A new fund has been formed in Abu Dhabi to prevent the annual death of thousands of falcons from electric shock worldwide.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the UAE, has established a bird of prey conservation fund with a target capital of $ 20 million (73.4 million dirhams).
He also made an initial donation of $ 1 million to solve the death of falcons.
The Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Bird of Prey Conservation Fund will finance and launch projects for the conservation of birds of prey, involving all interested parties in cooperation.
This news was announced by Mohammed Al Bawardi, Head of the Environmental Protection Agency of Abu Dhabi, speaking at the international environmental summit on Yas Island, which discussed the protection of migratory birds around the globe.
"One of the main causes of death of birds of prey and other species of birds is electric shock. This problem grows in proportion to the increase in the length of power transmission networks around the world. There are technical solutions that can help solve the problem, for example, the development of a new type of power lines, as well as the repair of existing lines ", - said the representatives of the fund on Thursday.
According to the International Association of falconry, about 4000 individuals of endangered falcons, endangered, die annually in Central Asia only due to improper construction of power lines. A study sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Environmental Protection Agency, conducted in conjunction with the Eastern Energy System electricity company in Mongolia, showed that 55 saker falcons are subjected to electric shock every 10 km of power lines. The study also reported that the power of electric shock can be significantly reduced by spending less than 18 euros on one transmission line support.
The initial draft will be unveiled at an international conference in the first quarter of 2019, where all parties: lawmakers, scientists, researchers, industrialists, energy companies, design organizations and others will be invited to contribute to putting an end to the death of birds.
