Over 181,000 invasive birds eliminated in Dhofar

SALALAH: The national campaign for combating invasive birds in Dhofar Governorate, launched in December 2022, has resulted in the elimination of 181,582 birds of the Myna and Indian Crow species across the governorate. A decline in the number of invasive birds has also been recorded in several vital locations due to efforts aimed at protecting biodiversity and curbing the spread of invasive birds.

This was announced during the first meeting of the Dhofar Governorate’s Sub-Committee for Combating Invasive Birds, held on Tuesday at the Directorate- General of Environment in Dhofar Governorate. The meeting reviewed the campaign’s progress and the results achieved so far.

The meeting included a presentation on the number of invasive birds eliminated across the governorate along with indicators of their declining population in several vital locations.

The meeting also discussed the effectiveness of the adopted capture and elimination methods and explored ways to develop new tools and traps to achieve faster and more sustainable results.

The committee stressed the importance of integrated efforts between the Directorate- General of Environment and relevant governmental and private entities, along with strengthening community participation to support control efforts.

Through its periodic meetings, the committee seeks to protect the unique biodiversity of Dhofar Governorate, preserve the ecosystem, and mitigate the economic and health damage caused by invasive birds to agricultural crops and local wildlife.

The committee approved several recommendations and plans for the next phase, focusing on intensifying field monitoring in the most affected areas and increasing the frequency of awareness campaigns for citizens and residents to support control efforts.