Press Releases

The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society is hosting the Gibraltar Cave and Climate Science Field Workshop which is running from 7th to 14th February. The workshop brings together scientists from the UK, France and Germany who are working with Prof Dave Mattey (Royal Holloway University of London) and the GONHS Cave Science Unit on a major international research programme directed at creating a new climate record for the western Mediterranean.

Speleothem (cave deposits such as stalagmites) grow as a result of rainfall and record climate variations that extend back over 500,000 years or more. The project, funded through Royal Holloway by the Natural Environment Research Council, builds on previous work carried out by the Cave Science Unit and Royal Holloway where the relationships between weather patterns and speleothem growth in St Michael's caves are now well understood.

The new project extends the monitoring programme to the Ragged Staff cave system and applies cutting edge dating and chemical analyses to construct detailed climate patterns that will provide vital information on past and future rainfall patterns in SW Europe.

GONHS pleased with New Flame outcome

The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) has welcome the final outcome of the New Flame matter.

GONHS has worked with the Government at all stages related to this issue, and fully supports the way the matter has been handled. While regretting the accident when it occurred, and supporting measures to avert this type of incident in the future, it is pleased with the prompt manner in which the wreck was made environmentally safe.

GONHS itself was of the opinion that the remaining wreckage, once made safe for shipping, should remain on the seabed, as removing it would cause more damage, considering also that it is already colonised by a rich diversity of marine life.

It is pleased that the marine consultants, Polaris, were also of this opinion.

The granting of £5.5 million in compensation is a significant achievement in itself, and GONHS looks forward to seeing it being used in enhancing Gibraltar’s natural environment.

EU statement on SCI dispute is "ridiculous" and does not aid conservation

The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) has described as “ridiculous” the statement by Stavros Dimas, the European Union’s environment commissioner in response to Gibraltar MEP Graham Watsons’s question. The response shows an incredible naivity on the part of such an experienced commissioner and a total lack of understanding of the situation in and around Gibraltar.

Apart from the legal aspects, and the implication in the statement that Spain has a legitimate claim to our waters, which GONHS is certain the Government will pursue, the suggestion that a joint management scheme will serve conservation is totally unrealistic. While there would be nothing wrong with exchanges of information and collaboration in developing protection strategies in the region as a whole – as proposed under the tripartite forum, and as is common practice in friendly neighbouring countries, which have adjacent protected areas – this is a totally different proposition.

And there are other complications. For example, there are parts of Gibraltar’s waters that Gibraltar and the UK have chosen NOT to designate. Would these now have to be managed as if they were just because Spain, without consulting anyone has decided to do so? Turning the argument around, how would Spain feel about Gibraltar policing those parts of their SCI outside Gibraltar waters, such as the area of Algeciras or Tarifa? Surely that would be part of a fully integrated management scheme?

The Spanish designation has meant an increase in tension and conflict, not the reverse, and the insistence on joint management is tantamount to ensuring that no agreement is ever reached and the marine environment does not get protected by anyone as the political wrangle worsens.

Taken further, as Gibraltar itself is claimed by Spain, would that in Mr Dimas’s judgement, justify Spain declaring a Site of Community Interest (SCI) on the Upper Rock which the EU would then suggest be jointly administered with Spain? How would Mr Dimas distinguish between the two using his arguments, and without entering the political debate, which he so painstakingly but unsuccessfully claims he wants to avoid?

The Gibraltar Government should now respond by an aggressive policing of all environmental matters in our waters, and initiatives to improve its conservation status to show to Europe that we can look after our waters and that we can do so on our own. The settlement in respect of the New Flame should provide finance for such an initiative, which GONHS would wholeheartedly support.

GONHS regrets power station decision and calls for energy re-think

GONHS (The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History) has expressed regret at the Development and Planning Commission’s (DPC) decision to grant the proposed power station an EIA certificate.

GONHS feels that its comments on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) have not been properly addressed and that too many matters to do with the negative impact on wildlife, which the EIA itself acknowledges, are left in the air. While overall the original EIA appears thorough, it fails on certain key aspects. Not enough regard is given either to the massive impact the power station will have on the scenic nature of the south of Gibraltar, nor on measures that will compensate for, or mitigate the many ecological and landscape issues that will arise. This includes the potential decrease of the Barbary Partridge population at a time when GONHS observers are noticing a worrying decline in numbers. An independent assessment of the EIA, while scoring it highly overall, coincides with the GONHS points on landscape and ecology.

Despite negative impacts having been forecast by both the EIA and independent organisations, the DPC has decided to grant the EIA certificate before any mitigation or compensatory measures have been formally proposed.

Regardless of the EIA, GONHS also continues to insist that the whole question of power generation for Gibraltar requires more vision GONHS welcomes the fact that the new power station will mean an end to pollution in areas where there are power stations now. However, hedging Gibraltar’s bets on a power station that will burn fossil fuel will trap Gibraltar in the past when we have had the ideal opportunity to become forward looking leaders in energy production. A new power station should at best have been viewed as an interim measure whilst greener technology that is suitable for Gibraltar, such as renewable hydropower, develops. Rather, it is being viewed as a permanent measure, with higher rates of consumption of fossil fuel forecast for the future.

Not enough importance has been given to the need to reduce carbon emissions and to take real steps to reduce energy consumption in Gibraltar. There is a need for aggressive initiatives to reduce public consumption, and to give incentives to encourage private reduction in use of energy.

