Documents

Artificial Reefs
Coral Reefs
Eco half yearly report of Kuwait Environment (Arabic)
Eco monthly report of additive June 99
UVABC (Arabic)
Electricity in Kuwait
Hazardous Waste Disposal
Kestrels of Kuwait
PET
Red Tide (English)
Red Tide (Arabic)
1-Eco-Conditions-Information-Copyrights-Trademarks-V2-2002
2-Eco-How to use this CD-V2-2002
3-Eco-Kuwait Environmental Strategy-V2-2002
EIA Booklet

Hazardous Waste Disposal

ECO-Environmental consultant firm puts too much emphasis in regard to environmental awareness. The series of reports aims to aware the public to the unsustainable practices and encourage them to aid the concerned authorities in their quest to protect the environment and human health. In this report ECO is shedding the light on a non sustainable practice related to hunting migratory birds such as Falcons that are crossing Kuwait to other areas during the spring season.

Agenda 21: The United Nations Programme of Action, Rio. " Biological resources constitute a capital asset with great potential for yielding sustainable benefits. Urgent and decisive action is needed to conserve and maintain genes, species and ecosystem, with a view to the sustainable management and use of biological resources".

Introduction

Why human beings should protect the environment and other living organisms from deterioration? Is it to preserve the existence of human beings or the natural system or both? and if this natural system is to be preserved and protected is it because it has its own right or because human beings ethics or needs. It is long established that the natural environment existed before the human race. According to various religions and myths mans first mistake but not his last led him to leave heaven and settle on earth. With his settlement his mistakes grew. As a result of superior intellectual power and his natural tendency to dominate, man controlled the natural environment for his own prosperity and continues to do so. But over time conflict occurred between man and his fellow men and between man and his natural environment as a result of ambitions to dominate the earth. This conflict occurred because human beings lack the main principle of wisdom and the desire to live in peace and harmony with their surroundings both biotic and a biotic. It is a common behavior to try to ensure security, continuity, longevity and improve the quality of life. But man does so by utilizing every available means and resources in a rational or irrational way as long as their ambitions can be control can be achieved. The struggle to obtain raw materials from the natural environment led to distress such as global warming, ozone layer depletion clearing of rain forests.

In the beginning

Hunting is as old as human history. Hunting at old times main aim was to provide food for the members of the community and families of the hunters. However, with the advent of time and technology human started to use fire arms and other means to hunt wild animals to the degree of extinct. Endangered species as a term came to the surface. Elephants were hunted and killed for their tusks. Sharks are killed in erratic manners for their fins and for overexploited myths for attacking humans. Tigers are hunted for their fur and other reasons. Such practices are unfair and contradict International treaties, basic ethical and moral standards and religions. Hunting by using nets as it s mentioned are as old as human history. The ancient Egyptians for example Wilkinson indicated that:

"They either caught the birds in large clap-nets, or in traps; and they some times shot them with arrows, or filled them with a throw-stick, as they flew in the thickets. The trap was generally mad of net work, strained over a frame. It consisted of two semicircular sides or flaps, of equal sizes, one or both moving on the common bar, or axis, upon which they rested. When the trap was set, the two flaps were kept open by means of strings, probably of catgut, which, the moment the bait that stood in the center of the bar was touched, slipped aside, and allowed the two flaps to collapse, and thus secured the bird".

Migratory birds of Kuwait: Kestrels

In this report ECO is shedding the light on the non sustainable practices of hunting wild life birds in Kuwait. Kestrels are passage migrant and a winter visitor (Clayton and Wells, 1987). Why birds migrate. They do so because n tier native lands short winter days and decrease in temperature means less food. Traveling to tropical Africa.

Falcons

Falconidae are the Falcon Family. They are 63 species which are daytime hunting birds of prey (Whitefield, 1997). In appearance they are close to having sharp curved claws and powerful hooked peaks. Most species have long pointed wings. Many Falcons have so called "tomial teeth" cutting edges on the upper bill with corresponding notches in the lower bill. Males and females looks similar but females generally larger. The family includes caracaras, laughing falcons, forest falcons, falconets, pygmy falcons and typical falcons of the genus Falcon of which there are some 39 species. Falcons, except, caracaras do not build nests. They lay in a hole in a tree or in the abandoned nest of another bird. Common Kestrel: Falco tinnunclus Range: Europe, Asia and Africa.

Preparation for the journey

Thanks to the fat reserves they have built up., migrating birds are equipped physically to cross an enormous distance at one time. Before and during the journey the birds eat much more than normal. The extra food is stored in the body as fat which serves as fuel. At the start of the journey the birds are noticeably heavier than during the rest of the year.

Conclusion and recommendations

Thompson, (19988) argues about the importance of environmental ethics and consciousness, which are spreading fast as a result of the threat to man/s existence. He suggests that environmental ethics and consciousness are now important for two interrelated reasons. The first is that mankind happiness on earth must be based on creating a new relationship with the environment, whilst the second reason is the need to promote the concept that the natural environment must be viewed as a tool to promote human well-being to meet its needs. He writes: “human self realization and happiness can only be achieved if we acknowledge and that natural systems and living creatures as worthy of respect for what for what they are and not as instruments for achieving human satisfaction. Thompson (1988) argues that it is essential to build a society in which the human race can prosper by manifesting, honoring and promoting environmental values and ethics. He argues that: " The environment we are supposed to come to value is our environment the lands around us and the species with which we share the land. but why should this environment and these species be specially valuable. The obvious reply is that these particular natural systems should be respected because of their special relationship to us and to our mental and physical well-being. ECO recommends the following:

That the concerned authorities in Kuwait regulate hunting practice and ensure that such practice is sustainable.

Kuwait Signature to Biodiversity Treaty and others indicate that Kuwait should follow and observe such treaties.

That hunting of wild animals should be discouraged and prevented. Firearms and other nets should be barred from usage.

License of hunting should be granted to hunters indicating the area, type of hunting and type of prey to be used.

For hunters interested in hunting as a sport, their should be freed after wards and nets should ensure maximum safety to protect the bird from being inflicted by injury as a result of the net or trap.

General Information about the lesser Kestrel passing Kuwait during the spring season.

Family name	Falconidae-Falcons
Arabic local name	Trimah for male, Sheryasah for female
Common English name:	Lesser Kestrel
Scientific name:	Falco naumanni
Appearance male	Brighter coloration, pale pinkish-buff under parts whitish under-wing, black tips and a blue gray patch on the upper wing-coverts, claws are white.
Appearance female	Same as male but brownish and paler under parts.
Range:	Europe, Asia and Africa: breeds in NW Africa, S and southeast Europe across to central and East Asia, south to Iran Migratory reaching Arabian Peninsula and India..
Habitat:	Cultivated land, plains and open country
Bird Size:	Ranges between 34-38 cm
Behavior	Fly and hover some 10-15 meter above ground searching for prey once its site a prey they drop gently down in it. Their diet insects, reptiles, small birds and small mammals. The female clutch 4-9 eggs and do the greater share on incubation and lasts between 27-29 days. Once the eggs are hatched she takes care of the checks and does not leave the nest and the male brings food. Later on she assists the male in feeding responsibilities.
Sound of bird call	Noisy Kikik and chi chi chi