Stop Wildlife Poisoning

Category: carbofuran | Date: Jul 26 2009 | By: Martin Odino

The big question as concerns Furadan poisoning in Kenya is if the pesticide’s availability is legal or illegal. This leaves the situation as concerns practical legal measures to check poisoning of wildlife especially using Furadan uncertain. At the moment, my understanding and many involved conservationists is that the pesticide has been withdrawn from Kenya since early in the second quarter of this year by the known, original manufacture, the FMC . Yet again the business men cum agrovet-keepers ALL seem to have the understanding that Furadan is BANNED. They make reference on the banned status of Furadan to the persons who have been going round retrieving what was left of their Furadan 5G stocks. We know for sure that Juanco, once the local distributors of Furadan have been the ones buying back Furadan and therefore must be the ones giving the explanation that they are retrieving the pesticide because it has been misused to poison wildlife in particular lions. PCPB and AAK have not issued any statement as concerns Furadan, while the Kenyan government discussed the banning of the pesticide in parliament and left the matter on the decision to ban Furadan and other carbofuran’s pending and have since been silent about the issue.

I have continued to observe bird poisoning in Bunyala and though the chemical has not been available on agrovet shelves since December, 2008, birds continue being poisoned in Bunyala Rice irrigation Scheme using the poison. While the means of aquiring the poison have changed and is now a top secret affair, the evidence of the poison’s availability is strongly clear with birds continuing to be poisoned and the product once in the hands of bird poachers, not all of them are astutely careful, leaving about the mess during manouvres to screen the identity of the pesticide uncleared; I mean the containers and labels of Furadan poisoning are never well disposed and litter the fields where they bait birds. Worse is the fact that even though FMC-manufactured stocks of Furadan are being called back, which have a designated label pattern of the text overwritten on diagonal inclined “juanco”repeated sequence throughout the label, some of these labels do not have the identity print suggestive of counterfeit or other manufacture product in wide circulation.

Pieces of evidence not well disposed by bird baiting poachers; no authentication of JUANCO distribution by the repetitive ‘juanco ‘on label and therefore possibly a black market product.

A classic example of the unchanged situation of Furadan in Kenya which has shunned conservationists’ hopes that the supply of the poison will trickle to none in the market hence at least control poisoning of wildlife is the availability of the pesticide in Eldoret, openly displayed in a number of agrovets, just this month. It had been broadly observed that the pesticide was slowly becoming hard to come by (since the buy back was declared) in agrovet stores and in the stores where it was available it was hidden and apparently sold to ’specilal’ customers after authentication that the customer is not a law enforcer. That Furadan is openly available in Eldoret Town and the shopkeepers admiting they know it is ‘banned’ and yet continue displaying and selling it is a disturbing issue.

These are my inferences: If agrovets are still selling the pesticide, it is not against the law if the pesticide is from JUANCO. This is because PCPB acknowledges supplies of Furadan from FMC and JUANCO was the acknowledged local distributor until when FMC voluntarily decided to withdraw and buy back Furadan in which case we hope they have stopped supplying and distributing it respectively. With PCPB’s and the government’s stands unchanged, then the agrovets still with the pesticide are not on the wrong, with supply and distribution regulations unchanged by PCPB. In addition, Kenya’s pesticides’ law infers that a pesticide cannot be banned due to misuse. Sadly, this makes me wonder if the agrovets’ persons tales that ‘Furadan is banned’ was not a story ‘told to be told’ to investigators. In addition, it means Furadan’s ban hitherto is unwarranted by the poisoning of carnivores, birds and possibly people!However, sell of counterfeit pesticide products is illegal and offenders are subject to discipline by law. But the problem is that the non-FMC Furadan may be from licenced suppliers by the regulatory agencies who keep so many matters as classified.

Furadan may just be still legal, much as the withdrawal and buy back by FMC of the poison seemed to push its status to a pseudo-illegal product, I should say. Well, FMC’s and non-FMC Furadans still linger our land and there is no knowing of their fate by our legislators and regulators which still leaves our wildlife perilously vulnerable to deadly , devastating poisoning by this deadly poisonous substance.

A poacher holding poisoned birds by Furadan baiting for human consumption: A scene reflecting a situation in dire need of solving.

Tags: AAK, Birds, Bunyala, FMC, furadan, JUANCO, Kenya, lions, PCPB, poison, Wildlife

One response so far

Category: carbofuran | Date: May 21 2009 | By: Martin Odino

Hi friends. I have a couple of things that seem to be looking up which I would like to put across to you. Indeed you are the pro-anti-wildlife poisoning community with whom we share with every little success we attain. Thank you so much for your support and please keep supporting us.

First, We [Dr. Richard Leakey (Chairman, Wildlife Direct), Dr. Paula Kahumbu(CEO,Wildlife Direct and myself))] have been trying to have the poisoned bird samples tested for Furadan, now two weeks since I got them from the field. After going through what I would describe as seemingly protracted delay in the testing of the samples, finally we have word that the analysis will be done. I however still dread the rates which during my last visit at the institute I was informed that ‘new, international rates were to be adopted starting any second in time’. I however believe that we will pull through this.

We are also aware that our Kenyan parliament will be discussing ‘Why Furadan should not be banned in Kenya ‘, today. Our fingers are crossed.

Third, it appears the buy back by FMC, through the local supplier, JUANCO is doing well, but my fear is how effective the buy back process is. I have a hunch that the we could be deceived by a pseudo success with the buy back of Furadan. This especially follows the findings, from a visit to an area, 2 days ago, where I have done two surveys in the past. This is in Kajiado District, Kenya where in the surrounding rural neighbourhood, Furadan has been used to poison carnivores: lions and hyenas as per the surveys’ findings, to resolve human-wildlife (carnivore) conflict.
After going around virtually all the agrovet shops in the small market centre, of all the agrovet shops that were open, I only found Mocap (the replacement of Furadan)in one. The others did not have Mocap. Then I wondered, how come they all said Mocap had replaced Furadan and significantly, no agrovet seemed to be stocking it? In addition, all the peopple I asked about Furadan and Mocap were so suspicious and a number needed my phone contact!?

