A new foundation for the conservation of birds of prey has been established by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, it has been announced.
The Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Foundation has been launched with an endowment of $20 million, state news agency WAM reported.
Its first initiative, the allocation of $1 million as seed money for a project to tackle the issue of the electrocution of raptors by power lines, was also announced.
The launch took place at the Summit for the Flyways’conference in Abu Dhabi, organised by international conservation organisation BirdLife International.
The International Association of Falconry said that an estimated 4,000 endangered Saker Falcons are killed each year in Central Asia alone due to poorly designed power poles.
“Electrocution of raptors is a conservation priority that requires an international response,” said Mohamed Al Bowardi, managing director of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi.
He added: “With the growth of power distribution lines, the problem will only get worse. This is more than just an issue of conservation of birds, it requires governments, regulators and private industry to have a coordinated response as birds are vital in the species chain and an indicator of the health of our planet.”
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