28 March 2024
The
Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, VNII
Ecologia, the Government of the Republic of Kalmykia, the Roscongress
Foundation and Kamchatka Falcon Centre, with the participation of experts and
foundations from the Gulf countries, continue to work on the implementation of
the order of the President of the Russian Federation and the comprehensive
action plan for the establishment of Russian centres for the
reintroduction and conservation of falconiform birds in Kamchatka Territory and
bustards in the Republic of Kalmykia.
“A
large-scale programme to create a network of ornithological centres, launched
on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in 2019, is developing and
forming the basis for international scientific and cultural cooperation.
Conservation of the population of red-listed birds of the falcon and bustard
families is becoming one of the most important global conservation initiatives,
which finds great support from Russia’s partners,” noted Anton Kobyakov,
Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation. An important milestone of
the Falcon Day International Forum held on the sidelines of EEF 2023 was the
signing of the Framework Declaration on the Conservation of the Gyrfalcon
Population. Currently, six countries have joined the document initiated by
Russia: China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the UAE, and the Kingdom of
Bahrain.
For
example, as part of the work, a joint project to build Kamchatka Falcon Centre
was implemented as early as 2022 to replenish the population of birds of prey
of the falcon family in the Russian Federation. Starting from 2021, systematic
work has been underway to build the Centre for the Reintroduction and
Conservation of Bustard Birds in the Republic of Kalmykia. Employees of VNII
Ecologia conducted ornithological expeditions and monitoring, which helped to
study the forage base, botanical composition and food diversity, to clarify the
suitability of certain areas, temperature regime and much more in order to
determine the places for the forthcoming release of birds into the wilderness.
In September 2023, at the 8th Eastern
Economic Forum in Vladivostok, the previously reached agreement on the
gratuitous transfer of birds bred at the Emirates Breeding Centre for Birds for
Conservation of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Russian Federation was confirmed.
In November, a trial batch of 20 red-breasted bustards was released in the
steppes of the Yashkul District of Kalmykia. The positive experience of
cooperation allowed us to talk about additional releases of birds in the
region, which are planned for April and August 2024.
Further
work on the implementation of the Action Plan for the establishment of
reintroduction and conservation centres for birds of the falcon and bustard
families in Russia will continue within the framework of the annual Falcon Day
International Forum, which will be held on the starting day of the 9th Eastern
Economic Forum in September 2024 in Vladivostok, as well as on the sidelines of
other events of the Roscongress Foundation.