It is vitally important also that during construction and future operation, top priority be given to protecting the ecology of the area. It is now imperative – and required by European law – to provide a wide range of mitigation and compensation measures to reduce the impact, in as much as that will be possible. GONHS is aware that steps are being taken by Government to achieve this, but as an organisation has not been involved in the consultation process.

GONHS acknowledges having been able to put its points across to the Government, which it has not succeeded in convincing, and accepts that its officials for the most part feel that the current proposals are the best way forward. But it has to be assumed that once the power station is built it will be here for decades, with the environmental deterioration of the South District continuing for generations. And generations will regret the decision. Gibraltar is sealing its options and will be anchored firmly in the past at a time when fuel costs will spiral and stocks run out.

GONHS therefore makes a new appeal to Government to reconsider its plans and tackle the energy problem in an entirely new and different way.

One of the most serious concerns that GONHS has regarding this decision, however, is in fact a more general one about planning in Gibraltar. This is that there is no quantitative mechanism in place with which the DPC assesses EIAs. There appear to be no fixed criteria that EIAs have to meet, no boxes to tick. Therefore, acceptance or rejection of an EIA is left entirely at individual DPC members' discretion, regardless of the quality of the EIA or the impacts the proposed developments are likely to have on the environment. The DPC's meetings are still not public nor its minutes published, despite manifesto commitments by Government to the contrary.

Governor visits birds of prey

His Excellency the Governor, Sir Adrian Johns, and Lady Johns, today visited the Bird of Prey Rehabilitation Unit run by the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS).

Sir Adrian and Lady Johns were able to see examples of the work of the Unit in recuperating and rehabilitating birds of prey as well as in captive breeding and release and other conservation work.

The Governor and Lady Johns being shown the birds by Vincent Robba and Stanley Olivero of GONHS.

Also present are Dr John Cortes, GONHS General Secretary, and Timothy Cumming, ADC.

To coincide with the screening this week, through the efforts of the Environmental Safety Group, of the feature film “The End of the Line”, the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society, in supporting the initiative, wishes to remind the public that the problems connected to overfishing are very relevant to Gibraltar and its waters.

Not only are Gibraltar’s inshore waters an important shelter and nursery for the fish stocks of the area, but its offshore waters – right up to its territorial limits and beyond – are important for migratory fish. Their protection, within the Gibraltar Site of Community Interest, and under the Nature Protection Act, which applies to all our waters, is vital. Gibraltar was crucial several years ago in stopping the transshipment of tuna and other large fish in Gibraltar’s port intended for Algeciras, and must remain vigilant against this sort of clandestine activity.

Moreover, the public should be aware of the dangers facing species of fish, including sharks, tuna and swordfish, and should therefore demand from shops, fishmongers, bars and restaurants, that their fish are obtained from sustainable sources. swordfish have become of particular concern recently, with stricter restrictions imposed at a European level, in particular on the capture of juvenile fish. Despite the popularity of this species as a dish, GONHS calls on the public, and suppliers, to reduce consumption and at least to ensure that no juvenile fish are reaching our markets, shops or tables. GONHS wishes to take this opportunity to remind the public of other threats to our marine environment, including pollution, illegal exploitation of seashore species such as anemones and limpets for the Spanish market, uncontrolled diving and illegal use of spear-guns, and excess fishing from shore by Spanish nationals who leave discarded tackle and litter in such areas of natural beauty as Europa Foreshore.

The groups welcome the agreements arrived at by the Forum on environmental issues

The following organisations: AGADEN (Asociacion Gaditana de Defensa y Estudio de la Naturaleza), ESG (Environmental Safety Group), GONHS (Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society), Greenpeace and Verdemar-Ecologistas en Accion, have sent a letter to the Tripartite Forum, asking that the agreements made by the forum on environmental matters are translated into an executable plan of action that will specify the measures that will be taken and when these will come into effect.

The letter is addressed to Foreign Ministers Miguel Angel Moratinos and David Milliband, from Spain and the UK, as well as to the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana, and welcomes the positive declarations made on the environment. However the groups urge for action from the governments to ensure that the bay and citizens who live within it, are better protected from the excessive pollution levels in the area.

The environmental groups from both sides of the border would like to contribute further to this process. “We have been campaigning for decades for the proper and full protection of the natural environment of our region and for a solution to the problems of pollution in the Bay area. For almost as long we have been engaging with other groups in the area. Collectively we see the Tripartite Forum as an ideal tool to achieve our aims. Development and industry in the area are currently unsustainable and we need to achieve a sensible balance” said a GONHS spokesman.

In October 2008, environmental groups from Gibraltar and the Campo area submitted a dossier to the technical team meeting in Gibraltar to prepare for the ministerial meeting.

In June 2009, just ahead of the Tripartite Forum Meeting in Gibraltar, cross border environmental groups submitted a document called “Crisis ambiental de salud en la bahia de Algeciras/bahia de Gibraltar”. The paper contained various demands and solutions, of which several were included in the declaration made to the media by the forum on the 21st July to be among those tackled by them.

Dr John Cortes, General Secretary of the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) is currently attending a meeting of the heads of all of Europe’s major bird conservation organizations, the European Partnership Directors’ Meeting of BirdLife International, currently taking place in Malta.

The meeting aims at developing the policy of this, the major international nature conservation organisation, over the coming years, taking into account the challenges facing nature conservation at this time. Among the subjects being discussed are next year’s activities to mark the International Year of Biodiversity, campaigns to promote knowledge of and protection of migratory birds such as the “Born to Travel” and “Spring Alive” campaigns, and the development of the BirdLife programme and ways of working.

