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October 28th, 2010

Bird Control Problem

There are more than 20,000 species of birds flying across Guayaquil Airport flight paths.

The problem of birds that come to “El Palmar”, and wreak havoc on air traffic, has been discussed during the last weeks, although is being analyzed for more than two years.

Birds reach the island of 60 hectares, located at the junction between the Babahoyo and Daule rivers. On October 19th, a team led by Nancy Hilbert, UEES Environmental Manager and Guayaquil Airport Authority (AAG) consultant, overflew the area in which there are more than 20,000 birds.

Most of them are Fulvous whistling ducks (Dendrocygna bicolor) and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna autumnalis), who fly to that place in search of nourishment and calmness.
Those species that found their ecosystem in this area prefer this site for its vegetation and invertebrate animals (Arthropod 47%, Annelid 16% and Mollusks 37%).

The problem is that for more than a year and a half, the airlines that arrive to Guayaquil Airport have had trouble because birds get into their turbines.

The Airport is located a few miles from bird’s flight path. When they leave El Palmar they fly to Santay Island and Samborondón, where there is a lake (km 7) and rice fields.

According to Hilbert, finding a solution is complicated because the city is an ecosystem plenty of water. "Birds are beautiful, but when they put people at risk they can become a pest."
Solutions have been proposed, but all of them are in the short term. For example, according to Hilbert, the spraying that is carried out by the Environment Department, agitates them more due to the presence of the light aircraft which turns out to be dangerous. According to ornithologists, air traffic should be prohibited during this process.
Controlled hunt would be a solution, but there are many birds. Another alternative is to place a grid, but its size should be very large and it would not be enough because when tide goes out, the birds could settle on those beaches (sediment) that are formed around. An option could be to put the sand from the beaches all over the islet and limit the land using non attractive plant species to birds.
Nicolás Romero, AAG Manager, certainly believes that it would be possible to cover the small island with grids.

Although the Environment Department thinks that Tagsa, José Joaquín de Olmedo Airport Concessionaire, must be responsible for this problem, Romero explained that the organization pays taxes for Flight protection on air, approach and departure and is therefore responsible for what happens on earth, the rest depends on the State.

He stresses that they can not go to Samborondón or Duran and get into a private property to shoot birds. The Environment Department should get together those who are involved, diagnose the problem and find a long-term solution.
“There is a Bird/Wildlife Hazard Committee in the Airport. During the last year and half we have been trying to strike up conversations with the Government but the Minister (Marcela Aguiñaga) sent us a letter saying that that place is a natural habitat and therefore can’t alter its natural process, "says Romero.

The airlines have made several complaints about this problem (there have been 18 minor accidents). In May, LAN sent a letter to the Environment Department, saying that Ecuador is the only country in Latin America without a bird strike committee and that it’s necessary to create one, but there has not been an announcement. "I Hope there will be no sanction, a disgrace and regret,” said Romero.