Land concessions threaten endangered bird species

សត្វ​ស្លាប​នៅ​តំបន់​ព្រែក​ទាល់ បឹង​ទន្លេ​សាប កាល​ពី​ខែ​មិថុនា​​។ រូបថត ហេង ជី​វ័ន

ការ​ផ្តល់​ដី​សម្បទាន​គំរាម​កំហែង​សត្វ​បក្សី​ដែល​ជិត​ផុត​ពូជ

Monday, 17 September 2012
Rosa Ellen and Claire Knox
ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍

ស្ទឹងត្រែងៈ ការ​ផ្តល់​ដី​សម្បទាន​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​ទៅ​ឲ្យ​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​ឯកជន នៅ​តំបន់​ព្រៃ​សៀមប៉ាង ភាគ​ខាង​លិច​ខេត្ត​ស្ទឹងត្រែង កំពុង​តែ​គំរាម​កំហែង ដល់​សត្វ​បក្សី​ត្រយង​យក្ស (Giant Ibis) ​ដ៏​កម្រ​របស់​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា ដែល​ជា​បក្សី​ជិត​វិនាស​ផុត​ពូជ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ពិភពលោក។​ នេះ​បើ​តាម​របាយការណ៍​ទើប​តែ​ចេញ​ផ្សាយ​ថ្មី​មួយ​របស់​អង្គការ​សត្វ​ស្លាប ​អន្តរជាតិ​ ប្រចាំ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា​។

របាយការណ៍​ដែល​មាន​រយៈ​ពេល​ ១០​ ឆ្នាំ ចេញ​ពី​​អង្គការ​ជីវិត​សត្វ​ស្លាប​អន្តរជាតិ ​ប្រចាំ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា មាន​ទំហំ​ពេញលេញ ចំពោះ​ការ​សិក្សា​ ពី​ជីវសាស្ត្រ​នៅ​តំបន់​នោះ និង​ការ​ដើរ​តួនាទី​របស់​ខ្លួន​ ដើម្បី​ជួយ​ការពារ​ពពួក​សត្វ​ ដែល​កំពុង​តែ​ត្រូវ​បាន​គំរាម​កំហែង ជិត​ផុត​ពូជ​នៅ​លើ​ភព​ផែនដី​នេះ​។

Western Siem Pang - Land of the Giants

Giant Ibis (James Eaton/ Birdtour Asia, from the surfbirds galleries)

April 15, 2010
Surfbird News

Western Siem Pang in Cambodia is one of the few sites in the world that supports five Critically Endangered bird species. It is perhaps best known as the home of the world's largest population of White-shouldered Ibis Pseudibis davidsoni. However, its importance for another species of ibis is now becoming clear.

A recent BirdLife survey team recorded an astonishing 16 Giant Ibis Thaumatibis gigantea over a ten day period during a rapid survey of the western sector of the site.

"At the height of the dry season one would expect a greater encounter rate as Giant Ibis along with other wildlife become concentrated at seasonal wetlands (trapeangs) in the forest and grasslands, but to record so many birds in such a short period from such a small area suggests the population at Western Siem Pang is much larger than we previously thought", said Jonathan Eames, Programme Manager for BirdLife International in Indochina.

This is good news for Giant Ibis, Cambodia's national bird, which has an estimated global population of only 200 individuals. The global range of Giant Ibis has shrunk and it now only occurs in southern Laos and northern Cambodia.

Giant Ibis has declined as a result of hunting, wetland drainage for agriculture, and deforestation. The destruction of dry dipterocarp forest and the associated wetlands in Thailand and Vietnam during the 20th Century, lead to its extinction in those countries and the same processes continue in Cambodia.

It relies on seasonal pools, which in the past were created by the now much depleted megafauna. The species appears to be very sensitive to human disturbance, particularly during the dry season when birds are concentrated around available waterholes, and this is almost certainly the greatest threat, rendering much apparantly suitable habitat unusable.