GONHS has been a Partner of BirdLife International and its precursor, the International Council for Bird Preservation for 30 years. In Europe alone, the BirdLife Partnership consists of 42 organisations, with 3000 staff, 1.9 million members, managing 6000 nature reserves, covering 73,000 square kilometres. GONHS hosted the European Partnership meeting in Gibraltar in 2000. This year’s event is hosted by the Ornithological Society of Malta, and is being held in the resort of Mellieha in the north of Malta.

Active members of GONHS' Invertebrate Section Rhian Guillem & Dr Keith Bensusan attended the annual conference of the 'Asociación Ibérica de Mirmecología' during the first week of October ('Mymecology' is the study of ants). The association brings together professional scientists and people who work on ants at an amateur level, aiming to pool resources and experiences to increase knowledge of Iberia's very rich ant fauna. During the conference, Rhian gave a presentation on her work in Gibraltar entitled 'An Account of the Mymecofauna of Gibraltar'. Her talk introduced delegates to the ants of this small corner of the Iberian Peninsula and discussed the diversity and composition of the Rock's ants, relating these to ecological and biogeographic factors. The presentation was very well received and, in particular, delegates were impressed with the richness of Gibraltar's ant fauna. 44 species of ants are known from Gibraltar presently, including some very special species. Although a small number may invade homes as pests, most ants in Gibraltar have strictly wild habits, and some are very rare even on a global scale.

BirdLife organisations across the continent announce Europe’s largest bird watching event.

The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS), is inviting everyone to join EuroBirdwatch (1) on 3 October, organised annually by BirdLife International (2) and its national Partners. This year special attention is asked for the protection of migratory birds, which are declining rapidly.

The Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS), has organised a number of local events centred around the Alameda Gardens on Saturday 3rd October.

From 8am until midday, Ray Marsh will be on the patio above the Nature Shop demonstrating how birds caught in mist nets, are ringed, measured and weighed and of course released. This activity brings participants, particularly children, close to birds and are often given the opportunity to release them. From around 11am, the Raptor Rehabilitation Unit, led by Vincent Robba will be setting up a bird of prey display. The eagles, hawks and falcons always prove a big draw and visitors will find this a great photo opportunity and can learn about Gibraltar's raptors from Vincent and the team.

This year, for the first time, Gibraltar Arts & Crafts will be holding The Big Draw among the birds, flowers and indeed visitors to EuroBirdwatch.

From 3pm, GONHS will also host an Open Day at the Europa Point Marine Observatory, from which visitors can observe seabirds and perhaps cetaceans. Experienced birders will also be on hand to answer any birding questions and provide advice.

In more than 30 European countries there will be events, ranging from bird watching excursions to ringing demonstrations. Most countries will also have special posts set up to count birds that fly overhead. The results of the counts will be collected by BirdLife in the Netherlands, and will be published all over Europe afterwards. Every year more and more people attend EuroBirdwatch events. Last year the event drew 30.000 adults and children from over 30 countries, and a total of 2.2 million birds were counted. The popularity of birds is clearly growing, but so is the urgency of their conservation.

EuroBirdwatch this year also promotes the Born to Travel Campaign (3), to save migratory birds that travel between Europe and Africa. On their annual journeys migratory birds depends on a range habitats, and the threats are therefore numerous. For example, intensive agriculture in Europe, deforestation in Africa and illegal hunting in the Mediterranean all decrease their chances of survival. [Quote Partner e.g. about inspiring people to protect their environment)

To find out how you can join EuroBirdwatch you can contact the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS)

(1)   EuroBirdwatch (formerly known as the European Birdwatch) is an annual event organised by BirdLife International, comprising hundreds of nationally-organised activities all over Europe. EuroBirdwatch is part of World Birdwatch – a global initiative established over 10 years ago. The goal was to encourage as many people as possible to go birdwatching over one weekend, and to record sightings of as many as possible of the world’s 10,000 bird species.

(2)   BirdLife International is a global alliance of nature conservation organisations working in more than 100 countries and territories. BirdLife is the leading authority on the status of birds, their habitats and the problems affecting them, and is working on a wide range of environmental issues. For more information about the work of the BirdLife European Division: http://europe.birdlife.org

(3)   The Born to Travel Campaign is BirdLife’s international initiative to raise awareness on the urgency to protect migratory birds and their flyways. The campaign was launched in March 2009 and will run until 2012. It is organized by BirdLife Partners across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) has announced that this year's European Bat Night will be held at the Open Air Theatre, Alameda Botanic Gardens on Saturday 12th September.

This event, co-ordinated by EUROBATS http://www.eurobats.org, takes place every year in more than 30 countries. Nature conservation agencies and NGOs from across Europe pass on information to the public about the way bats live and their needs with presentations, exhibitions and bat walks, often offering the opportunity to listen to bat sounds with the support of ultrasound technology. The general date is set for the last weekend in August; however, local organisers sometimes choose other dates if more convenient.

In Gibraltar, GONHS will be using a bat detector through which electronic interpretations of the echolocation calls of passing bats can be heard. There is usually an informal Q&A which is as useful for the organisers as it is for participants.

This event is open to the public and starts at 8pm and will go on until around 10pm.

Contact person is Albert Yome. Attendance need not be confirmed. As this event is within the Botanic Gardens please remember that dogs are not allowed.

Please help to promote this event by printing copies of the POSTER and place these where they can be seen by members of the public, schoolchildren, etc. Please ask owner's permission first and do not place on lampposts, walls, etc.

Satellite TV Channel Animal Planet has started the screening of a new documentary series called “The Animals’ Guide to Survival”. The series deals with the dangers faced by animal species, communities and habitats, by global change, in particular climate change and the effects of human activity.

