Tourism ministry signs MoU with Raptor Coordinating Unit

The Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Raptor Coordinating Unit of Abu Dhabi to strengthen, protect and coordinate efforts to halt the extinction of raptors (Birds of prey) in Uganda.

State minister Martin Mugara Bahinduka represented the government during the signing at Sheraton Hotel Kampala while the Raptor Coordinating Unit was represented by Umberto Gallo-orsi the Programme Management Officer.

The minister commended the immense support from the Raptors Coordinating Unit that is being channelled to the technical team in the Department of Wildlife Conservation and Wildlife Authority for financial support.

“This occasion of signing the Raptors MOU comes at a time when global environment leaders are in agreement that the increasingly deteriorating quality and the ability for nature to support natural processes stems from the triple planetary crisis, climate change, nature biodiversity and land loss plus pollution and waste.

This crisis is induced by human actions on the environment and has resulted in misery associated with decreased progress on human health, increased poverty, inequality, insecurity, slow and unsustainable economic development. This must be reversed by deliberately acting against the drivers and causes of this undesirable situation,” the minister noted.

George Owoyesigire Ag Commissioner, Wildlife Conservation at the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities highlighted that Uganda took the decision to join the Raptors MOU with the aim of creating awareness and conserving the raptors.

“We need to engage our members of society whose human activities have continued to destroy this particular species. We need to conserve them to attract more tourists into the country. So we have to develop a National strategy for conservation of raptors which we shall then implement vigorously across the country.”

Uganda is home to 1,088 species of birds, 94 of which are migratory birds of prey. Uganda is already a Party to CMS and therefore signing the Raptors MoU reinforces.

Her efforts in the quest to conserve the raptors that are ecologically very important indicator species. As a range state, it is our collective responsibility to offer protection to the migratory raptors while in our territory.

Whereas the triple planetary crisis is a global concern, decisive action must be taken to implement policies required to honour commitments aimed at achieving a shared vision.