LIPU-UK -> Working in Britain for Birds in Italy

The Hoopoe - January 2001, incorporating Ali Notizie

THE BLAST OF SHOTGUNS

What a year it has been - a series of ups and downs, stops and starts; successes and setbacks. At the beginning of 2000 we launched our annual appeal and the response from you was tremendous; the total amount raised exceeded all expectations and allowed us to send more much needed resources to our friends in Italy.

Another step forward was the registration in July of LIPU-UK as a charity. This means we can benefit from tax advantages, primarily under the new Gift Aid scheme and it will give potential supporters even greater confidence that we are here to stay.

It is some years since LIPU-UK last held its annual draw and, although we realise that this is not everybody's cup of tea, it was immensely successful, raising over £1700 toward our targets for this year, the winners are listed inside.

LIPU has announced new nature reserves, one on the lower reaches of the River Volturno a project helped by a LIPU-UK grant a little while ago and another in the south east of Sicily. Also in Sicily, this autumn the Griffon Vultures were at last free to ride the thermals of the Madonie Park.

There were many setbacks and I will mention but two. The local branch at Parabiago was broken into and vandalised as reported in the last edition of Ali Notizie. Criminally tragic was the fate of one of the Griffons which was found only a week after release - killed by a shotgun blast. This despicable act has only hardened the resolve of LIPU to prevail and prevail it will with our help.

As you know LIPU-UK launches just one appeal for funds in the year and we choose four projects to support in the coming year. However, we believe that we should also be responsive to urgent needs and after the report of the damage at Parabiago there was spontaneous support from many members and we were happy to round up the sum received to £1000 and that has already been given to the volunteers in Italy to help them back on to their feet - Thank You to those who made donations.

As in previous years we have agreed to support four projects in Italy this year and the major battle returns to the south and the shotgun. The Straits of Messina are safer for the migrating birds than in the past but the problems are not yet over and there is still a determined core of poachers who continue the killing. The revulsion we feel for the machismo which kills majestic birds, leaving them where they fall, can best be shown with our funds to support LIPU in its constant fight to stamp out this illegal butchery. Please support our appeal this year and give generously - Thank You.

Looking Back

It is unwise to draw comparisons but last year we were able to send LIPU even more than we did in 1999 - the superb sum of nearly £33,000, an absolutely splendid effort. It has been devoted to the projects of our choice:
To the anti-trapping campaign in Brescia we sent £10,000; the anti-poaching camp on the Straits of Messina received £4,000; the Save the Swallows project received £4,000 and the remaining £14,500 was devoted to the Raptor Recovery Centre at Sala Baganza near Parma.

This was only possible thanks to the generosity of our members and friends, among whom were:

AISPA, the Anglo Italian Society for the Protection of Animals cemented its special relationship with LIPU with another very substantial donation.

The Peter Smith Charitable Trust for Nature gave £250; the A S Butler Charitable Trust £100; the G W Trust £150 and the Udimore and W A Clare Lees Trust each gave £50.

David and Shane Bryan donated £85 from their annual car boot sales and Jean Jackson raised £112 from a fashion show. We received £50 from the Worcestershire Conservation Volunteers, £43 from the Medway RSPB Group, £25 from the Gwent Ornithological Society, £32 from Amersham Bird Watching Society and Mike Shepherd donated £25 from fees he received for giving talks.

LIPU-UK benefited from a kind bequest, but above all, you, our friends and members donated enough to raise the total for the appeal to almost £19,000 - a wonderful amount! To all who contributed and sent cheques large and small, LIPU says a sincere "Thank you", your support is truly valued.

Looking Ahead

The coming year will be just as busy as in the past and we shall be aiming to increase our support of LIPU in every way we can. One priority will be increase our membership which currently hovers around the 950 mark. It's only a number but it would be great to see our strength in four figures, so if you have friends who might wish to join us please let me know and I will send an information pack.

LIPU-UK MATTERS

The LIPU-UK Draw

This was drawn as we promised and the prize winners were:

1st. Mr E.N. Allonby of Cumbria

2nd. Mrs R Newman of Hampshire

3rd. Mrs M Baker also of Hampshire

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all who bought, and sold, tickets.

E-mail addresses

We are always looking for ways to reduce our postage bill, for example the appeal return slip is on smaller paper to keep us in the lowest postage band for this mailing. Routine correspondence such as renewal reminders could just as easily be sent by e-mail to those who have this - quicker and much cheaper. So, for those who would agree to this, please let me know your address and we can take this forward.

Gift Aid

If you have not returned your Gift Aid declaration please do so - this really will make a big difference to our fund raising at no cost to you. If you do not pay tax please let me know and I will stop nagging you!

Conservation News from Italy

From The President of LIPU
Danilo Mainardi

It costs a great deal to deal with emergencies, and little good is actually achieved. The most recent alarm bells warning us of the serious state of environmental degradation have been the serious floods that brought devastation all along the River Po. Just to repair the damage, raising embankments, in both concrete and figurative senses, may never give the desired results.
What is needed is something quite different. It is to return to old ways of living in harmony with nature. Rivers are complex systems whose understanding requires scientific knowledge of the land and its plants and animals. Only a careful study of nature in all its complexity might teach us how to prevent the calamities that are at present causing so much distress.