One of the episodes, entitled “Mangroves and Marshes”, deals with the impact of climate change, and the resultant rise in sea levels, on wetland habitats and species. One of the sites covered in the programme is western Europe’s prime wetland site, the Coto Doñana, in south-western Andalucia. Gibraltarian naturalist, GONHS General Secretary John Cortes introduces this part of the programme highlighting the changes the area has undergone since he first started visiting Donana over a quarter of a century ago.

He has also worked in wetlands in Morocco, was consulted on the general content of the programme, and was one of a handful of scientists who contributed to this latest series produced by the Discover Channel network.

This is not the first timje that GONHS has been involved with Animal Planet. Another recent wildlife programme on the channel dealt with the Barbary macques in Gibraltar, and featured GONHS’s Eric Shaw.

An initiative spearheaded by the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, a direct result of the Society's GIBMANATUR, the Gibraltar-Morocco INTERREG programme which GONHS ran with the Rabat Scientific Institiue between 2003 and December 2008, has received considerable coverage in botanical magazines. Dr Keith Bensusan of the Gardens' Research and Collections division is coordinating an effort to database information on Moroccan succulent plants that are kept in the collections of Botanic Gardens and prominent private collectors.

Many habitats in Morocco are under threat due to degradation. The arid habitats of the country include an interesting variety of succulent plants, including some species that are endemic (i.e., found only in) Morocco. Management of plants kept in collections is important when these are rare in the wild and their native habitats are threatened. The Alameda specialises in succulent plants. Furthermore, researchers at the Gardens have excellent links with academic institutions in Morocco, developed as a result of their collaboration within the recently-completed Interreg IIIA Gibraltar-Morocco Programme run by the Society and the Scientific Institute of the University of Rabat-Agdal. It is therefore ideally placed to coordinate an effort to manage Moroccan plants and encourage research and conservation in one of our neighbouring countries.

to establish a network of institutions and private collectors who keep collections of Moroccan succulents.

to manage populations in cultivation so that genetic diversity and rigour is maintained

to encourage publication of information relevant to the ecology, biogeography, evolution and conservation of Moroccan succulents

to encourage liaison with Moroccan scientific institutions to promote research and conservation of Moroccan succulents in situ.

'El Botánico', the magazine of the Asociación Ibero-Macaronésica de Jardines Botánicos (of which the Alameda is a member) includes an article on the initiative, inviting other Botanic Gardens which hold succulent plants from Morocco to join the network. A similar advertisement is included in the latest issue of the journal of the International Asclepiad Society. Morocco hosts a range of succulent asclepiad plants, including some that are endemic. Further articles will appear on the subject in other magazines and journals, in due course.

The initiative is still in its preparatory stages, but it has already attract interest and participation from institutions and private individuals, some of whom are authorities on Moroccan succulent flora.

A project to create a Mediterranean woodland at the northern entrance to the Botanic Garden has been given the seal of approval by birds!

The area north of the succulent beds, which stretches along the eastern edge of Grand Parade, has been gradually modified by selective planting over the past 18 years. Native woodland species have been planted and, as these have grown, exotic trees and shrubs have been selectively removed, always leaving the wooded character of the area intact.

So far, native Mediterranean plants to have become established include Narrow-leaved Ash, Mirbech's Oak, Cork Oak, Round-leaved Oak and Strawberry Tree. False Acacias, Trees of Heaven, Lantana and Myoporum have been progressively removed. The area is given minimum management and the ground cover is allowed to develop as naturally as possible.

There are still a good number of years to go before all the exotics are replaced, but a recent development has encouraged the team involved in the project. The area has this year been chosen by a pair of Spotted Flycatchers, which successfully nested there - for the first time in Gibraltar, fledging at least two young over this last weekend - as reported in Recent Records on this website. These woodland edge birds seem to have accepted the changes as a positive move towards their natural habitat!

In recent years Robins have also been present through the summer in the same area, and recently Bonelli's Warblers, another woodland species, have been noted there too.

In another part of the gardens the nightly presence of Tawny Owls also suggests nesting of this species may be taking place within the Gardens.

The increase in the number of bird species nesting within the Alameda is most welcome and seems to be a sign that management techniques employed are benefiting the natural communities of the area.

GONHS Statement on Bay Environmental Document

At a press conference in Seville on 22 June 2009, Greenpeace (Spain) delivered a statement approved by a number of environmental groups from the area of the Bay of Gibraltar. The GONHS (Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society) was not a party to the statement.

GONHS was given the opportunity to sign up to the document. The first draft was totally unacceptable on a number of grounds. Following our comments and work by members of the ESG, the text was considerably improved from the Gibraltar point of view.

While agreeing with most of the environmental points and views included in the statement, GONHS did not feel able to become a full party to it for a number of reasons.

GONHS, together with ESG and AGADEN started their own process of representations to the Tripartite Forum last year, a process which is due to continue.

The statement led by Greenpeace made certain references to the Spanish Site of Community Interest (SCI – “LIC” in Spanish) recently declared in British waters, which GONHS did not consider helpful in achieving the environmental aims.

While most of these reservations may well have been possible to resolve, the time scale presented by Greenpeace was not sufficient, and so GONHS Council declined to sign the statement.

This said, GONHS continues to uphold the need for close co-operation in matters of environmental protection in the area of Gibraltar. This is why it has insisted on the vital importance of Gibraltar joining with Spain and Morocco in the structure of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve established recently and from which Gibraltar was excluded.

