Nagaland commemorated ten years of Amur Falcon conservation today where a commemorative event was held at the Conference hall of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Forces (PCCF and HoFF ).
Kikheto Sema IAS, Commissioner & Secretary to Government of Nagaland, DEFCC in his special address stated, “A decade ago, our state took the responsibility of safeguarding one of the world’s most remarkable avian wonders – the Amur Falcon. These falcons undertake one of the longest migrations of any raptor. The extraordinary migration journey covering an astounding 22,000 kms annually and their journey, spanning from the breeding grounds in Asia to the southern reaches of Africa, includes a marathon non-stop day and night flight of over 4,000 km across the Arabian Sea, which is truly amazing.”
In 2013 much effort by the Media, Forest Department, Village Councils of Pangti, Sungro villages, Churches, Wildlife Trust of India etc declared zero hunting of Amur Falcon, Sema said, the conservation success drew attention at the national and international level and after an international team of ornithologists recorded that around one million Amur Falcons roost in the Doyang-Pangti region. Nagaland was then declared as the“Falcon Capital of the World” on November 6, 2013.
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Acknowledging the efforts made by the NGOs, Churches and the Department, Sema highlighted the NBCC resolutions in its 72th Annual Conference at Aithubung 2009 and 74th at Rotomi village 4-6th Feb 2011 where Y Nuklu Phom, a church worker was awarded Whitley Award, also known as the ‘Green Oscar’, for his efforts to create a network of community-owned forests in the state and protect the rare Amur falcon.
In conclusion, Sema exuded hope that these efforts continue to retain legacy and that Nagaland be an example of community-driven conservation and to ensure a haven for the Amur Falcon.
The program was followed by release of Report by Wildlife Institute of India on “Understanding the Amur Falcon – Their Stopover Sites in Nagaland and Their Migratory Routes for Better Conservation Planning” and release of Nagaland State Poster of State of India Bird Report.