Unfortunately however, these events result from substituting the wisdom gained by centuries of experience of nature with hasty technological solutions developed in hydraulic engineering. It is a technology that reflects, unfortunately, the dangerous idea of man's domination over nature.

AN UNNATURAL CATASROPHE
Armando Gariboldi

In summer the fires, in autumn the floods, in winter the landslides and avalanches. These catastrophes are often passed of as "natural" disasters, but in reality they are the result of bad land management over recent decades. In particular, river flooding is often the result of absurd flow control measures that result in millions of pounds worth of damage and seem never to change anything.

At this point, although it is perhaps not very original, perhaps we need to redefine the functions of a river, something that too many people seem to forget. The commonly held analogy is that of a pipe where the water must run as straight as possible, without impediment. Therefore, rivers are canalised with ever-higher embankments and concrete sides, vegetation is removed and the riverbed is dredged to make it "clean". It could not be more wrong. No embankments are capable of holding back the waters of a huge river like the Po. On the contrary, the river must be allowed to spread out and to form loops and channels that will lower the height of the rising waters.

Natural riverside vegetation, such as willows, alders and water tolerant species, consolidate the soil but are not affected by the floods. However, industrial plantations of poplars, growing right up to the riverbanks, are easily carried away by the swift flowing current and piled up against bridges. There is then the risk of masses of water being trapped behind these blockages and eventually flooding over bridges and embankments. Then there is the matter of dredging out the channels: it is not true that it serves to control river flow, except in certain situations, such as close to constructions that are in some danger. In fact the river level is much reduced during dry periods, so that in winter and in summer arable crops along the course of the River Po suffer from drought because the water table is reduced by as much as 3 or 4 metres.

In short, a river (like the sea and mountains) is a true entity that should be known and respected. We should seek to live with it, even at close quarters, without distorting it. We should not be paying out huge sums of money to change it, but trying to go on enjoying its beauty and harmony.

Buzzard

INAUGURATION OF NEW TREATMENT CENTRE

The LIPU Centre in Rome, an important point of reference for wildlife recuperation, takes a further step forward

by Danilo Selvaggi

19 October was a very important day for LIPU in Rome. It was a Thursday and during the previous few days heavy rain had made the final preparations difficult. But finally the fateful moment arrived and the sun came out. A glorious day was the frame for the official inauguration of the new Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, a welcome for the three hundred people at the press conference. There were representatives from the political and scientific arenas, as well as LIPU, the press and many others.

This important day served to crown four years of hard and difficult work. The experiment was initially planned to last only three months, just a single summer, but this Centre, near the Bioparco di Roma soon became an important point of referral for the treatment of wild animals. 16,000 creatures admitted, 50,000 telephone calls for advice, events, teaching activities and much else convinced everyone that the city of Rome should support the kind of service being offered by LIPU. It seemed the right time for the Centre to have a place that was suitable for its large workload and needs. With support from the Biopark, the Commune of Rome and Enel (electricity), today LIPU can be proud of a new and efficient centre, equipped with all the necessary facilities.

The surgery has an examination table, operating table, anaesthetic equipment, portable x-ray machine and microscopes for analysis. The recovery room has very functional cages with natural lighting. There are also aviaries, quarantine areas and offices. Finally there is the visitor area, with large observation windows, the shop and reception desk. The Centre has a separate entrance from the Biopark, within the Villa Borghese, and is therefore right in the heart of Rome. It was an emotional day for everyone, and a testimony to all the effort that had been made finally to bring it about. .

LIPU FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Ever more frequently LIPU finds itself in the front line in the battle for environmental protection, where the need for bird protection is just the "tip of the iceberg" that allows us to be involved in much wider issues. LIPU is therefore increasingly involved in activities in which nature protection is becoming a duty of society and a matter of showing respect for the law.

The Po Delta: radio transmission masts blocked

The radio company that acquired 52 hectares of agricultural land in the Commune of Argenta (FE), to construct short wave radio transmitters with enormous masts, may never have thought that they could lead to the deaths of thousands of birds. But that is what would have happened if the project had been completed.

But even the least experienced of environmentalists, knowing the area and its pattern of bird movements, could not fail to realise what effect the structures would have. They were to be located between the Salmastra Valley (saltwater) and the Argenta Valley (freshwater), and would have been a deadly trap for the thousands of aquatic birds that regularly move between the two wetlands. In fact the opinions of both the National Institute for Wildlife and the Nature Department of the Province of Ferrara were both extremely negative. The danger would come from the masts themselves, up to 95 metres in height and spread out over a distance of 400 metres, and the mass of steel wires and cables which would form an enormous 40,000 square metre net.

The Environmental Assessor of the Commune of Argenta, the Argenta Ecological Group and LIPU together convinced the local authority of the Commune of Argenta that the right decision was to deny authorisation for the construction of this monstrous installation. The Commune has now adopted a resolution to regulate all such constructions of this size. This event is a good example of the great change in Public Administration during the last decade. With this move towards greater transparency, participation and responsibility, the institutions now anticipate involvement in those decision processes that affect them.

