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African Traditional Herbal Research ClinicVolume 8, Issue 6 NEWSLETTER July 2013FEATURED ARTICLESUproar over Killing of Rare BirdsBy Flavia LanyeroDaily Monitor, July 25, 2013Quelea birds fly over a rice field recently at the KibimbaRice Scheme in Bugiri District. PHOTO BY DAVIDAWORIIn SummaryMinistry of Tourism officials say the decision toindiscriminately spray the quelea birds with poisonhas negative impacts on both the environment andtourism.KampalaWhen the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industryand Fisheries was on Monday faced with thechallenge of quelea birds eating rice at Kibimba RiceScheme, their immediate remedy was to kill them byspraying.This has spurred fury among bird lovers andconservationists who say this was not only a breach ofwildlife laws, but also endangering to other animalspecies not targeted by the spraying.In an interview with the Daily Monitor, the actingpublic relations officer, ministry of Tourism, Wildlifeand Antiquities, Mr Akankwasah Barirega, said theministry is worried that other non-target species,especially pollinators like bees and butterflies, couldhave ended up dying which could pose a threat tofuture food production.“While we agree with the need to control the birdsfrom destroying crops and causing losses tofarmers, the unilateral action taken toindiscriminately spray poison without dueconsultation and or conducting any environmentalimpact assessment is not only in breach of theNational Environment Act Cap 153, but also hasserious ramifications for environment, tourism andhence national economy,” Mr Barirega said.1.8 Million KilledThe Ministry of Agriculture in partnership withthe Desert Locust Control Organisation of EastAfrica on Monday carried out a pest controlexercise at Kibimba Rice Sheme in Bugiri District,spraying dead about 1.8 million quelea birds thatwere destroying an estimated 15 tonnes of rice aday.Section 15 of the Uganda Wildlife Act, Cap 200requires an environmental impact assessment forany activity likely to have significant impact onany wildlife species or community, and section 96of the National Environment Act criminalisesconducting such activities like aerial spray orintroducing new pesticides without conducting anenvironment impact assessment.The Ministry of Agriculture did not, however,conduct an environmental Impact assessmentbefore carrying out the aerial spray. Mr StephenByantwale, the Principal Agriculture Inspector inthe Ministry of Agriculture, said the exercise wasaimed at controlling more than 2 million queleabirds that had migrated into the county and werecausing destruction.Mr Acheles Byaruhanga, the executive director ofNature Uganda and a bird’s researcher, said theoption of killing birds is an indication of poorplanning on the side of the Ministry of Agricultureand that it does not solve the problem.Continued on page 6464-- Traditional African Clinic July 2013