SAVING FROM THE BRINK

Oman is a habitat to a large number of wild plant and animal species, many of which are unique to this region. The country is also rich with coastal mangroves and wetlands. It also serves as an important stop-over for migratory birds. Despite efforts by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs to promote the environmental situation, unfortunately many of these species are increasingly in danger. Hunting and trapping of large mammal species has resulted in very low population levels. Oil spills are a threat to the entire coastline, and vehicles cause damage to bird and turtle nesting sites.

The Sultanate deployed many efforts for the protection of threatened fauna, as it implemented protection programmes and declared many sites as reserves for many of the species. In the early seventies, the Sultanate launched the Arabian Oryx preservation project, through which it was able to reintroduce the Arabian Oryx species into the Omani environment following the extinction of the wild Oryx at that time. It also issued the national Red Lists for endangered species, and established several governmental authorities and research centres for the implementation of strategies and projects related to the continuous preservation of endangered species.

SUPERVISION

According to a report prepared under the supervision of the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning, the plant group comprises more than 1,407 documented plant species, of which 110 species have been assessed as endangered species within the national red list. There are 509 marine plant species, 766 invertebrate and 988 vertebrates marine species, including 13 species threatened with extinction at a global level. Out of the 93 species of mammals, 20 species are threatened with extinction at a global level, most notably the Arabian Tiger, Arabian Oryx, and Arabian Tahr.

The report — First Voluntary National Review of the Sultanate of Oman 2019 — expects that the lists of species will increase with more surveys and studies carried out by various scientific and research institutions in the Sultanate. A natural reserve currently known as the Wildlife Reserve was specifically established for this purpose. Another reserve protecting living creatures and wildlife is Al Wusta Wetlands Reserve. In 1997, the first project for the protection of the Arabian Leopard was established, the first effective protection measures took place with the declaration of these animals’ living area, known as Jabal Samhan Nature Reserve as a natural reserve.

Since 2007, the Sultanate launched the Sooty Falcon study project and installed satellite tracking devices on the chicks of these predatory vultures with the support of local institutions and international cooperation with Austria’s BirdLife International and The Peregrine Fund in the Republic of Madagascar. The Sooty Falcon migration route that starts in Oman and ends in the African Island of Madagascar was tracked. “This was the first-ever practical study for tracking juvenile Sooty Falcons, take stock of their migration route and the most prominent obstacles and challenges these vultures face”, says the report.

From 2013 to 2016, the Sultanate implemented a systemic biological and geographical study project related to the Sultanate’s reptiles. The study revealed an unprecedented diversity in Oman’s terrestrial reptiles. Twenty-four new reptile species were discovered, out of which 14 are currently populating the Sultanate. The study project resulted in the documentation of more than 101 terrestrial reptiles in Oman, representing 50 per cent of the total reptile species population in the Arabian Peninsula.

A number of sea turtles also nest on Omani shores, including the Loggerhead Turtle, the Green Sea Turtle, the Hawksbill Turtle and the Olive Ridley Turtle, all of which are endangered species. “Therefore, the responsibility to preserve those turtles and nesting areas was a priority in the governmental programmes conducted with the participation of different researches and education, in addition to civil society and private sector institutions”, adds the report.