Hunting on private property: France is condemned, but what about Italy?

In April 1999, with a judgement that caused quite a sensation, the European Court for the Rights of Man condemned France because it was allowing hunting on private land. The French law did not take into consideration the rights of those owners who were against the activities of the hunters on their land, and it was violating rights guaranteed by the "Convention for the Protection of the Rights of Man and Citizen's Liberties". Last July, France changed the law, so that it is now necessary to get the consent of the owner of the land.

In Italy, LIPU, in June 1999, presented to the Ecology and Land Group of the Supreme Court of Cassazione an analysis of Italian hunting legislation and highlighted the state of illegality towards which the country is going, in allowing hunting on private lands without the consent of the owners. The document was approved and the Group is seeking a change in the law but so far it has not been considered by the Italian Parliament.

Bramblings and Chaffinches: the trial of strength restarts

The Region of Lombardy has approved a resolution that, as a special dispensation, allows the catching of Bramblings and Chaffinches, with limits of 5 birds a day per person and 20 birds in the 2000/2001 season. If these figures are multiplied by the 20,000 hunters, it means that some 400,000 birds will be slaughtered.

Now, however, the issue will go to higher authority. LIPU has presented its own document in defence of bramblings and chaffinches to the government representative and has once again denounced these tricks, that by allowing a special dispensation it will permit the killing of wild birds that are protected by European law. The President of the House of Parliament, Luciano Violante, has strongly criticised these regional proposals.

From now on environmental associations can replace local authorities in the law courts

LIPU has started a legal action that has never before been registered in the courts: taking on the new role that is now allowed under the law, that associations can replace local authorities in cases of environmental damage.

On behalf of the Province of Bari, LIPU has cited the Region of Puglia for compensation for environmental damage suffered by the Province. It is claimed that the Regional Authorities are responsible for bad management in the Alta Murgia Park. The law has not been adhered to, landscape plans have not been approved and areas subject to water restrictions have been converted into agricultural land. This has caused serious damage to the environment and affected Lesser Kestrels, Lanners and Short-toed Eagles, birds that are at risk of extinction and as such, protected by the European Directive.

Stone clearing, extending for 30,000 hectares, has transformed 50% of the area into agricultural land, affecting a third of the area of the Park and beginning a process of turning the landscape into desert. LIPU is requesting compensation from the Region and restoration of the landscape to its original state. The next hearing is on 1 March 2001.

When the struggle for nature is a struggle for legality

Action by the Carabinieri of the Anti-Mafia Investigation Team in the nature reserve at Biviere di Gela, under LIPU management: 500 sheep have been confiscated and two shepherds, linked to the Mafia clan Cosa Nostra, have been charged with threatening behaviour and causing damage to the natural heritage. The two shepherds, brothers of the local Mafia boss, allowed their flocks to graze uncontrolled, destroying vast areas of vegetation.

Local people were not in a position to object as they were threatened with retaliation if they did so. There is a LIPU team that is responsible for monitoring the area but the two shepherds would only have flatly refused to co-operate and, with clubs in their hands, would have threatened anyone trying to stop them. As a result of LIPU's report a restraining order has been put on the 545 sheep belonging to Cosa Nostra.

It is a battle that is being fought in the name of nature protection, but it is becoming an important case for the restoration of legality in a part of the country that has serious problems. LIPU's Legal Office is preparing to take action, with the public prosecutor, against the two shepherds.

PURPLE GALLINULE

A project has begun in Sicily to reintroduce this beautiful and precious inhabitant of Mediterranean wetlands

by Ariel Brunner

Few people know the Purple Gallinule, one of the most beautiful and colourful inhabitants of Mediterranean wetlands. Its highly coloured plumage gives the impression of it having come from the tropics, and by mistake ending up amidst our more sober temperate creatures. In fact, in a way, that is right. Purple Gallinules are widely distributed in tropical regions of Africa and southern Asia. The species has numerous subspecies (some of which are now considered to be species in their own right) that occupy different parts of this huge area. The subspecies Porphyrio porphyrio is the rarest and inhabits the coasts of the western Mediterranean.

Belonging to the same family as Coot and Moorhens, the Purple Gallinule is tied to wetland habitats and especially dense reedbeds. Here it builds a nest and finds its preferred food of shoots and seeds, but also insects, molluscs and fish. Its large feet and long toes are ideally adapted to walking on floating vegetation. It does not fly very often and generally moves about on foot within the dense reeds. Widespread drainage of Mediterranean marshes, linked with increasingly heavy pressure from hunting, means that the birds have been forced into smaller and more fragmented habitats. This has led to their continual decline, the Purple Gallinule having disappeared this century from Greece and Portugal and from Puglia and Sicily in Italy. The Spanish and Sardinian populations were on the edge of extinction, while that in the Magreb has suffered a serious decline.

Thanks to rigorous protection measures, since the 1970s, the populations of Purple Gallinule in Spain and Sardinia have recovered well in numbers and have also expanded their range. In Sardinia there are now about 500 pairs, distributed throughout all the available suitable habitats. The expansion in Spain, from its last refuge in the delta of the Guadalquivir, and helped by carefully directed reintroduction programmes, has reached the Valencia and Catalan coasts, and the Balearic Islands, with a total of some 4000 pairs. A reintroduction project is currently in progress in Portugal.

