The Sudanese Wildlife Society (SWS) held a one day workshop to mark World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) on 23^rd May 2016  that was hosted by the Wildlife Conservation General Authority (WCGA). This year's theme on ‘ .... and when the skies fall silent? Stop the illegal killing, taking and trade' guided the discussions.

The University of Dar es Salaam, in particular the Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, jointly with the Bird Environment and Community (BECO) Foundation and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, organized the celebration of a major World Migratory Bird Day event in Tanzania, which took place in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, 14 May 2016. The event was supported by an AEWA 2016 WMBD grant made possible through a voluntary contribution from the German Environment Ministry (BMUB).

Bonn, 23 May 2016 – Every year more than 25 million of migratory birds are illegally killed or taken across the Mediterranean. They are shot or caught with nets and other indiscriminate traps. With the slogan “… and when the skies fall silent? Stop the illegal killing, taking and trade!”, World Migratory Bird Day 2016 highlighted the incredible numbers of migratory birds being lost each year as a result of these activities.

The Natural Resources Conservation Section of Dubai Municipality’s Environment Department has a long-standing relationship with World Migratory Bird Day starting in 2007.

The Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) announced today the creation of the Intergovernmental Task Force on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean composed of Governments and the European Commission. UN organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), international environmental treaties, INTERPOL, law enforcement and judiciary organizations, hunting communities and nongovernmental organizations will also be part of the coalition.

In order to tackle the issue in a most efficient way, the Intergovernmental Task Force on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean (MIKT) has been created under CMS to facilitate international cooperation. #MIKT. Read more about MIKT: http://bit.ly/1q3yimC

Nature Conservation Egypt (NCE), under the supervision of the BirdLife International Secretariat, has undertaken a socio-economic survey on bird hunting along the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, to understand the socio-economic dimensions of bird hunting, and assess the resource dependency and social resilience and communities’ ability to cope with any future changes in regulations and conservation strategies.

What is actually meant with "Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds"? Our Fact Sheet gives you the answers! [Read More]

This year, the Gorontalo region in Indonesia hosts two events which are particularly relevant for World Migratory Bird Day. Indeed, it is the location where WMBD 2016 official trailer was shot, and where a registered activity is taking place on the 10 May for the first time in this area.