"The Giant Ibis shuns people", continued Eames, "it is a magnificent bird, that with its evocative call, will only be saved from global extinction when more people recognise that the economic values of the dry dipterocarp forests of Cambodia extend beyond cassava plantations and poorly conceived biofuel projects."

Cambodian ibis project wins Responsible Tourism Award

Tuesday, 15 July 2008
eTravel Blackboard

An ibis project established by the Wildlife Conservation Society in Cambodia has been awarded ‘Wild Asia’s 2007 Responsible Tourism Award’, which rewards the inclusion of environmental responsibility within business strategies.

The ecotourism project, established at Tmatboey in Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary, protects the only known area where Giant and White-shouldered Ibises breed and are commonly seen.

The birds are found in the forests which surround the village, which are comprised of dipterocarp deciduous trees.

The Wild Asia awards intend to dually exemplify responsible tourism businesses, whilst encouraging others to develop Responsible Tourism business strategies.

The award program also shares the best practices of the winning organisations, in an attempt to demonstrate to tourism operators the benefits and ease of implementing responsible practices.

Cambodia is home to a variety of eco-tourism resources across many provinces, including the flooded forest, deciduous dipterocarp forests, grasslands, semi evergreen forests, freshwater wetlands and the Tonle Sap Great Lake.

Getting it right

A Cambodian bird-watching venture helps conserve the species and benefit the locals.

Saturday October 27, 2007
Stories by LEONG SIOK HUI
The Star (Malaysia)

It’s 4.30am and pitch dark as we slosh through wet and mucky trails with our headlamps lighting the way.

Loud, raucous croaks from cavorting frogs drown the pitter-patter of our footsteps. Our feet sink into soft mud as we wade through knee-deep water a couple of times.

Deb Kem Oum, the deputy committee chief of Tmatboey’s ecotourism project.

As dawn breaks, a vista of rolling grassland unfolds in front us. After an hour’s trudge, our guide suddenly stops. We tiptoe to him and voilà, about 100m away, high on a tree, we see a Giant Ibis sitting regally in her nest.

Looking through a telescope, I can see its dark plumage, naked greyish head and a long, slightly curved beak.

So what’s the fuss?

Well, the Giant Ibis is one of South-East Asia’s rarest bird species and, in the last century, the bird has rarely been spotted. Scientists say the bird became extinct in Thailand 30 years ago. The Ibis holds a near-mythical status among bird-aficionados, naturalists and conservationists.

And as bird-watcher John Howes quips: “You’re probably one of the first Malaysians to see a Giant Ibis in the last few decades.”

Ecotourism in Khmer country

I am in Cambodia’s Preah Vihear Province with Kuala Lumpur-based conservation group, Wild Asia and its team of responsible tourism assessors: Rick Gregory and Howes.

Wild Asia is here to check out the Tmatboey ecotourism project, one of the two finalists in the Community- or Family-Run Homestays category in Wild Asia’s Responsible Tourism Awards 2007.

Wildlife Conservation Society’s Ashish Joshia Ingty John.

Tmatboey is a remote village with a population of about 185 families in the Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Cambodia, an area dubbed the Northern Plains. Traditionally, the villagers lived off rice farming, fishing, forest products and wildlife poaching.

After years of civil war, Cambodia finally threw its doors open to scientists and conservationists in 2000. New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) then discovered a large remaining patch of deciduous tropical lowland forest, grassland and seasonal wetlands – home to a huge variety of water birds and large mammals – in the Northern Plains.

These forests have long disappeared from Thailand and Vietnam. To the scientists’ delight, many of South-East Asia’s rarest species like the Giant Ibis, White-Shouldered Ibis, White-Rumped Vulture (all listed as Critically Endangered under IUCN) and (Globally Threatened) species like the Eastern Sarus Crane and the White-Winged Duck thrive here.

Tmatboey was thrust into the limelight when conservationists identified it as a crucial site for the two Ibis species.