Within this scenario that sees the progressive regeneration of the European range of the Purple Gallinule, we have the reintroduction project in Sicily, managed collaboratively by LIPU and INFS (National Institute for Wildlife) and financed by the Region of Sicily. The area involved is in the south east of the island, in the Provinces of Catania, Siracusa and Caltanisetta. Here the surviving wetlands are now almost all under protection and are quite suitable for the species, which was extinct from the mid-1950s.

The birds that are being reintroduced have been donated by the government of the Comunidad Valenciana in Spain and come from its breeding centre near the Albufera Reserve. The first 14 Purple Gallinules were released on 7 October 2000 in the Biviere di Gela Reserve (Caltanisetta), managed by LIPU. Careful monitoring shows that they seem to be adapting well to a life of freedom. More arrivals are planned at six monthly intervals over the next few years. There are also parallel projects to improve and manage the habitat, in order to increase the chances of survival of this beautiful and precious creature.

RETURN FROM EXTINCTION
by Mauro Mannino
The arrival of the Purple Gallinule has a double significance for the Sicilian members of LIPU. After 45 years, a species that was shot to extinction in Sicily has been returned so that we are able to see it once again in our own wetlands. There is also a well-earned pride in having succeeded in taking a small step towards repaying the debt that we humans have incurred in our relations with nature in Sicily.

We had made a start with Griffons. If you go now to Madonie and raise your eyes you will see those splendid vultures soaring above, enriching anew that beautiful area with their presence. If you come to the Biviere di Gela now, you will perhaps manage to see the Purple Gallinule.

It is noteworthy that both species became extinct due to man's activities, several decades ago. However, it is now a different generation that is bringing these creatures back again to Sicily. And so an ancient wrong is being put right. This idea has encouraged us in our reintroduction projects in Sicily: not just to accept the fact that we had never seen such birds that used to be here, but to do everything we could to bring them back. Further action is already being planned with projects for Red Kites and Egyptian Vultures.

TOWARDS 2001
by Armando Gariboldi
It has been a very active and important year for LIPU and for nature. It has been a year that has seen LIPU working hard on several fronts and in many activities, which I would like to describe briefly so that all our members will know how much has been achieved and how much we intend to do. As one series of projects is concluded, LIPU immediately starts another. In fact we have now closed a series that has been in operation for the last four or five years, and we have immediately opened up a new lot.

With the inauguration of Gravina di Laterza Reserve in Puglia, we have now reached a total, a psychological level as much as anything, of 50 protected areas being managed by LIPU. The liberation of the first Griffons in Sicily has taken place, as well as the reintroduction, at the Daunia Risi Reserve, of the first twenty White-headed Ducks. LIPU has been working on the latter project since the mid-eighties. Having successfully brought it to a conclusion has been very satisfying to us and, I believe, to many members too. And so too the return to Sicily of the first 14 Purple Gallinules.

Conservation projects are being increased in the South, especially in Sicily and Puglia. In these two regions LIPU branches and volunteer groups have become much stronger. There are also important developments in Sardinia, an important strategic area for nature in Italy, where we are attempting to renew agreements for the Carloforte Reserve and where we are preparing a new and important project for vultures.

In Rome itself LIPU has been consolidating its presence with practical projects. The Reserves at Castel di Guido and at Aguzzano are important projects, developed in co-operation with the Commune, and then finally, the opening of the new Wildlife Recuperation Centre. These activities have encouraged the development of a group of voluntary workers and have raised the perception and especially the credibility of LIPU. In addition, we have strengthened relations with the administrative authorities, in particular with two ministries that are now taking a much closer interest in us, Environment, and Agricultural and Forestry Policies. With the latter we have finished another project: the book on Important Bird Areas, where we have identified the 192 important areas for the protection of birds in Italy, about 4 million hectares. The work is scientifically very valuable and it has important implications for conservation activities: the IBA project has been recognised by the European Community as a reference for the setting up of Special Protection Areas. In practice all the 192 areas ought to be protected, with heavy penalties for not doing so. Currently about 40% of Italian IBAs are not protected, but we are working with the Ministry of the Environment on this challenge and drawing up practical plans.

Our commitment over the last 35 years has produced some results that have sometimes been almost overlooked in the mass of daily environmental problems. The fall in the number of hunters from over 2 million to 850,000, the fact that some 10% of the area of Italy is now protected, and the spread of a much more widespread environmentalist culture, are all extremely important achievements that were the principal objectives at the start of the battle for the environment in Italy.

At the same time we have been involved in work in other parts of the world. Our future programmes will involve international commitments, with practical objectives. There is security for us in belonging to the BirdLife International network. Our strategies already have an international dimension and we can increasingly get directly involved in projects in those countries where nature and birds are seriously endangered.

Returning to what we have to do in Italy. In past years, our commitment was against the destruction of birds, against hunting, and for the setting up of protected areas. Now that many of these objectives have been achieved, at least partially, new stimuli for new struggles are needed. First of all we must consolidate the gains already achieved. Hunters and speculators are always trying to turn situations to their own advantage, therefore we must never lower our guard and must keep focused on these matters.

