World Migratory Bird Day is dedicated to highlighting the problems of pollution with the theme, ‘Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution.’
KRC TIMES Desk
Every year, May 11 is celebrated as International Migratory Bird Day to create awareness, to protect and also celebrate the migration of various species of migratory birds. The convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and Environment for the Americas (EFTA) have come together to achieve this and enhance the global appreciation of these birds.
“She decided to free herself, dance into the wind, create a new language. And birds fluttered around her, writing “yes” in the sky.” ― Monique Duval
Every year, the day has a theme and this year it is “Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution!” which will focus on the effect plastic pollution has on migratory birds and their habitat.
From Sources, “One third of global plastic production is non-recyclable and at least eight million tonnes of plastic flows unabated into our oceans and water bodies each year,” Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director of UN Environment said. “It is ending up in the stomachs of birds, fish, whales, and in our soil and water. The world is choking on plastic and so too are our birds on which so much life on earth depends.” he added.
Waste and pollution are harmful to many World Heritage sites. Increased tourism means that more people are leaving trash at the world’s most iconic places. World Heritage sites are key stopover sites for birds, so the effective conservation of these sites is crucial for migratory bird conservation on a global scale. We therefore need to learn to visit sites without leaving a trace behind.
Marine pollution in particular, is also a problem at many World Heritage sites, where waste such as plastics wash up on beaches. Birds, turtles and marine mammals get entangled in marine litter or mistake it for food, leading to high mortality rates.
Several World Heritage sites which are flyways for migratory birds have created clean-up and awareness programme, which serve as a model for solving plastic pollution in protected areas around the world.
The Day is celebrated on second Saturday in May and October. In 2019, this Day will be celebrated on 11 May and 10 October.
We must take action. Cleaning up is just a start—we also need to recycle and not put waste in our irreplaceable World Heritage sites. The future of migratory birds depends on it.
