Conserving the great bustard (Otis tarda) in Morocco.
The great bustard (Otis tarda) is a vulnerable bird on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Moroccan population is extremely small and in decline, surviving largely at two nesting sites (leks) with forty to fifty birds. The population’s future prospects are not encouraging due to a number of threats, including poaching and poisoning by agricultural pesticides. Following an initial species monitoring study as part of PPI-OSCAN 2 between 2018 and 2021, the association Nature Solutions has highlighted the urgent need to implement the 2016–2025 strategy and action plan for great bustard conservation in Morocco, as devised by IUCN-Med and the Haut-Commissariat aux Eaux and Forêts et à la Lutte Contre la Désertification (HCEFLCD) in 2016.
The project proposed by Nature Solutions aims to increase the tracking of the great bustard population and provide protection against threats to its last remaining habitat in Morocco and Africa, following the national safeguard strategy’s recommendations. The association will facilitate cooperation between Mediterranean institutions, organizations and experts for regional monitoring and conservation of the species. It will also work with hunters and farmers to develop joint solutions to the threats of poaching and poisoning.
Project budget: €9,988
Contact: a.nature.solutions@gmail.com
This project is being implemented and financed as part of the TransCap programme coordinated by the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med) and financed by the General Directorate of Cooperation of the Balearic Islands. The TransCap programme aims to consolidate the role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) amidst the current challenges posed by environmental conservation and sustainable development in Morocco’s and Tunisia’s Mediterranean communities.