We must also develop programmes that, as well as saving what can be saved, go further towards reconstructing nature and linking remaining or remade fragments. We can also attempt a further leap forward, aiming towards nature being protected even outside parks and reserves.
GO FOR NATURE
In winter birds come down to Italy from northern Europe in search of a milder climate: we go out together to look for them

by Franco Roscelli and Luciano Ruggieri
Birdwatching is an open-air activity that is little practised in Italy. However, we can boast of a wide variety and a very large number of bird species: a good 502! With this article and those that are to follow in future issues of Ali Notizie, we aim to tempt LIPU members to pick up their binoculars and go out simply for the pleasure of looking at birds. Even in winter!

When fields are covered in snow and the wood behind the house is just a cathedral of bare trunks, you might imagine that there is less to be seen than in spring. It is true that migrants are already overwintering in Africa, and the wood is devoid of birdsong, but other species have come to take the place of the absent ones. Northern birds migrate to southern Europe where they find more favourable conditions than in their breeding areas. During the cold of winter tens of thousands of birds, of at least fifty species, come down to the Italian regions.

To unfrozen lakes, from central and eastern Europe, come Pochard and Tufted Duck, the commonest diving ducks that overwinter in Italy. On tranquil stretches of water are Wigeon, Teal and Pintail and the widespread Mallard. Among the grebes, along with the Great Crested you will see Black-necked and Red-necked, both from northern Europe. The more attentive birdwatcher will even find the Slavonian Grebe that, with Red-throated and Black-throated Divers, are among the rarer winter visitors to inland waters in Italy.

Common on all lakes and rivers are Cormorants, Coot and gulls: but take care! Gulls are not all the same: the most common in south-central Italy are Black-headed, coming down from northern Europe in their hundreds of thousands, if not millions. But along the coasts and in the ports, and in winter also on inland waters, it is easy to see Herring Gulls, Mediterranean Gulls and Little Gulls. In winter aquatic species can be seen in almost all wetland areas in Italy, but the big lakes, rivers and the main coastal wetlands are the most suitable for them. Areas such as the Po Delta, the Venetian marshes, coastal ponds in Puglia, Sicily, Sardinia and Tuscany, as well as the large sub-alpine lakes, are superb for winter birdwatching.

It is worth remembering that many Italian wetlands are, unfortunately, still fully or partly open to hunting (the shooting season closes on 31 January). It is therefore better to go there on Tuesday or Friday, when there is no shooting and the birds are more settled, and without the danger of driving them into areas where they may be shot.

January is also the month when an annual census takes place throughout Europe, an international project of the IWRB and co-ordinated in Italy by the National Institute for Wildlife. All birdwatchers can take part, in collaboration with local branches of LIPU, various ornithological organisations and research establishments.

WORK IN PROGRESS

STORKS PROJECT: LIPU and ENEL (electricity company) collaborate

Having prevented the destruction of the nest in Villanova Biellese, LIPU has struck an agreement with ENEL that will ensure the security of 5 or 6 White Stork nests that have been built on electricity pylons in that area. The material used to construct the huge nests often touches the cables, causing interruptions to the power supply and putting the lives of both young and parents at risk if fire should break out. LIPU has come to an understanding with ENEL, who have shown interest and helpfulness in finding a solution to a serious problem: some of the cables have been isolated and three artificial nests have been provided on certain pylons, where the cables will also be isolated as a preventative measure.

RICE FIELDS PROJECT: Lobby

International lobbying continues in defence of the rice-fields. A video, explaining the biodiversity value of the rice-fields, has been made by the RSPB with contributions from European partners, including LIPU. It was presented to the Council of Ministers in Luxembourg in October. The video has been used by the Italian Minister of Agricultural and Forestry Policies to support the defence of these important agricultural habitats, of which Italy has the greatest area in Europe.

GRIFFON PROJECT: More birds released

The reintroduction of Griffons into Sicily proceeds. Of the 6 birds freed on 5 May in the Madonie Park, 2 have stayed close to the aviary where they spent their settling in period, 1 is wandering about within the park and the others have gone off and for the moment all track of them has been lost. On 14 September a single bird, female, was released. As anticipated this one stayed in the release area where it joined up with the pair that had settled down there. The outcome is considered very positive and by December 2000 it is expected that 5 more will be released. These will be 2-year-old birds and will be freed separately every few weeks.

ANTI-POACHING IN CAMPANIA
by Rino Esposito and Vincenzo Capasso

In October several very serious incidents concerning the protection of wildlife were reported from the Naples area (Campania). Poachers without scruples had killed two White Storks, a Merlin, a Long-eared Owl and a Purple Heron. During autumn there is very active illegal trapping of thrushes, birds that are particularly in demand in the northern regions of Italy. There they are used as live decoys and also finish up on restaurant menus.

Due to its geographical position Italy acts as a kind of bridge over the Mediterranean, between Africa and Europe. This is why in spring and autumn millions of migrating birds come through Italy. Therefore anti-poaching surveillance plays a fundamental role in the protection of many species. Campania is from this point of view one of the areas more at risk. Here poaching represents a challenge to the state and is often part of a wider framework of illegal activities. The Italian State has been criticised many times by the international community for its lack of action and tolerance of poaching, but for some years now it has finally been fighting to prevent it. The State Forest Guards and LIPU volunteer rangers have played a fundamental part in this.