It is important that political constraints and opinions do not interfere with environmental protection, but at the same time, political sensitivities must be respected so that politicians do not find it difficult to support environmental initiatives.

Finally, GONHS welcomes Greenpeace’s new, apparently positive approach to environmental issues in our area. Past interventions have shown lack of appreciation of or respect for the local and regional situation and, in the case of the fishing problem, an apparent lack of interest.

GONHS has felt it important to explain to its members, and to the public, why it was not a party to the document. However, this must not be allowed to divert attention from the many real environmental problems facing our regional waters and the community that lives around them, many of which have been well covered in last week’s public statement by our colleagues in other organisations.

Following the tragic death of a diver at the weekend, the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) has once again called for the implementation of the laws intended to regulate activity in Gibraltar’s protected waters.

For years, the GONHS has been campaigning for the bringing into force of the Marine Nature Reserve Regulations 1995 – or an updated version of these - which are intended to govern activities such as diving and fishing in Gibraltar waters, part of which, including the area of the incident, are now part of a European Site of Community Interest (SCI).

A particular concern expressed in the past by the Society has been the unregulated visits by divers from Spain directly onto our natural and artificial reefs without any checks or controls by the Gibraltar authorities. While this weekend’s tragedy cannot necessarily be attributed to this, it is particularly important that potentially dangerous, or environmentally impacting activities are regulated by Gibraltar’s own authorities.

In fact, the Gibraltar Biodiversity Action Plan published by GONHS in 2006 makes several clear calls for control of such activities, and provides a tight framework of recommendations that urgently require implementation.

GONHS would welcome the continuation of a process that will bring about proper laws to govern marine activities in British territorial waters around Gibraltar.

The latest issue of the journal of the International Asclepiad Society, 'Asklepios', carries an important article by staff members of the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens who formed part of the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) research team which visited the south of Morocco last autumn. An article entitled 'On the distribution and habits of Apteranthes joannis (Maire) Plowes', authored by Keith Bensusan, Brian Lamb and Charles Perez, discusses the current state of knowledge of a species of succulent plant that is endemic to (i.e., found only in) Morocco. Apteranthes joannis, which was until recently known as Caralluma joannis, was thought only to occur at a single site between the High and Anti Atlas mountains ranges, where it grows on limestone cliffs. However, the team located this very rare plant at two new sites in the Anti Atlas mountain range, expanding its known distribution considerably. The article discusses the find and expands knowledge of the ecology of Apteranthes joannis considerably. It also discusses the conservation of the species and outlines areas of future research.

'Euphorbia World', the journal of the International Euphorbia Society, also included a short article by Keith Bensusan and Brian Lamb in their last issue. The article is entitled 'An Epiphytic Euphorbia echinus Hook.f. & Coss. in the Anti Atlas of Morocco'. Euphorbia echinus is also endemic to the southwest of Morocco. It is a thorny, Cactus-like spurge that grows in arid, rocky habitats. The article cites the first record of the species growing on the trunk of a tree. The tree in question, the Argan Argania spinosa, is likewise a speciality of the south of Morocco. It is of considerable economic value to locals, who use oil extracted from the nuts to produce a range of products, from very tasty cooking and dressing oil to cosmetic products.

Research carried out by the GONHS in Morocco formed part of a collaborative project between the Society and the Institut Scientifique de Rabat (Morocco), which received INTERREG III funding from the EU.

The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) will be represented next week at an international conference in Grand Cayman, in the Caribbean. Dr Keith Bensusan will be the GONHS representative at a meeting that carries the title Making the Right Connections, and which will deal with nature conservation in the UK Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and other small island communities. It is organised by the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (UKOTCF).

There will be representation from most of the UK Overseas Territories and Dependancies, UK NGOs and the UK Government, including officials from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Joint Nature Conservation Council, as well as UK Members of Parliament and the UK’s Minister for Biodiversity.

Many subjects will be covered, including capacity enhancing, invasive species, environmental education, climate change and protected areas. There will also be meetings of regional working groups, including the European Working group of which GONHS is a member.

At the meeting, GONHS will be making contact with a number of officials and raising the issue of the Spanish declaration of Gibraltar waters as an EU site, stressing the importance of close monitoring of international agreements which impact small territories, especially when there are active territorial disputes.

Also attending the conference will be Dr John Cortes, in his capacity as a member of the UK Forum’s Council and conference organiser. Dr Cortes will be co-chairing a session on raising the profile of NGOs and engaging policy makers and the public.

Coincidentally with recent correspondence in the Gibraltar Press, the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society is hosting two prominent teams in Gibraltar over the next few weeks.

A research group from Notre Dame University in Indiana, USA, led by Professor Agustin Fuentes will continue work on feeding related behaviour and genetics of the macaques. A second team, also from the USA, led by Lisa and Gregory Jones-Engel, the world’s foremost wild monkey veterinarians, will be working on health related aspects of the macaques. They will as always be working very closely with GONHS and the Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic.

Coinciding with his latest visit to Gibraltar, Professor Fuentes met with GONHS Council to brief its members on the results of the latest research. This has shown conclusively the importance of wild food for the monkeys and how present feeding methods supply too much food.

GONHS has long maintained this view, confirmed by experts at an international conference on Macaques held in Gibraltar in 2003. However, no scientific data existed on Gibraltar’s macaques that could confirm this. The popular misconception, that the monkeys move into built-up areas because they are not properly fed, is so entrenched, and used mischievously by those who wish to blame GONHS for the macaque problems, that it was important to establish the facts beyond doubt. GONHS and the Notre Dame team manipulated one of the groups so that food was not put out for them for a period of time. The result was that the range of the group was REDUCED from 7 hectares (about one and a half times the size of the Alameda Gardens) to 3 hectares. Observations prove that with less feeding with provisions, the monkeys spend more time forgaing on the Upper Rock and have less time to move away.

