IAF News Bulletin January 2005 THE LATE SHEIK ZAYED, FIRST FALCONER AND TRUE SUPPORTER TO WILDLIFE
CONSERVATION Dubbed as the fore-runner of contemporary falconers and conservationists across the world, Sheikh Zayed was born a conservationist. Although he was born into a harshly inhospitable environment of the Arabian deserts where the Bedouins eked out a living through hunting, young Zayed foresaw the need to strike a balance between preservation of the ancestral heritage of falconry and hunting on the one hand, and ensuring the long-term survival of falcons and of their prey on the other. Without such a symmetrical balance, he believed, not only would the saker, peregrine and houbara species face extinction but also that the very tradition of Arab falconry that has been handed down from one generation to next would disappear into oblivion. This view, by any stretch of imagination, was a transcendental and far-sighted view that modern conservationists today know as "sustainable hunting". Clearly, Sheikh Zayed was not only ahead of his own generation but also far ahead of the entire worldwide conservationist movement. In a nutshell, Zayed stood for conservationists' values as a matter of conviction and necessity. He loved the nature and the wildlife as never before. In the words of renowned British journalist Patrick Seale who met him 1965 in his hometown of Al Ain where he was governor, Sheikh Zayed knew every stone, every tree, and every bird of his domain. Above all, he understood the importance of preserving every drop of water and putting it to productive use. Tree-planting was his passion. What was uniquely fascinating about Sheikh Zayed – the man and the conservationist – was his ability to remain focused on his convictions and values. Even when he became President of the seven-member federation of the United Arab Emirates, including Abu Dhabi, which was established in 1971 after the British withdrew from the Arabian Gulf, he was neither swayed by the affluence of modern life nor by many responsibilities which he had to shoulder. On the contrary, this marked the beginning of a new era when he was able to ensure that his concern for conservation took on a nation-wide approach, and a raft of legislation followed. In 1966, when he became Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, then beginning its rapid rise as an oil producer, Sheikh Zayed created the Association for Animal Welfare, a group of rangers who patrolled the deserts to ensure that there was no uncontrolled hunting of wildlife. The populations of Arabian gazelles, pigeons, hares and other wild animals were immediate beneficiaries. Sheikh Zayed's efforts on falconry and conservation continued unabated, not just as a participant but also as a source of numerous initiatives that were to have far-reaching effect. Of significance in this respect, was his initiative to organize the first World Conference on Falconry and Conservation, held in Abu Dhabi at the end of 1976, which for the first time brought falconers from North America, Europe and the Far East together with falconers from Arabia. The conference acted as a launching pad for a strategy devised by Sheikh Zayed to bring falconers into the mainstream of emerging conservation efforts. In the early 1980s, Sheikh Zayed established a falcon hospital at Al Khazna, outside Abu Dhabi, this being followed in 1999 by the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, part of Abu Dhabi's Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency, ERWDA. Today, this hospital, working with the Emirates Falconers’ Club, is playing a major part in promoting the use of captive-bred birds and in helping falconers to keep their birds healthy, while, in association with the Abu Dhabi-based Middle East Falcon Research Group, it is undertaking important research into the diseases of falcons. In sphere of species protection, Sheikh Zayed was first to discern the threats. He set in motion a wide variety of projects designed to protect the species. In Morocco, for example, he set up the Emirates Centre for Wildlife Propagation in 1995, to breed houbara for release into the wild. Like most Arab falconers, Sheikh Zayed traditionally released many of his birds back into the wild at the end of the season. In 1995, however, recognizing that this provided an opportunity for detailed scientific research, he launched the Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Programme. Since then, nearly 1000 wild-caught sakers and peregrines have been released in spring along migration routes in Pakistan and Central Asia. Sheikh Zayed actively encouraged his fellow falconers to make greater use of captive-bred birds, and introduced a strict licensing system for the trade in wild-caught birds in the Emirates. Coupled with the introduction of a 'falcon passport' approved by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna, CITES, this has already had a dramatic effect on reducing trapping pressure in neighboring countries. As can be discerned from the massive efforts exerted over years by Sheikh Zayed, it is only fair to assert that his success story is almost unparalleled anywhere in the world. This explains why his endeavors have received international accolades. Zayed lived and died with the values of conservation in his heart. In his own words "Conservation of Nature," Sheikh Zayed believed, "is our sacred duty and obligation. The ecological balance should not be disturbed, for our survival is dependent upon it. We should play a positive role in leaving this earth a 'greener' place for the generations to come." In his life and even after his death, he has received plaudits and praise from around the world for his statesmanship and for his achievements in building a modern, developed and harmonious society in the United Arab Emirates. Falconers worldwide owe him thanks, too, for his far-reaching contributions to the sport - or indeed art - that he loved so much. What better way to remember him than to quote from his Foreword in the Global Strategy Plan for the Conservation of Falcon and Houbara Resources: ‘The traditional sport of falconry was passed down to us from our fathers, from a time when we were close to nature and life was more simple. It is a constant reminder to us of the forces of nature, of the inter-relationships between living things and the land they share, and of our own dependence on nature. Falconry depends on healthy populations of the quarry, such as the Houbara, and they in turn depend on the continuing health of their breeding and wintering grounds. Falconers thus have a concern for natural habitats and for the sustainable use of resources. During my own lifetime I have seen many remarkable changes and achievements occur in the Middle East. Oil has brought immense benefits for the welfare of our people. But progress can also pose problems for nature – pollution of land and sea, unwanted development and spoiling of natural areas, and disturbance of quiet places which once gave refuge to wildlife. Some of the prey species have suffered from loss of habitat, and from persecution or over-hunting. It is important for us to take steps to turn the tide before it is too late, in order to safeguard the future. All of us share a common goal: the sustainable, balanced use of resources. We wish to leave the Earth as good, or better, than we found it.’ Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan EUROPEAN UNION EUROPEAN ACTION PLAN FOR THE SAKER UNITED KINGDOM FALCONERS’ FAIR 2005 UNESCO |