In the last five years even the Province of Naples has managed to turn the tide, using provincial rangers in more efficient anti-poaching operations and planning, for 2001, specific financial resources that will allow the Hunting Rangers adequate means to do their job. For this we are particularly grateful to the President of the Province of Naples, Professor Amato Lamberti, for his determination and sensitivity to the environment. It will be up to LIPU and the environmental organisations to support such activities with education and awareness programmes, particularly aimed at young people.

NATURE REBUILT

From artificial reservoir to Provincial Reserve: in 8 years LIPU Santa Luce Reserve, in the Province of Pisa, has made great progress

by Paola Consani

In October the Reserve is almost as spectacular as in spring, less noisy, less brightly coloured perhaps, more like a soft, indistinct water-colour, where the autumn reds and yellows merge into the deep green of the lake. A couple of Cattle Egrets are bickering with a pair of Greenshanks, while grebes calmly preen their feathers right in front of the visitor centre.

It is 6 pm and time to close. It is in the very peacefulness and harmony of this place that every day I find the motivation for my work here, for LIPU. For all the creatures here, hiding in the reedbeds and in the hawthorn hedges, LIPU is constantly working to overcome insensitivity, ignorance, bureaucracy and lack of resources.
The Santa Luce Reserve is young, only 8 years old, but has achieved so much. Inaugurated in 1992, thanks to an agreement between LIPU and Solvey, the company owning the area, the reserve was set up to protect a habitat that in the 30 years since the creation of the lake had become completely naturalised. The challenge was to convert a water reservoir into a protected area; to show that eco-compatible activities were not just words, but practical options; that the natural richness, the biodiversity of the Reserve was worth the struggle to overcome the many problems.

We laid down the challenge here, in an area with serious pressures from hunting and a poor environmental culture, in one of those places therefore where Reserves just had to be created. Many of the problems have now been overcome. Santa Luce is now a Provincial reserve of some 278 hectares, a wonderful ecosystem that is at last protected, where there is almost no poaching, where local children write a diary about their lake, where school groups meet and where there are now 2500 visitors a year, as opposed to 35 in 1995. 150 species of birds have been observed, of which 32 are endangered and 40 are breeding. There are also 16 reptiles and amphibians, 60 butterflies and moths, 23 mammals. All these go to show that it was well worth taking on the challenge.

BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL

The book "Endangered Birds of the World" was published in October. It summarises the most important results of the BirdLife International project for birds that are threatened with extinction throughout the world.

How many species are at risk?

The results of BirdLife's research are alarming: 1186 species of birds, one in eight, are at serious risk of becoming extinct within the next one hundred years. 128 species have already become extinct in the last 500 years and of these, 103 since the year 1800. From now to 2100, without adequate preventative measures, the number of extinct species is going to increase dramatically, to a level of about 460. If we look at other types of animals, the situation is getting worse: 24% of mammals, 27% of reptiles and 30% of fish are at risk.

Why should we help them?

99% of threatened bird species are at risk due to human activities, such as the uncontrolled felling of timber and agriculture, which destroys habitat, and hunting. The extinction of animal species should not be considered as an isolated natural occurrence, but as the result of wider changes in world-wide eco-systems. Birds are good indicators of the state of health of the environment. Protecting birds means also protecting eco-systems and biodiversity in all their complexity.

Where are the threatened species?

They are in all the continents, but in certain hot spots the concentration is much greater: the Atlantic forests of Brazil, West Africa, Madagascar, south-east China, Borneo and the Philippines.

A good action plan is based on good data.

In order to protect species in danger, research is the first step: reliable data is needed to understand what priorities to give to various species, to identify all the risk factors and to plan conservation campaigns. One of the more efficient means of protecting the eco-system and wildlife is the introduction of adequate legislation, at both national and international levels. It is here that information plays a key role and the new book from BirdLife International is a concrete example of that.

Action for species and habitat.

Threatened species can be saved both by tackling the threats specifically and directly, such as hunting and illegal commercial activities, and by management of populations, such as reintroduction programmes of animals into areas from where they had disappeared.

Many species are also in danger due to deterioration of the habitat in which they live, and by protecting those sites we therefore save both the threatened birds and also those particular eco-systems. This is the principle underlying BirdLife's IBA project, which has identified 20,000 areas of particular importance for birds scattered about the world.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

TAIWAN: Tern rediscovered

A naturalist of WBFT (BirdLife Taiwan), while filming terns and other birds on the tiny island of Matsu, came across 4 pairs and 4 young of the Chinese Crested Tern (Sterna bernsteini), a species that it was feared may now be extinct. It is an extremely rare species, of which little is known and although reported in the past from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, no confirmed sightings have been made since 1937. The island of Matsu is already a protected area, recognised by the Government of Taiwan as a wildlife sanctuary, and after this discovery its importance has increased considerably. With some astuteness it might be possible to save this mysterious bird from extinction.
(Extra note from translator. Rare Birds of the World – Collins 1988 : the Chinese Crested Tern is believed to breed on islands off the coast of Shantung Province, China, and to winter in South-east Asia and the Philippines, where there have been a few records, none of them recent. It has always been considered rare, but 21 birds were collected in 1937 on an island off the coast of Shantung, where it may have been breeding. There is an unconfirmed report of 10-20 in southern Thailand in 1980 and another unconfirmed sighting in Bali in 1986 (BH))