This is just one of the conclusions of this research which will shortly be published in international peer-reviewed journals. As with all other such results, this information will be fed by GONHS into the developing “ape” management plan, proving the importance of a good scientific base to all management techniques.

Facts:

Gibraltar’s Barbary macaque population numbers just over 200 individuals

Feeding and handling of the macaques by visitors has encouraged them to associate humans with high calorie food

Gibraltar’s macaques are a valuable asset for tourists and researchers. Urbanised monkeys, as is the case with many other urbanised wild animals in similar situations around the world, become a nuisance and lead to public outcries calling for sometimes extreme measures to reduce their impact

The Barbary macaque is endangered in the wild, where it is still found in parts of Morocco and Algeria

Once again, GONHS has found it necessary to issue a statement on the Barbary Macaque situation, following letters of complaint in the Gibraltar Chronicle. The full text of this statement follows.

Recent letters in the Gibraltar Chronicle have accused the Society of mismanagement of the Barbary macaque population and have implied, sometimes quite pointedly, that the Society is in some way responsible, and therefore legally liable for damage or injury that they may cause.

These statements betray a lack of knowledge of the role of GONHS with the macaques and of the biology of these animals.

The day to day responsibilities of the Society in relation to the monkeys is that of ensuring that there is an adequate amount and quality of food at the agreed feeding areas, and that these are clean. Over and above our contractual obligations, GONHS attends call-outs where possible and collates and maintains a systematic database of the macaque groups.

These activities are carried out within the resources available, and are done well. Sometimes it is not possible to attend to all calls, and at other times such attendance is not successful, as when the monkeys do not respond to attempts to move them away.

Furthermore, GONHS, always working closely with the Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic (GVC), a co-contractor in the agreement with Government, regularly discusses relevant matters with Government. The three entities are currently developing an “Ape Management Plan”, based on past and ongoing recommendations of GONHS and the GVC.

The Society wishes to remind the public that the existence in such a small area of a population of non-human primates, the Barbary macaque, is a complex one to handle, given the many conflicting interests. The macaques have no option or ability to behave other than how their biology and instincts dictate, and therefore the human residents of Gibraltar have to assume a collective responsibility in what cues the animals are given.

GONHS has for many years been stating, publicly and privately, that it is an error for the monkeys to be fed by visitors to the Upper Rock and to be encouraged into cars and onto people’s heads and shoulders, as if they were circus animals. It has through the years warned that such behaviour will lead to the monkeys losing their fear of humans and increasingly accosting them. Similarly, GONHS has warned that the feeding of these animals in urban areas, either directly by well-wishers, or indirectly by there being accessible stores of rubbish or other food, will have the effect of establishing urban macaques whenever their natural movements take them through these areas. These warnings have not been heeded, and our predictions unfortunately have been fulfilled.

GONHS has advised residents of estates, hotels, and their managers of how to respond to such visits. Often such advice has been heeded and has been effective. At other times the advice has not been heeded or has not proved as effective. Sadly publicity is rarely given to the many instances when we have been able to solve problems.

It is imperative that Gibraltar as a whole assumes the responsibility of acting according to our guidelines. There are actions for citizens and for authorities, but it must be clear that without everyone’s co-operation the only solution will ultimately be the killing or caging of all our Barbary macaques.

NO feeding of monkeys other than by official operatives; that is no feeding by members of the public, including tourists and tourism operators, on the Upper Rock or anywhere else in Gibraltar.

Active enforcement of laws prohibiting the above, including arrests, prosecution, removal of licences, and fining of anyone found guilty.

Making it a legal requirement that all rubbish bins and enclosures are monkey proof, whether in public areas or private estates.

Ensuring rubbish collection times are such that rubbish is not allowed to stand for hours in open areas.

Control of monkey populations by contraception, exportation, and where absolutely necessary, by culling of carefully selected individuals so as to minimise any negative effect on behaviour, social structure, or the genetics of the population.

Increase in human resources to allow wardening and increased attendance at call outs.

The Society wishes to state categorically that, were any legal action to be taken against it, the evidence it has available, by way of correspondence, reports to the pertinent authorities, research results, and support from international experts, will make it unambiguously clear that the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society has at all times acted diligently and responsibly, and that any such action would fail. In such circumstances, the Society would apply for substantial costs, not only to cover legal expenses, but as compensation for defamation of its good name.

The Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society announces the creation of a new sub-group within the organisation. The Cave Science Unit, is a highly trained and qualified team dedicated tothe study of cave micro-climates. The unit was formed at the recommendation of the 1st International Cave Monitoring workshop recently held in Gibraltar. The unit has been trained by the Royal Holloway, University of London and it is thought to be the first of its kind in the world. It has been involved in a climate change study for five years, and has had several findings published within the scientific community already.

The unit was recently invited by the British Cave research association togive a keynote presentation at the Cave Radio and Electronics Group's Cave technology symposium held in Wales. During the summer of 2009 the Unit will embark on an ambitious project to install cave monitoring equipment in a cave and be able to monitor themicro-climate from a remote location. This technology, once proven, can then be used in any cave location in the world. Cave monitoring has been found to be an invaluable source of climate markers, markers which can give an indication of what the weather was like in the past, essential for climate forecasting.

The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) has complained to Government about the dumping of rubble at a former MOD site at the base of the North Face south of Devil’s Tower Road.

