Ghana to celebrate Bird Day at Keta

The 2014 World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) will be celebrated at Keta from May 10 to May 11 under the slogan, ‘’ Destination flyways: migratory birds and tourism.’’

The WMBD is organized by the Secretariats of the Convention on Migratory Species and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement and administered by the United Nations Environment Programme.

The WMBD is organized to raise awareness and encourage governments, conservation organizations and dedicated people to work together to conserve migratory birds and their habits around the world.

The Day focuses on the protection of migratory birds and their habits and the creation of sustainable livelihoods for local communities through the development of innovative tourism products for the benefit of people.

A statement copied to the GNA by Nana Kofi Adu-Nsiah, the Executive Director of Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, said this year's celebration would lead Ghana to join over 135 countries to commemorate the day.

“We do not seem to know, if at all people appreciate that birds can provide a unique opportunity for sustainable livelihoods through tourism. The impressive movements of migratory birds on their flyways are important parts of wildlife’s natural wonder and key tourism benefit for people,” the statement said.

It said if properly managed, popular bird-related tourism activities such as bird watching or bird photography in places designated as Ramsar Sites can serve as a foundation for the promotion of sustainable local tourism industry offering rewarding job opportunities among local communities.

The statement said migratory birds and people had been closely linked throughout history and to maintain this linkage, migratory birds had to complete their annual migration cycle through a network of stop-over sites of natural habitats along their flyways.

It said natural habitats, which are known to include the five coastal Ramsar Sites and many other coastal wetlands in Ghana, were increasingly being lost through activities that destroy them, including encroachment, pollution and illegal mineral extraction.

“For migratory birds, this means fewer natural sites are left for them to use throughout their migration cycle year after year,’’ the statement said.

It said the loss of these essential habitats is being further compounded by the effects of climate change, rising global temperatures, frequent storms and sea-level rise with threatening tidal wave impact on coastal wetlands which are important resting areas for many migratory birds.

Activities on the event day will include education programmes, presentations and bird watching trips.