HUNGARY: Italians found guilty

In Hungary the duck hunting season begins on 15 August. On the first day a party of Italian hunters shot 5 Ferruginous Ducks, a protected species that is critically endangered throughout the world. Fortunately they were observed by some members of MME (BirdLife Hungary) who immediately called the police. They were quickly brought before the court where two of the hunters were found guilty and were fined heavily, with an alternative of 300 days in prison. On 21 August a second group of Italians shot another Ferruginous Duck. They were discovered and received the same treatment.

AMAZON BASIN: forest halved

The Brazilian Congress is in the process of approving a project that will reduce the area of Amazonian forest by 50%. The area is 4 times the area of Portugal and is to be used for agriculture and stock raising. Paradoxically however, the Amazonian soils are very acid and therefore not fertile, and without the protection of the forest the region will be at greater risk of flooding. 160,000 square kilometres of already deforested land are now abandoned and useless.

CROATIA: Griffon Vultures slaughtered

In the last five years on the island of Veglia, in Croatia, about 40 Griffon vultures have fallen victim to poisoned baits, put out for bears that were accused of killing pigs and sheep. The Griffon population of the island has suffered a drastic decline: it is calculated that there are now no more than about ten adults with but 4 young being born this year. The low birth rate may also be connected to some form of poisoning. If it is not stopped, the vile practice of poisoned baits could possibly damage the whole ecosystem.

NEW ZEALAND: to save the Kukupa

The New Zealand Minister of the Environment has launched a bilingual (English/Maori) information campaign to save the New Zealand Pigeon, commonly called the Kukupa. In decline due to shooting, felling and the introduction of new predatory species into the country, the Kukupa population has fallen by 50% in the last 20 years and at this pace it is likely to disappear completely within 10-15 years. At the launch of the campaign, Kevin Prime, Maori chief, quoted a saying of his people, "Take care of the birds and the forest will prosper. If the forest thrives, the birds will prosper". In fact the Kukupa plays a very important role in the entire ecosystem of the forest by helping to distribute plant seeds.

ITALY: disease in blackbirds

Some members have reported their concern about a serious disease that has been affecting blackbirds in northern Italy and particularly in Lombardy. It is an epidemic of avian malaria caused by a parasite that is transmitted by mosquitoes, with symptoms like human malaria and often resulting in the death of the victim. This is exceptional; in some areas a mortality rate of 60% has been reported but it is a natural phenomenon. Epidemics are in fact part of the natural dynamics of animal populations. Every so often there is a fresh outbreak and then a fall to a residual level for a time before again it explodes to epidemic proportions. In this instance the epidemic should disperse with the onset of winter and the disappearance of mosquitoes.

A RETURN TO NEWS FROM LIPU-UK

I wrote earlier of the vandalism at Parabiago and the swift help we were able to offer and below I print the reply received by e-mail from Guido Piazzi:

"Hello David, your message has been automatically forwarded to several members in our chapter. As the website maintainer, I've been the first one to read it and I'm really impressed by the generosity of our friends there in UK: it's far, far more than the support we got from our neighbours until now! There will really be something to talk about at our meeting next Wednesday, and I'm sure we all will be more willing to start again and push our activity back to the levels it reached not so long ago. I feel we'll do our best to turn money into real benefits for nature, birds and people. Thank you all! Guido -- LIPU Parabiago"

Marco Lambertini, has written an explanation of the politics of Italy and how those politics affect the successes of the conservationists there. As described on page 4 involvement in politics at all levels is essential to achieve any real progress...

OF BIRDS AND POLITICS IN ITALY

Marco Lambertini, Ex Director of LIPU and now Director at BirdLife International

If I were to ask you to think of Italy I'd bet the first images that come to your mind have something to do with a wealth of mouth watering recipes or the breathtaking artistic heritage which stretches over several thousands of years of history. But if you think carefully there is something else which Italy is best known for...and based right in the heart of Rome, the eternal city - politicians.

As opposed to cuisine and art, Italian political class has not impressed the world much or shown many signs of changes or dynamism since the collapse of the Roman empire, when such revolutionary political concepts as the Parliament were created.

So, if Italian conservationists have the advantage of getting their energy from healthy and delicious food as well as inspiration by contemplating Renaissance "affreschi", life teaches us that nowhere is the perfect place and so they have to struggle with and suffer from their short sighted politicians. As much we would like to forget dealing with politicians, unfortunately modern conservation is intrinsically rooted into politics. This is particularly true in Italy where hunters every year try to broaden the hunting list, expand the hunting season and legalise obscure "hunting traditions".

The EU Bird Directive has helped enormously to resist all these attempts but the support from the Government has been a necessary condition (though not sufficient) to the stunning achievements of the last 30 years where from 2.700.000 hunters and 3% of protected landscape Italy now has less than 800.000 hunters and about 15% of protected territory.

