The synergy, organised in a form of stakeholder consultation was held at Badala Park Hotel in Kotu. It attracted key stakeholders to discuss and explore sustainable alternatives to the use of vulture parts through the promotion of traditional herbs.
At the event, Lamin Jobaate, Executive Officer at the West Africa Birds Study Association (WABSA), informed participants that the project is currently being implemented by the Birdlife International partner NGOs in The Gambia, Senegal and Guinea Bissau.
The project, he added, is being funded by the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) which is a UK Government grants scheme that provides support to innovative and scalable projects to reduce pressure on wildlife from illegal trading and in doing so, reduce poverty.
Jobaate explained that the project is coordinated by the Birdlife International with the objective to identify alternatives as opposed to the vulture parts.
The sole aim, he added, is to minimise the rapid declining of the vulture population particularly the hooded vultures.
He explained that before the advent of the project, WABSA and DPWM as well as other key stakeholders engaged on several conservation programs on vultures notably the vulture population count across the country.
He noted that they also sensitised local communities on the importance of vultures and the vigorous control and management of the spread of the recent avian flu, which he added, have resulted to the death of large numbers of vultures in The Gambia.
“WABSA noticed the need for the involvement and participation of stakeholders in dealing with the vulture protection and conservation. To achieve this, it will be strengthened through different mechanisms such as research, advocacy, ecotourism and awareness campaign with UTG students, government departments, NGOs, CBOs to restore vulture habitats and strengthen the wildlife laws and regulations,” Mr. Jobaate stated.
Basiru Manneh Park Warden at (DPWM), who deputised for the Director, Department of Parks and Wildlife Management (DPWM), Modou Lamin Kassama said vultures provide critically important ecosystem service by cleaning up the carcasses and other organic waste in the environment, thus reducing the spread of dangerous diseases.
