On the Road with Ross – June 2017
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] I’d been to Cape Verde before but never to do field work, so when another trip was cancelled and there was an opening for me to go to this amazing archipelago, I greeted it with much anticipation. I was going there to assist the dynamic and pretty amazing NGO Biosfera with its efforts to […]
The unsung heroes of seabird conservation
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] When the members of the Ocean View Association for Persons with Disabilities (OVAPD) boarded the MSC Sinfonia, the joy and excitement on their faces was heart-warming. Until now the closest they had got to an albatross was the stuffed Wandering Albatross that the Albatross Task Force keeps for educational purposes. Not only was this […]
On the Road with Ross May 2017
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In early April my colleague Bronwyn Maree and I headed to Hoi An in Vietnam to run the second regional workshop on seabird bycatch. We’re trying to build consensus among the key nations that catch lots of seabirds in tuna longline operations that a global review should be undertaken. And then we need to figure […]
What the Flock is all the fuss about AGAIN?
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Tuesday, 25 April 2017 was a day that few people on Flock at Sea AGAIN! will ever forget. By now it is probably also etched in many bird books, notebooks, spreadsheets and apps as the day a lucky few (hundred) got to tick off lifer after lifer after lifer. ‘GREY PETREL! SHY ALBATROSS! WHITE-HEADED PETREL! […]
Monitoring penguin predators
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The ambitious plan to establish new African Penguin colonies requires a lot of planning to ensure that we have the best chance of success. One component of the planning is monitoring the chosen site to see what predators are found there that might prey on the penguins. This will enable us to tailor the […]
Saving seabirds
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] For the Seabird Conservation Programme, 2016 has been a year of steady progress on existing work and expansion into new areas. Our staff also grew to 11 in Cape Town, with two others in West Africa – a great boost to productivity. At the Seabird Conservation Programme we were fortunate to have our major […]
Advocating for our birds and their habitats
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] 2016 seems to have been an eventful year for everyone with whom I have chatted and it’s been no different for the Policy and Advocacy Programme. We provided extensive support to our partners through the IUCN, worked with BirdLife International and the World Parrot Trust to advocate for the uplisting of African Grey Parrots […]
A fair exchange: A much needed computer in exchange for bird scaring lines to save seabirds!
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Ocean View Association for People with Disabilities (OVAPD) centre has been given a boost in the form of a much-needed desktop computer. The centre runs the Tori Line project, which produces the bird-scaring lines used on fishing vessels to prevent seabirds from being killed. After years of working on an old computer that was […]
Stony Point Penguins: To fence or not to fence
African Penguin conservation and management can be a controversial issue, especially when it comes to interactions with people. Over the last few months, there has been significant interest regarding the fence at the Stony Point African Penguin colony at Betty’s Bay often representing an unscientific, anthropomorphic and simplified perspective of the larger and deeply complex […]
Concentrated Solar Power plants in the Northern Cape
BirdLife South Africa was privileged to spend some time at Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants in the Northern Cape recently. These futuristic looking facilities are the face of modern, clean energy; they can store power and release it into the grid when we need it the most (which is often when the sun is not […]