It is interesting to realise that in Italy's political terminology "left" always meant "green" whilst the right wing parties have always been supportive of the anti-environment lobbies, namely hunters, developers and farmers. All this became very clear a few years ago when for few months the right-wing party took power. The designated Minister of the Environment did more damage in that short period than any of his predecessors in the last ten years; he reduced boundaries of three national Parks, added some twenty new species to the hunting list and cut financial contribution to environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Fortunately he left soon enough to prevent all this from being ratified.

This could happen again after next general elections in April where the right-wing coalition is expected to win, with the serious risk of jeopardising all the good progress hard won over the last thirty years. Italy is already in the electoral campaign and the weakened hunting lobbies see a victory of the right party as an opportunity to gain new strength. This is of major concern for LIPU and should be for all European conservationists, no matter what one's political belief.

The question is not a matter of left or right, but simply the lack of environmental sensitivity and understanding of an entire political front: and we can expect renewed hunting of migratory species as well as a new Italian/French coalition to change the EU Bird Directive and to lift hunting regulations. So, with all ballot polls predicting the victory of the right, LIPU is getting ready for years of potential major confrontation with a right-led and environmentally unfriendly Government.

In a climate of strong economy and wealthy living styles many are saying that the right coalition is going to win the elections mainly on the issue of illegal immigration, a quite recent social phenomenon which has induced a new wave of criminality into Italian society and raised enormously public anxiety. This analysis may help uncover a different strategy for LIPU. In spite of the fact that environmental issues are not high in the election agenda, it is true that the Italian public is largely in favour of the environment, wildlife and green policies.

The challenge LIPU is facing is therefore to cause the "right coalition" to break the ties with their historical attitude towards the environment and see themselves and their voters in a different light: acknowledge the fact that many of their voters are in favour of wildlife and green policies and govern the country with this majority's view in mind.

It is important that LIPU remains neutral and objective in his political activity. After having created strong public support for wildlife and the environment it is now time to stabilise the political commitment towards the environment whatever party is governing the country. This will be a critically important progress in greening Italy and securing a better future for our birds and biodiversity.

LIPU-UK APPEAL - 2001

Two years ago I asked, "Is it getting any better?" and the answer must clearly be a clear "Yes". But this poses its own problems - although the number of hunters is down, although the number of poachers in Calabria is down and although more of Italy is protected than ever before there is still so much to be done.

The really determined poachers are still active, the opposition by the hunting lobby is still as strong as ever and there is now a real risk of complacency as we look at the progress that has been made. Our friends in Italy are determined to continue the struggle for the lives of the birds in and over Italy and we must still give them all the support we can.

At our annual meeting we discussed the problems faced by LIPU and agreed to support the following projects in the coming year:

1. We return to Calabria and the struggle to stop the killing of migrating birds on the Straits of Messina for no other reason than for fun.

2. Oasi Volta Scirocco is a splendid reserve in the Po delta and plays an important role in the education of visitors. We will help enhance the facilities for visitors and support the management of the reserve.

3. We will provide much needed help for the success of the reintroduction programme of the Griffon Vulture into Sicily.

4. The Gargano steppes, near Foggia, are protected by European law, yet European funds are being used by the local authorities for illegal industrial development. We will help fund the fight to stop this abuse of an area which is the home of Stone Curlew and the few remaining Little Bustard in Italy.

I feel sure you will agree that these projects are worthy of our help and I hope you will support our appeal this year. A return slip is enclosed so you don't have to cut this newsletter. To keep postage costs to a minimum donations will not be acknowledged unless this is requested - please accept our sincere thanks for your support.

Annual Draw

An annual Draw is a very effective way to raise funds involving only a small cost to those who participate. When holding a draw it is easy to mail tickets to everyone and request members to discard tickets if they are not interested. If, however, you really dislike the whole idea of a draw please tick the new box on the reply slip and I will do my best to comply with your wishes. LIPU-UK does not want to offend you.

AISPA

The Anglo Italian Society for the Protection of Animals helped found LIPU and we are delighted that this very special relationship continues to this day. Each year AISPA gives generously and already we have a pledge which will get the 2001 off to a flying start. Thank you AISPA.

Illustrations used in this issue are by kind permission of the RSPB and Robbie Robinson (p 9)

Translation from the Italian has been done by Brian Horkley (bhorkley@aol.com)

STOP THE MASSACRE

APPEAL 2001

The Anti-poaching Camp works each year to stop the illegal killing of migrating birds at the Straits of Messina - we will help the birds get through in safety.

We will fund extensions to the Volta Scirocco reserve to improve visitor facilities and, in particluar, provide better educational; displays.

The reintroduction of Griffon Vultures into Sicliy has had its problems, we will help LIPU overcome them by providing and stocking additional feeding stations for these magnificent birds.

The Gargano steppe land is protected by law and is home to Little Bustard, Stone Curlew and many other rare and interesting birds and plants. Despite being a Specially Protected Area the local authorities are building industrial estates and destroying the habitat.

Please help us - make a donation of any size to LIPU-UK