UAE | Environment
Joint houbara breeding project planned
A houbara bustard conservation and breeding project has been outlined between the UAE and Algeria to set up a protected area in the North African country, for birds bred in a UAE-financed Moroccan centre.
- By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:08 August 8, 2007
- Image Credit: Gulf News Archive
- The houbara breeding centre is located in Missour, eastern Morocco.
Dubai: A houbara bustard conservation and breeding project has been outlined between the UAE and Algeria to set up a protected area in the North African country, for birds bred in a UAE-financed Moroccan centre.
A five-year agreement was reached during the visit of Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Economy, accompanied by a high-level delegation to Algeria, to protect the declining number of the bird's wild population.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by Majid Al Mansouri, secretary-general of Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) and his Algerian counterpart, Mohammad-Seghir Mellouhi, director-general of the general directorate of forestry in the Algerian ministry of agriculture and rural development.
The Asiatic houbara bustard is the traditional prey of Arab falconers. The birds are being captive bred at a wildlife propagation centre in Missour, Morocco which was established in 1995 under the directives of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
A protected area in Naama, Algeria close to the Moroccan border is being earmarked as the place to release the bustards by a joint committee that will set the outline for cooperation and develop an action plan.
Deep commitment
"This memorandum fits perfectly with what the UAE is doing to protect the houbara. Ever since 1989, promoting houbara bustard conservation has been one of our top priorities at the agency. Protecting the houbara stems from our deep commitment to preserve the UAE's indigenous heritage, of which houbara is an integral part," said Al Mansouri.
Despite the difficulty of breeding this shy bird in captivity, the centre is currently on target to meet its ambitious goal of producing 5,000 birds per year by 2008. As of 2006, the breeding population totalled 3,753 birds.
The breeding centre is located in Missour, eastern Morocco. The integrated, state-of-the-art facilities use the latest scientific innovations to breed, acclimatise and re-introduce houbara into the wild.
After release, their movements are closely tracked and their behaviour is studied in their natural habitat. Overall 5,454 birds have been released since the beginning of the project in 1998.
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