With the help of WCS Cambodia programme and Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment, a group of Tmatboey villagers launched an ecotourism project in 2004 where tourism revenue would be used to conserve the bird population.

John Howes and Sang Mony spotting a bird.

Local guides lead bird-watchers to spot the birds and villagers provide full room and board. Cambodia-based conservation group, Sam Veasna Center (SVC) for Wildlife Conservation was roped in to promote the site and train the guides.

Helping people and birds

A five-hour trundle in a 4WD through muddy potholes and flooded roads took us to Tmatboey. Until early 2007, guests stayed in a villager’s house. On our visit in early September, wooden chalets were being built on a site about 10 minutes’ stroll from the village.

A village ecotourism committee (nine members elected by the community) manages the site – they run the chalets, provide room and board, local guides and ensure tourism profits benefit the community.

“WCS’s role is to help the community develop an alternative livelihood (from ecotourism) that minimises impact on natural resources (the forests), helps the community manage their land-use efficiently (agriculture) and conserve the birds,” says Ashish Joshia Ingty John, WCS’s community conservation management advisor, who accompanied us to Tmatboey.

“We view the community not as a problem but an integral part of the solution (for conservation),” he says.

WCS works in more than 60 countries and helps governments with scientific research and long-term management of conservation areas.

If you spot the Ibises, you fork out an extra US$30 (RM101) that goes towards supporting local projects. In return, the community makes a pact not to disturb or harm the birds.

Home in Tmatboey: A typical village house.

“Prior to this ecotourism venture, if the farmers found a Giant Ibis (their size is similar to a small turkey), they would have killed it for dinner,” admits Ashish, who was previously involved with community development work in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia, for eight years. Over the years, WCS has pumped in about US$100,000 (RM337,000) into the project.

The fruits of their labour

Since 2004, tourist arrivals to Tmatboey have shot up by 35%. In 2006/07, the village committee took over the project from WCS. A total of 78 tourists visited Tmatboey last season and generated US$6,000 (RM20,000) in earnings for the villagers. Out of that, US$2,220 (RM7,500) was used for building roads and six wells (the main source of water supply for the community).

Like his fellow villagers, farmer Deb Kem Oum makes an average of US$150 (RM505)-US$200 (RM673) a year from the sale of rice, pigs, chickens and forest products (like resin-tapping). As a bird guide and the project’s deputy committee chief, Deb, 42, made US$85 (RM290) last year. The money was used for buying school supplies for his children, healthcare and food.

“Aside from the extra income, I picked up many new skills like drawing up proposals for village projects, handling the accounts and learning how to be a guide,” says Deb through our interpreter, Hout Piseth, who works for the Ministry of Environment.

“I also had to do some research to locate the birds, their nests and roosting areas and learn to identify the birds.

“Before this project, we (the villagers) didn’t know the value of wildlife and the importance of preserving them and their habitat,” adds Deb. “Now we also understand things like the impact of rubbish pollution.”

The good news is the bird population is on the increase.

“In 2002/03, there was only a pair of White-Shouldered Ibis at Tmatboey. In 2006/07, it increased to four pairs. The most recent sighting early this year indicated at least five to six pairs of these birds,” says Ashish, who’s from India.

“The Giant Ibis population has stabilised due to less poaching and destruction of their habitats,” he adds.

The challenges ahead

The whole idea of tourism, managing resources and conservation are radical concepts for the villagers. But they are taking everything in their stride, one day at a time.

“One of my main challenges is trying to juggle between farming, running the lodge and guiding the tourists,” admits Deb.

“For the villagers to think they can earn more money from tourism and to take time from their daily chores is difficult for them to conceive at this point,” chips in Ashish.

“We need more tourists to come and convince the community that it’s worth it.”

If the villagers have enough funds in 2007/08, they plan to hire a teacher to teach English.

A bright future

“We try to make the villagers feel the birds belong to them and instil a sense of pride and ownership. So even if the ecotourism venture fails, at least the birds will be protected,” says Ashish.

