Guest guest Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 * ------------------------------ Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:35:15 +0000 **biodiplomacy* <biodiplomacy *Fw: RSPB Mynah Genocide Project * *Dear * * * *You might be interested in the email below. As you will see, I am currently otherwise wholly tied up in a by-election campaign in Norwich (voting 23 July) in which a good friend and former FCO colleague, Craig Murray, is standing as an anti-sleaze candidate (see the campaign website ** www.putanhonestman.org* <http://www.putanhonestman.org/>* ).* * * *Best wishes* * * *Iain IAIN ORR, Office Manager, Craig Murray Norwich North by-election campaign 8 Cromer Rd, NR6 6ND 07918-634-146 (personal) or 07908-053=098/099 (office) **biodiplomacy* <biodiplomacy* **www.putanhonestman.org* <http://www.putanhonestman.org/> *--- On Sat, 18/7/09, Bob Conrich <eastofthesun2 wrote: * *Bob Conrich <**eastofthesun2* <eastofthesun2*> RSPB Mynah Genocide Project " Iain Orr " <**biodiplomacy* <biodiplomacy*>, " David Simon " <**d.simon* <d.simon*>, " ariel vanhal " <**arielval* <arielval*>, " Elizabeth Mistry " <** mistrynews* <mistrynews*>, " Dr M W Pienkowski " <** pienkowski* <pienkowski*>, " Susan Pierres " <**susan* <susan*> Saturday, 18 July, 2009, 12:56 AM * *Today's St. Helena Independent The Indian or Common Myna is one of St Helena’s most conspicuous birds. It occurs over most of the island, makes its presence felt through its loud fluty song and harsh warning calls, and is familiar to all St Helenians. However, it is not a part of St Helena’s natural biodiversity; it was introduced by people in the 19th century, apparently in the belief that it would control cattle ticks. We arrived on the RMS St Helena on 8 July, tasked with learning more about the myna, the problems it causes and the benefits it gives to the island. We are also required to make an assessment of the desirability for control and the most appropriate methods for reducing their numbers if this appears to be needed. On the journey from Cape Town on the ship we talked to many Saints, most of whom welcomed the idea of controlling myna numbers. These people talked of the damage they cause to garden fruit and vegetables and the nuisance they cause through nesting in and entering houses and roosting in large noisy groups in tall trees close to housing. These people were also concerned about insect pests that moved into human accommodation from nests in roof spaces. However, very few people mentioned the problem that had led to our visit. Our contract is with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the UK, as part of the EU-funded South Atlantic Invasive Species project. RSPB and the local stakeholders of the project who are concerned about the impact of mynas on the Wirebird, St Helena’s only surviving endemic bird, which appears to be undergoing a long term decline in numbers. Mynas are thought to be at least in part responsible for this decline, since there is good evidence that they disturb breeding Wirebirds and also take their eggs and chicks. It seems highly likely that mynas will also take eggs of the Fairy tern whenever they have the opportunity. In the first few days since we arrived we have learned that mynas are also responsible for the spread of many non-native plants by eating their fruits and spreading their seeds – this may be the most widespread impact that mynas have on the island’s ecology. On the RMS St Helena we passed time by building some traps, to the fascination of our fellow passengers, and since our arrival have built more. In these very early days we have found that mynas can easily be trapped, but in our month on the island we shall not have the time or resources to make a big impact on the number of mynas. The main work will have to be undertaken by the Saints after our departure. To help with this we are having many more traps made and these will be available to householders to control birds around their houses and gardens to enable them to prevent damage to their crops and the nuisance caused by birds that decide to nest in their roofs. During our visit we shall hold workshops to explain the problems caused by mynas and in controlling them, and shall run training courses to show people how to make and use traps, and how to care for the decoy birds that are so important in the trapping process. With the help of the community, but only with your help and support, we believe it is possible to reduce the number of mynas on the island significantly. This will benefit you all in reducing the problems that you have already been telling us about and will also help the Wirebird and, in the more distant future, perhaps help to reduce the spread of invasive plants. Major Myna Matters in St Helena Please help! In addition to this long term help from you, we should like to hear now from people about other problems mynas cause, and also about benefits that you think they give to the island. We shall inevitably have to go to Jamestown periodically to do our shopping and will be travelling around the island on other occasions, and we shall be pleased to talk to anyone who would like to talk to us. We should also like to know where all the main night-time roosts are – we have seen and heard the noisy assemblages in Jamestown, but where else do they spend the night? This information will be very helpful to us in mapping the birds’ distribution over the island. We are delighted and privileged to be able to share your island with you for a short time, but we hope that our visit will lead to long-lasting benefits to you and your environment. You can ring in your reports to 2848 until 7 August or information can be sent to Andrew Darlow, Invasive Species Project Office. -----------ends------------- Yes well, uh...what, exactly, does one do with a Mynah after it's trapped? Will some sort of central, uh, concentration camp be provided or what? Bob --------------------------- Robert S. Conrich, ACIArb Box 666 Anguilla **bob*<http://uk.mc234.mail./mc/compose?to=bob@eastca\ ribbean.com> *British West Indies Tel: 1 264 497 2505 --------------------------- * * ------------------------------ Videos Get the latest video streams on movies, **Try it!*<http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-in> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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