On the invitation of the Government of France, the 5th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to AEWA (MOP5) will take place from 14 - 18 May 2012 in La Rochelle, a seaport and major conference center on the French Atlantic coast.
The theme for MOP5 will be “Migratory waterbirds and people – sharing wetlands”.
Three members of OMPO are currently working at the preparation of the event within the Organizing Committee established by the French Ministry of Ecology. The practical organization of MOP5 which is coupled with the World Migratory Bird Day(12-13 mai 2012), represents a lot of work and is a heavy responsibility as the representatives of the 64 contracting countries will be present; 350 to 400 participants are expected.
The work performed within the Technical Committee (see article above) is upstream, it is meant to validate and format files for consideration by the MOP.
As Observer, OMPO participated in the 10th Meeting of the AEWA Technical Committee which took place from 12-16 September 2011 in Naivasha on the invitation of the Government of Kenya (Kenya Wildlife Service).
56 topics were examined among which species conservation status, Single Species Action Plans, draft Action Plan for Africa, disturbance, look-alike species, hunting harvest, global warming…
The Institute OMPO participated in this meeting held at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg from 29 November to 2 December.
Extensive menu among which should be mentioned: the work on the interpretation of Article 9 of the Berne Convention, a recommendation on illegal taking of birds in Europe and the development of the Network of areas of special conservation interest “Emerald Network”.
The follow-up of Recommendation No. 149 (2010) of the Standing Committee, on the eradication of the Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) showed that the United-Kingdom and France successfully carried on eradication operations, reducing by more than half the number of wintering birds. Now efforts must be focused on The Netherlands.
At the conference of the Parties of the Convention on migratory species (CMS) which took place 20-25 November 2011 in Bergen, Norway, Jacques Trouvilliez, Scientific Director of the European Institute OMPO had the opportunity to defend a resolution on behalf of the European Union to make power lines safer for birds.