Apart from the unsightliness of the growing mountains of rubble in different parts of Gibraltar, the area in question is an important one in terms of ecology. It is one of the only remaining areas of habitat remaining from the once extensive isthmus vegetation. It had been identified as a site for habitat restoration and for resiting of some of the vegetation and wildlife from the former MOD aerial Farm, now intended for development.

There had been a longstanding understanding between GONHS and Government that this area would be conserved. GONHS has not objected to future developments in the area, including the aerial farm and the Eastside development on the understanding that the area to the south of Devil’s Tower Road would be restored, used to accommodate translocated plants and wildlife, and eventually given legal protection under the Nature Protection Act. It is now to become a rubble dump.

GONHS is concerned in addition that whereas the intention is officially to restrict the area of the dump and not to allow deposition of dangerous materials, experience in other similar situations shows that these dumps grow with little control. There is a concern that unless great care is taken ground water would become contaminated affecting the wells on the North Front and contravening European Directives.

GONHS has been working with Government since 2002 in trying to identify areas for rubble deposition. Since then two rubble mountains have appeared, one at Eastern Beach and the other south of Sandy Bay, and the solution seems none the closer. The latter site is already causing concern as its growth is affecting cliff vegetation on the east side, and GONHS has also made representations to Government to the effect.

This shows that Gibraltar has a problem with disposing of rubble. But this is a problem that has existed for years and that will exist in the future. It has not been resolved and there does not seem to be any strategy that would do so. A solution has to be found some time, but postponing this by another few weeks or months at the expensie of a natural area is not acceptable.

GONHS CONCERN ON SPANISH EU SITE DESIGNATION

The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) has responded to recent media reports, originating in the Diario de Sevilla, which describe Spanish objections to the declaration in July 2006 of a European protected area, or “Site of Community Importance” (“SCI” in English, or “LIC” in Spanish) named the Southern Waters of Gibraltar. GONHS has now researched the matter and has serious concerns about the situation.

GONHS was involved in providing the scientific information required to the Gibraltar Government with which it worked closely in achieving the designation of the Southern Waters of Gibraltar. GONHS welcomed this designation as reported in its Autumn 2006 issue of Gibraltar Nature News (http://www.gonhs.org/documents/NatureNews12.pdf). The designation was legitimate and totally justified biologically, and GONHS is alarmed at the report that the Spanish Government wished to stop it on political grounds, even though it would have prejudiced important wildlife conservation measures required under European law. Spain has often criticised Gibraltar for not properly looking after the environment so should have welcomed the designation as a significant achievement in environmental protection.

Since the designation, and contrary to the allegations made by the Diario de Sevilla, there has been no action taken by Gibraltar that will have prejudiced the wildlife of the area. While GONHS cannot speak for the Government, it does monitor activity in this field and considers that Gibraltar takes the matter of the Southern Waters SCI seriously.

It has now emerged that the EU, at the behest of Spain, has declared a protected area that overlaps our own and includes Gibraltar’s waters (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:043:0393:01:EN:HTML). This it has done, presumably without consulting the UK or Gibraltar Governments. However, in the consultation process that precedes this declaration, relevant Government Departments would have been consulted as a matter of course. In the UK, this would have been the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), and so it is astonishing that the UK has either not spotted or chosen not to object to the same area being designated again and as a Spanish site.

The designation has been formally adopted by Spain, as it publishes a map in the Boletin Oficial del Estado, no. 315, dated 31 December 2008, which clearly shows what they call the “LIC Estrecho Oriental”, which covers the waters immediately adjacent to the Rock, all the way up to the North Mole (map attached). This covers areas which, after its own assessment, Gibraltar chose to exclude from the Site.

GONHS questions the criteria used for the designation, as the process requires extensive information on the wildlife of the area, which is only held by GONHS in Gibraltar, and was provided to the Gibraltar Government when the designation process was ongoing. GONHS questions whether Spain had the relevant information on the Estrecho Oriental, or whether it has relied on that already included in the UK’s application as provided by Gibraltar.

Technically, the designation of the Estrecho Oriental site gives Spain legal obligations and responsibilities over those waters in relation to nature protection, which would include the responsibility to undertake assessments, and to monitor these areas for wildlife, threats, and other activities with environmental implications. Not only is this already being done by Gibraltarian entities, but presumably it would also assume regular access on the part of the Spanish authorities to our waters. It shows a lack of respect for Gibraltar’s (and the UK’s) position, and implies that Gibraltar does not have the expertise to carry out the necessary work. It calls into question who would be responsible for any environmental disaster in the waters in question. Moreover, any activity in these waters would presumably have to be cleared with and assessed by the pertinent Spanish authorities. They could claim, for example, that dredging off the east side in areas not within our protected area cannot be carried out because it falls within theirs. Presumably too, they will now actively police their own fishermen and stop them fishing in our waters, even though they have always objected to Gibraltar’s authorities controlling Spanish fishing activities. Designation as an SCI requires the development and later implementation of a management plan, with subsequent designation as a Special Area of Conservation managed by the country responsible for the SAC. What country would be the one responsible for this site in the view of the EU? The whole situation can be best described as a mess and a legal nightmare.

While the political aspects are matters outside GONHS’ remit, GONHS is nevertheless seriously concerned at the implications for Gibraltar as a whole.

To make matters worse, the EU official web page mapping the designated sites in Europe now shows the limits of the Spanish protected area, and not the Gibraltar one. While the Diario de Sevilla accuses the UK (and by implication Gibraltar), of trying to acquire territorial waters as a manoeuvre (“maniobra”) under the guise of nature protection, Spain appears to have now sought in the same way to take over these waters.

