Machi and Goshen's Conservation Legacy
(http://www.ccbbirds.org/2013/09/09/machi-goshens-conservation-legacy/)
By Bryan Watts
The loss of Machi and Goshen on Guadeloupe (two whimbrel being tracked by CCB
scientists) to hunters on 12 September, 2011 was a watershed event in shorebird
conservation. The shooting of these two birds shined a light on the dangers of
migration for this declining population and heightened awareness of shorebird
hunting within the conservation community. The outcry was heard. Shortly
after this event occurred an international working group was formed to begin
assessing the potential impact of hunting on shorebirds using the Atlantic
Flyway. The group has focused on sustainable shorebird harvest limits, current
harvest levels, hunting policy, and law enforcement. Although work is ongoing
in all of these areas, the effort is beginning to bear fruit.
Several changes to hunting policies have been made within major hunting
communities in the West Indies. The Ministries for the Environment of both
Guadeloupe and Martinique have agreed to several regulation changes including
1) addition of red knots and solitary sandpiper to the no-hunt-list, 2) a bag
limit of 20 birds per day per hunter, and 3) a three-year moratorium on the
shooting of Hudsonian godwits and whimbrels (implemented on Martinique in
2013). A recent determination by the Environmental Ministry in Paris has set
penalties for shooting red knots. Hunting is a long-standing part of French
culture. Policy changes by the ministries are a tremendous step toward
shorebird conservation.
In addition to positive policy changes on Guadeloupe and Martinique, the
Barbados Wildfowlers Association has passed a series of self-imposed
regulations. These include 1) limiting the total annual harvest on the island
to 22,500 birds, 2) limiting the annual harvest to 2,500 birds per swamp, 3)
limiting the daily harvest to 300 birds per swamp, 4) limiting the annual
harvest of lesser yellowlegs to 1,250 birds per swamp, 5) limiting the harvest
of American Golden Plovers to 100 birds per day per swamp, and 6) limiting the
number of active hunters to 3 per swamp. The group had previously passed a
self-imposed moratorium on hunting whimbrel. The voluntary adoption of hunting
policy is a positive development for shorebird conservation.
Machi and Goshen have proven to be a catalyst for change. Following their
widely publicized loss, the conservation community, government agencies,
environmental ministers, and responsible hunting groups have come together to
move toward sustaining vulnerable shorebird populations.
The working group includes The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Canadian
Wildlife Service, Birdlife International, The Society for the Study and
Conservation of Caribbean Birds, AMAZONIA, New Jersey Audubon, and The Center
for Conservation Biology.
Michael Wilson
Center for Conservation Biology
College of William and Mary & Virginia Commonwealth University
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
phone: 757-221-1649
fax: 757-221-1650
email: mdwils@xxxxxx
web: www.ccbbirds.org
