Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - February 2022

Caribbean
ECO-News
Illegal Bird Trafficking in Cuba Escalates
Tahira Carter reports: BirdsCaribbean is concerned
at the drastic increase in the capture and trafficking of
wild birds in Cuba over the past two years, and is
urging the Cuban Government to enforce laws put in
place to curb the practice.
The economic strain brought on by the Covid-19
The colorful Painted Bunting is one of the most popular
migratory songbirds captured by trappers
for the bird trade.
pandemic has spurred a return to the centuries-old
tradition of trapping and selling birds as a way to
make a living — and it has reached unprecedented
levels, putting already declining populations of birds
at risk. These birds are sold on social media platforms,
in particular Facebook and WhatsApp.
The November issue of Cuban Birder includes a list
of 36 Facebook groups that are openly selling wild
birds. BirdsCaribbean recorded daily catches from
images shared by trappers in just one of these groups
(with 46,000 members). Our data showed that 3,270
birds from 28 different species were captured during
the month of October 2021 alone.
BirdsCaribbean Executive Director, Dr. Lisa
Sorenson, commented, “It is sobering and worrying
that so many birds were removed from the wild in the
space of one month. When you consider all the
Facebook groups dedicated to the trafficking of birds,
paired with sales made via alternative social networks,
such as Whatsapp, the dire extent of the situation
becomes clear — bird captures likely add up to tens of
thousands of birds each season.”
The ease of selling wild birds online provides an
opportunity for residents to substantially boost their
income. Many sales of captured birds are local, but
international demand has also increased. The capture
and sale of these birds has become a part of the
international wildlife trade, which often has links to
organized crime.
The Cuban archipelago is a critical area for migratory
species, many of which are already in decline in their
breeding territories in North America. Some use Cuba
HEMANT KISHAN
as a stopover to rest and refuel during their long
migrations to countries in Central and South America;
others spend many months wintering in Cuba. The
tired, hungry birds arrive in large flocks on the coast,
giving trappers the opportunity to catch thousands.
Many birds die in the process.
Migratory birds account for approximately 70 percent
of the bird population in Cuba, with some species
spending at least half of each year on the island. The
brightly colored Painted Bunting, Indigo Bunting and
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak are among the most targeted
birds for capture. Many targeted species are on the US
Fish and Wildlife Service Birds of Conservation
Concern 2020 List. Endemic bird species are also
targeted by trappers.
The increase in trapping comes at a time when the
survival of Caribbean birds is in jeopardy. Wild bird
populations have been severely impacted by climate
change and resulting extreme weather events, as well
as habitat loss due to development.
BirdsCaribbean expresses its deep appreciation to
dedicated Cuban ornithologists and conservationists
who continue to work on this issue through education
and outreach initiatives. It is vital to build on their
valuable work through an expanded national
environmental education campaign in schools,
communities, and national media.
It is also vital to invest in alternative and sustainable
ways for Cuban citizens to make a living, providing
incentives to protect wildlife instead of destroying it.
Community-based tourism, including bird and nature
guides, as well as citizen science monitoring programs
such as eBird, could be expanded. Cuba has reopened
to tourism and its population is now approximately 87
percent vaccinated. As tourists return, community
tourism including eco-tourism and nature guiding
could be expanded as alternative livelihoods, catering
to an increasingly environmentally conscious tourism
market –- benefiting all involved.
Visit www.birdscaribbean.org for more information.
Cuban Scientists Complete Expedition
to Study Coral Reefs
Obtaining accurate measurements of coral health is
critical in a time of increasing impacts of human
development and climate change.
In December, a team of marine biologists from the
University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research and
Center for Coastal Ecosystems Research undertook a
two-week expedition to Jardines de la Reina National
Park, the largest marine protected area in the
Caribbean, to establish a baseline of coral reef health
in advance of major restoration efforts.
The expedition was originally planned for August,
2020, to coincide with the spawning event of elkhorn
coral, but was postponed several times due to the
Covid-19 pandemic.
Corals are extremely susceptible to climate change,
as disease outbreaks tend to thrive in warmer
waters. Coral bleaching is directly attributable to
warmer waters.
During the expedition, scientists assessed the health
status of 29,000 corals. In addition, Noel Lopez, a
world-renowned underwater photographer and diver
for the Avalon-Azulmar Dive Center — which manages
scuba tourism activities at Jardines de la Reina —
took 5,000 photos and videos of corals and associated
biodiversity. These will be critical in determining
changes over time.
The baseline of coral reef health documented on this
expedition will inform major restoration efforts in 2022
as part of a grant from the Caribbean Biodiversity
Fund (CBF) Ecological based Adaptation Program. The
CBF grant is critical in supporting multiyear efforts,
such as this one, that involve sharing coral restoration
lessons learned with Caribbean nations.
In Bayahibe, Dominican Republic, a major
international workshop is planned for February 7th
through 11th. This will bring together Cuban and
Dominican coral scientists to chart a course forward in
implementing large-scale, sexually fused coral
enhancement. FUNDEMAR, the Dominican Foundation
for Marine Studies, and SECORE International will
host the workshop.
Repeat expeditions in Jardines de la Reina will take
place soon after the workshop, and again in August.
Biologists will collect coral spawn to fuse and use for
replanting at Jardines de la Reina. Jardines de la
Reina was recently named one of Marine Conservation
Institute’s Blue Parks, joining 20 prestigious marine
parks around the world. The Blue Park designation
effort is led by Wildlife Conservation Society,
Environmental Defense, TOF, and a number of Cuban
agencies.
The Ocean Foundation and the University of
Havana have collaborated since 1999 to study and
protect marine habitats on both sides of the Florida
Straits. Research expeditions such as this are not
only making new discoveries, but also providing
hands-on experience for Cuba’s next generation of
marine scientists.
Read the full story at
oceanfdn.org/cuban-scientists-study-coral-reefs.
New Coloring Book Highlights Animals
of St. Martin
The Les Fruits de Mer association has published a
new bilingual (French and English) coloring book,
Animals Around Me, which showcases 44 animals that
live on St. Martin. The book is also a nature journal,
where kids can record their own observations and
make their own drawings of animals.
“It is never too early to learn about St. Martin’s
Animals Around Me is a new coloring book
and nature journal featuring St. Martin wildlife.
FEBRUARY 2022 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 9
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
amazing wildlife,” said author Mark Yokoyama. “Some
of our most common animals are ones that live only
here on this island, and nowhere else in the world. We
made this book to share these incredible animals, and
their stories, with younger kids.”
The book spotlights birds, insects, reptiles and more.
For each species, there is an illustrated coloring page
with a short description of the animal. There’s also a
space to take notes on any sightings of the animal, and
a place to do a drawing of it. There is also a visual
guide on the back cover with color photos of each
animal. These features encourage kids to observe
these animals in the wild.
The book is available as a free download from
http://lesfruitsdemer.com. It book is also available
on amazon.com worldwide.
Free Lesser Antilles Marine Mammals Poster
Speaking of great free resources, you can download
a free printable poster of all the marine mammals of
the Lesser Antilles at
www.car-spaw-rac.org/IMG/pdf/plaquette_cetaces_agoa.pdf
Left: The baseline of coral reef health documented on this
Cuban expedition will inform major restoration efforts.