Pelicans under threat at Lake Ngami - report

BONIFACE KEAKABETSE
CORRESPONDENT

 

MAUN: Birds Botswana is calling on the government to declare Lake Ngami a bird sanctuary. The call is made in a report compiled by Pete Hancock of Birds Botswana, which says there is a threat to the breeding of birds in the resurgent Lake Ngami, due to destruction of their breeding nests by commercial fishermen at the lake.

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The report states that some pelicans have abandoned their nests with un-hatched eggs, due to the disturbance of their breeding by fishermen and boaters from Maun.  It reveals that the pelicans build floating vegetation breeding nests on the lake, which have been destroyed, forcing them to abandon breeding.

According to Birds Botswana, approximately more than 5,000 protected pelicans are resident on the lake. The report says the pelicans consume approximately five tons of fish per day. It says one of the requirements of suitable breeding sites for pelicans is that it must have a lot of fish.

However, some of these birds, like the great white pelican, are ground nesters and breed on improvised floating nests.

It brings to attention the fact that pelican's incubation takes approximately 30-84 days and the nests therefore need protection from disturbance and mammalian predators.

Lake Ngami is said to be one of the only five sites in the whole of southern Africa meeting all the requisites of a birds breeding site.

In Botswana, the other is Sua Pan, which is part of the greater Makgadikgadi Pans but the site does not have the same amount of fish as Lake Ngami, which forces the birds to fly as far as the Okavango Delta in search of fish.

Lake Ngami, which started flooding recently after years of dryness, has transformed into a lucrative commercial fishing hub.

Swarms of fishermen travel from all corners of Botswana to engage in a thriving commercial fishing business that generates thousands of Pula per week.

Among the community fishing the lake waters include poverty stricken women and refugees from the Dukwi camp.

The report also calls for the declaration of Lake Ngami to be a protected birds breeding sanctuary where commercial fishing should be undertaken in a controlled manner.

It further calls for funding for the preparation of a management plan of the lake, to ensure a rational protection of the resources, for conservation and birds viewing tourism.

Mmegi online: 16/08/2012