It is important that both the Gibraltar and United Kingdom Government make it clear to both Spain and the EU that having two overlapping areas is untenable and that the SCI in British waters is under the control of the Gibraltar authorities and that therefore the original designation is the correct one.

This controversy suggests that the failure to include Gibraltar in the international Biosphere Reserve covering areas of Spain and Morocco has not been due to procedural matters, but is due also to political objections (also reported in Gibraltar Nature News (http://www.gonhs.org/documents/NatureNews12.pdf).

Extract from EU website showing the SCI with the limits of the Spanish "Estrecho Oriental" site

The Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS) is hosting the first International Cave Monitoring Workshop which will be held in the Garrison Library this week from 26th February - 1st March. The workshop has been organised by Professor Dave Mattey from Royal Holloway, University of London, and Professor Christoph Spotl from The University of Innsbruck, together with the Caves and Cliffs Section of GONHS, and has attracted cave and climate scientists from all over Europe, America and Australia to discuss the latest techniques that are being used to study cave systems and how they record past climate in stalagmites and stalactites.

Members of the Caves and Cliffs section of The GONHS have played a central role in a recent UK funded research program which has developed and tested some of the most innovative techniques that are being used to decode climate records from cave deposits and accurately reconstruct how climate has changed in the past.

Part of the project has involved using New St. Michael’s Cave as a natural laboratory in which sensitive recording instruments have been specially designed to measure how the cave reacts to changes in weather and seasons. Their results have generated considerable interest from international climate scientists who are now coming to Gibraltar to attend the first ever workshop dedicated to this new field and see the monitoring systems in action.

The impact of the work carried out in St Michael’s cave by GONHS and Royal Holloway has also resulted in the recent approval and funding of a major new research project to be led by Professor Mattey, involving GONHS and a consortium of leading Earth Science departments which include University College London, the Universities of Bristol, Birmingham, East Anglia in the UK, and climate research institutions in the Netherlands and Australia. This work will now focus on measuring far more precisely how climate in the Western Mediterranean has changed since the last Ice Age and will contribute to a greater understanding of how rainfall and water resources in this region may change in response to future global warming.

The Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS) has announced today, that it will be running another Nature Course this Spring. This follows the the success of its inaugural courses held last year. The course is scheduled to start on Thursday 12th March 2009 and end in late April.

The course will cover a wide selection of topics, such as plants, birds, marine life, bats, invertebrates, caves & cliffs, bird of prey rehabilitation and the Barbary macaques, as well as wildlife conservation in general, with all of these focussing on their relevance to Gibraltar.

GONHS' objectives in running this type of course are to raise awareness among the public of Gibraltar's rich natural heritage and of the many threats this currently faces. By doing so, the Society is aiming to increase support for its wildlife conservation efforts and encouraging people to become members.

The format will consist of a series of Thursday evening lectures at The Cottage within the Alameda Botanic Gardens and field trips (usually a morning on the following Saturday) related to the topics covered. The course will be delivered by GONHS' own section heads and other experienced members.

Enrolment is open to all members of the public from the age of 12 upwards. There will be a registration fee of £20 payable before the start of the course. In order to make the course attractive to juniors, Under 16s will only need to pay £10.

Participants completing the course will be awarded a certificate of achievement. People interested in taking part should initially contact GONHS by e-mail to course "at" gonhs dot org or by telephone to 20041235. Names and contact details should be provided. Registrations will however, only be accepted once payment has been received. The course dates will be confirmed once a minimum number of people have registered.

John Cortes, General Secretary of the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society, has been elected onto the Council of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Conservation Forum. At the Forum’s Annual General Meeting held recently at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, he was elected, initially for two years, to the governing body of this international organisation.

The Forum membership is made up of major UK-based nature conservation organisations and nature conservation organisations from the UK Overseas Territories, including the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society. The Council is elected by the membership and aims to consist of people well versed in nature conservation issues.

A Short-toed Eagle that had been spending the winter on the Rock was handed in to the GONHS Raptor Rescue team recently, apparently with a broken leg. However, when inspected by veterinarian Mark Pizarro, it transpired that the bird had in fact been poisoned, and that the weakness noted in the legs of the bird was a result of the toxin and not a breakage. It is likely that the poison had not been laid out for birds of prey, but rather against rats or mice, which the eagle may then have fed on. However, this highlights the danger that such baiting poses to wildlife. Fortunately, on this occasion the eagle was found in time and recovered, but others will not be so lucky.

GONHS asks that rat poison not be used in areas such as the Upper Rock where birds of prey may hunt, and that other methods, such as traps or non-toxic baits be used.

Short-toed Eagles generally spend the winter in tropical Africa, but occasionally stay in southern Europe over the winter. In addition to the individual rescued by GONHS another two were seen hunting over the Rock in December. They feed mainly of reptiles, including snakes, but, especially when this food is scarce, as it will be during cold weather, will take other species - a moribund rat diced with poison will be a very tempting item of prey.

GONHS would like to take this opportunity to thank members of the public who hand-in birds that are injured or ill, as well as the Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic for its untiring support of our raptor rehabilitation work.

GONHS holds second Cave and Climate Workshop

GONHS pleased with New Flame outcome

EU statement on SCI dispute is "ridiculous" and does not aid conservation

GONHS regrets power station decision and calls for energy re-think

Governor visits birds of prey

GONHS Statement on Bay Environmental Document

GONHS CONCERN ON SPANISH EU SITE DESIGNATION