A practical course for the exchange and transfer of knowledge between Spain and Tunisia in the field of bird conservation took place from 30 November to 1 December 2017, at the Training and Development Center of Khlédia of the Tunisian Society Electricity and Gas (STEG). Approximately fifty participants benefited from this training and had the opportunity to discuss how to identify the best strategies to mitigate the impact of electrical infrastructures to reduce bird mortality in Tunisia.

This training workshop was jointly organized by the IUCN Mediterranean Cooperation Center and the Direction Générale des Forêts de Tunisie (DGF), with the collaboration of the Consejería de Medio Ambiente y Ordenación del Territorio de la Junta de Andalucía, the Association Les Amis des Oiseaux, the Société Tunisienne de l'Électricité et du Gaz and ENDESA.

The objective of this training was to learn to recognize the problems and impacts related to electric infrastructures on birds, as well as the methods of assessment and mitigation of their impacts on migratory birds. Several conservation and avifauna experts were invited alongside government and public service technicians and members of conservation NGOs.

This course was conducted in two sessions spread over two days. The first consisted of a theoretical session on the basic concepts of the impacts of electric infrastructures on birdlife, ranging from the identification of black spots of mortality by power lines to the collection and monitoring of scientific data. Followed by a second practical session on the characterization and identification of the different types of electric pylons in the field within the Khlédia Training and Development Center of the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company.

Participants had the opportunity to know the recommendations provided by trainers with international expertise in the field and to put their knowledge into practice.

This workshop is part of an initiative promoted by the IUCN Center for Mediterranean Cooperation to reduce the threat of mortality of raptor populations by electrocution or collision with energy infrastructure in North Africa in collaboration with governments and electricity companies, and with the support of the Ministry of Environment and Territorial Planning of the Government of Andalusia and the Mava Foundation.

For more information: Violeta Barrios

Photo: © Hichem Azafzaf | Workshop participants.