“Tmatboey is now a model for other communities in Cambodia. It defines a new relationship between people and wildlife that respects the rights of both and allows for mutual co-existence,” he sums up.

The writer’s trip was courtesy of Wild Asia and Malaysia Airlines.

Book a bird tour

• SAM VEASNA CENTER FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION (SVC)
• E-mail: info@samveasna.org or bookings@samveasna.org
• Website: www.samveasna.org
• A typical 4D/3N package costs US$450/RM per person, based on four pax. Price decreases with more people. Trips can be tailored-made.
• The ideal bird-watching season is during the dry season, from November to May. Giant Ibises nest from July-November, while the White-Shouldered Ibises nest from December-March.

A birder’s joy

The rare Giant Ibis found in Northern Cambodia. — ALLAN MICHAUD

Saturday October 27, 2007
By LEONG SIOK HUI
The Star (Malaysia)

For bird enthusiast John Howes, seeing the rare Giant Ibis was an out-of-this-world experience for him.

“It’s amazing!This is something I had thought about for 20 years,” says Howes, 44, an ecologist and an advisor to Wild Asia.

“It was very hard because I wanted to show some emotion, but we were about 100m away from the bird’s nest and I thought it important to respect the bird.

“Most people would have been hooting, hollering or slapping highfives,” adds Howes.

“Deep down, however, I was like: ‘Wow! This is it...it’s fantastic!”

Howes first heard about Tmatboey in 2003 when he was working on a project in Cambodia. Waves of excitement swept through the birding community when news of sightings of the bird spread.

“Up till that time, everybody thought this bird was already extinct or in such low numbers that the chances of finding them was remote,” explains Howes of Wales who has been birding for over two decades in South-East and East Asia.

Some of his Phnom Penh-based friends went to see the birds with the help of the villagers. A year later, another Critically Endangered species, the White-Shouldered Ibis, was spotted in the same area.

“This place became like a ‘pilgrimage’ for most birders I know,” adds Howes who’s been based in Malaysia for 20 years.

For over four days in Tmatboey, Howes spotted 60 bird species including eight species of woodpecker, the Rufous-Winged Buzzard, Spotted Owlet and an awesome flock of six White-Shouldered Ibises. But Howes isn’t obsessed with “ticking off the list”.

“I’m more interested in studying bird behaviour and how they relate to their environment,” says Howes.

The Tmatboey trip is Howes’ first guided bird tour. Usually, he prefers independent bird-watching trips where he can freely explore an area. Yet, he made an exception for Tmatboey.

“It’s an area where you have no trail and you could get lost. And these are unique birds where every nest is so precious and cannot be disturbed,” says Howes.

The guides’ dedication and zest impressed Howes, considering that only four years ago, the birds were considered food.

“The guides are amazing. Everyday, they were out since dawn and walked miles and miles to find the birds for us because they wanted to please their clients,” says Howes.

“They have a very intimate knowledge of the habitat and navigate easily through a pretty standard-looking forest.

“They knew the bird calls, had the right idea about how near you could get to the bird or its nest, and were able to articulate their knowledge through Mony (our English-speaking guide from SVC),” adds Howes.

“But it was more just seeing the birds — I enjoyed the whole experience; visiting the village, interacting with the locals and eating local food.”

And Howes is satisfied with the lodge’s basic facilities. The chalets come with fans and attached bathrooms. But there’s no hot shower.

“Most people I know who want to see these birds will be prepared to sleep in the open with a mosquito net,” says Howes.

“Anyone going to Tmatboey who complains about food and lodging shouldn’t be travelling in South-East Asia.”

But Howes suggests that perhaps the guides should do an introductory session for the birders before taking them out into the field.

“They can tell the groups the dos and don’ts, brief them on the trail conditions and what to bring,” says Howes.

“And it’s important to keep tabs on the area’s carrying-capacity and limit the number of visitors.

“It’s good not to swamp them with everything too soon. Give them five more years, the community will see more benefits,” says Howes optimistically.

“I think they’re already doing a great job!”