Birds are valuable environmental indicators and their declining can lead to a dangerous environmental trouble. Unfortunately, about 11% of the world's bird populations facing extinction this century mainly because of human activities such as habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and trapping or shooting.
Although it is banned by international agreements, many endangered migratory species are trapped for various reasons each year; an example is the corncrake. The corncrake "Crex crex" is a migratory bird and one of 17 globally threatened bird species breeding in Europe. It is classified as Vulnerable at both world and European level due to the rapid declining in its numbers caused by the unsuitable farming.
In the beginning of autumn, corncrake migrate to spend the winter time in South-eastern Africa. During this journey, it passes through Egypt, particularly Sinai Peninsula, in autumn and spring. According to their resemblance to quails, corncrakes are trapped by Quail-netting along the Mediterranean coast of Sinai Peninsula mainly in Zaranik protected area.
In year 2000, hunting in Zaranik had been restricted based on the orders of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, but it has shortly been authorized again bowing to public pressure. MedWetCoast (MWC) in the period between 2000/2005, developed a comprehensive eco tourism initiative as an alternative livelihood. As a result, the corncrake population began to recover since this time in most of its range. |
