Project Update 4: June 2009

Field Dates: 02/06/2009 to 09/06/2009

Sites: Bunyala Rice Scheme, Muluwa, Muuri, Neboka, Bubasi, Munaka, Yala Swamp

Summary of field work progress
The above sites were surveyed other than the focus Bunyala Rice Scheme to establish extent of poisoning. We also continued collecting data on poisoned birds.
We educated and shared the idea of vegetable farming with some poachers in exchange for poaching birds through poisoning and agreed that when I am field in July they will let me know on what they had discussed and their proposal.
Some outcomes of this project so far:

• Two trained scouts whose skills continue to improve with every survey.

• Through documenting the findings of this project on the blog http://stopwildlifepoisoning.wildlifedirect.org/ and other advocacy work on bird poisoning with the pesticide Furadan, the manufacturer of the pesticide have withdrawn the supply of the pesticide to Kenya.

• Actual data on numbers of poisoned birds against the birds seen since February to June.

• We have some confidence with poachers and are able to exchange information with them about the dangers of the pesticide and get their side of the problem.