Pleas for bird safety at ornithology masters launch

The head of the Wetlands division of Senegal’s Department of National Parks has proposed setting up a working agreement with the University Gaston Berger, which has just introduced the first masters course in ornithological conservation and development in Africa.

Captain Abdou Salam Kane was speaking on the theme of ‘bird-friendly energy’ at the launch of the course on World Migratory Bird Day, reported Agence de Presse Sénégalaise, or APS.

He said the new masters opened prospects for research: “The organisations which manage the classified heritage sites will have the opportunity to provide themselves with qualified personnel. And the production of knowledge will also be increased,” said Kane.

He said that Africa needed energy for development and had projects using sun, electricity and wind, but “these facilities constitute real dangers for the migration of birds”.

Societies should take account of birds’ movements by setting up projects and studies on their potential impact, he said.

The University Gaston Berger masters degree in ornithological conservation and development is unique in Africa, and the only one in the world to be located on birds’ flight paths, reported APS.

The university is situated in Saint-Louis, on the north-west Atlantic coast of Senegal near the mouth of the Senegal river.

* This article is drawn from local media. University World News cannot vouch for the accuracy of the original reports.