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A new push for Aquatic Warbler Conservation

Salvation of the globally threatened mire bird not yet given up

13/07/2017  The beginning of July could symbolically be called a new begin for aquatic warbler conservation. Experts from six countries met in Zuvintas (Lithuania) to discuss practicalities of a new method for aquatic warbler conservation - translocation. As Martin Flade, the Chairman of International Aquatic Warbler Conservation Team (AWCT), pointed out, there is much more good-quality habitat than area occupied by the bird. In some areas the population is so small that it could not recover itself naturally. During a currently running LIFE project , it is planned to transfer aquatic warbler juveniles from Belarus to Lithuania. According to Zymantas Morkvenas, director of Baltic Environmental Forum Lithuania and project manager of the LIFE project, the main goal is to test the technique that later on could help to save other small populations in other countries. The Scientific Advisory Board includes representatives of International Aquatic Warbler Conservation Team (AWCT), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), University of Cambridge, Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP), Greifswald Mire Centre (GMC), "Earthmind", Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania, Zuvintas Biosphere Reserve Directorate, and Baltic Environmental Forum Lithuania. The current status and perspectives for conservation of the small Pomeranian population will be discussed at a Polish-German meeting 21.07.2017 in Criewen.