Mocap in 1 agrovet shop out of about 15 agrovets.

I was yet to get more overwhelmed in wonder until when I got mocked at with a pack of the killer pesticide in the last agrovet that I paid a visit. In the earlier surveys, I had met a male sales person at the counter of this agrovet. This time it was a lady. So I informed the lady that I had come looking for a certain young man whom I had interacted with sometime back and that I was doing a survey on Mocap and Furadan. I described the man precisely, hoping the fortune from furadan sale had not changed his physical appearance.As the lady regarded me with suspicion, the gentleman matched in. Strange, she informed him that I had just been asking for him. Thanks to the matching of my description. A few exchange of Masai words that left me enshrouded in ignorance but at last I was welcome.

The gentleman was suspicious but when I truthfully told him that I had come to seek some information about Furadan, his Moran ego, being Masai, overtook him and as he mockingly rebuked me and my associates for succeeding in ‘banning’ furadan, he danced and went behind the sales lady where there was another shelf facing the other way round, fished out something, blew off some dust from it with his strong exhalation, picked up a rag and wiped the white container with a pink cap, then marched back to the counter and with a resounding thud, dropped it under my nose in my full view!a 200gram Furadan 5G pack! I shook it to confirm it had the granules. Yes it had contents! God! What if there were hundreds of this where he had got this one from?

I thought quickly, realizing I had to be cautious here. I pushed away the thought of what could be fished out next. A club?…or a spear?afterall I noticed I was foe at this point. Tactfully, I sought to know his opinion in pesticidal effectiveness of Mocap versus Furadan, giving him a lead that Furadan might afterall be the way better pesticide.

And so my friend let loose of all that lay covered at heart with my lead: He revealed that loads of the pesticide are stashed by some farmers and some retailers (some poachers too I bet); he did not trust the buy back and said most likely Furadan would just be given a different trade name and be re-introduced to the market, may be with a slight colour modification and would be sold more expensively to recover for the years that it is will have been lying underground. He went ahead to give me an example of a domestic fly insecticide once called SNIP that was banned then 3 years later reintroduced as AGITA, with slight colour modification and infact the package was maintained but for the trade name and now costs 300% higher (Does it mean 100% for every year in ‘banned’ state?). For some reason, he said contraband Furadan is infiltrating into Kenya from Tanzania. To the best of my Knowledge, Furadan supply is supposed to be withdrawn and is being bought back by FMC from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The salesman could not resist smiling as he reminded me that the ’sweetness of profits’ in this agrovet business is realized in dealing with contraband products and that Furadan could bring big-time returns!

I cunningly divulged from the Furadan discussion and slowly cooled down the heat that ensued from what the agrovet man had revealed as I sought a way to disengage from the dialogue and leave. I had samples to be analysed that I had to go follow up with. And so I contemplated in my mind about the whole experience. I cannot stop thiking the other agrovets still had Furadan stock somewhere. What if JUANCO were buying what was just on the shelves?Do they really have authority to check back stage supply storages of these agrovets? may be this is where PCPB and AAK can flex their muscles undefeatably, but sad that they are not just willing to do it yet. They are still in denial that Furadan is indeed more of a poison than a pesticide.

I am due to get back to the field in just about 1 week. Remember my operation A MONTH OUT WITH BIRDS GETTING POISONED and kindly support me. I believe there was no better timing for this operation especially with seeming attention captured from the agro-retail, governmental and the general public. Let’s see how bird poisoning goes this month which should indeed reflect on the effectiveness of the Furadan withdrawal process and reveal if the rice schemes are to be targeted for urgent buy back.

Will keep updating you. keep reading.

Tags: AAK, FMC, furadan, JUANCO, Mocap, Paula Kahumbu, PCPB, poison, Richard Leakey, Wildlife Direct

No responses yet

Category: carbofuran | Date: May 09 2009 | By: Martin Odino

Just yesterday, I submitted samples brought back from the field for furadan testing at the recommended lab-KEPHIS- by our local Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), Crop Life Kenya. (Agrochemical Association of Kenya hence AAK) and FMC. It was disturbing listening to the expert who received them wondering loudly why I had not taken them to Government Chemist, the laboratory whose methodology was doubted by the above concerned bodies.

Frankly I could not help but wonder if this was not part of frustrating our efforts to provide evidence of furadan poisoning by the above titan bodies as far as the poison furadan is concerned. Surely, the effects of this pesticide have reached emergency levels and these guys should give proper directives for common good.

Are we just wasting time and money only to be later told that KEPHIS again is not a qualified lab? the expert at KEPHIS acknowledged that they were equiped with equipment to use HPLC, a methodology whose results are precise, as told by the FMC person at our meeting. he however said they did not have a proper pathology lab to handle animal tissues and only Government Chemist had this facility and were ‘fit’ to handle the guts of the poisoned birds. Well, I will be getting the final word from KEPHIS this week and I will ensure the samples get tested.

Getting these samples from the field has been one of the toughest challenges I have faced in this survey:

The geographical location of Bunyala in Kenya is in proximity of Lake Victoria about 10 kilometres away from the nearest lakeside port, Sio Port. Also, the equator is located not so far from here. Given these geographical conditions, humidity and temperature are almost at uncomfortable, high levels, not so favourable if dead bird samples are to be kept fresh.

Bunyala is also remote. Electricity is found in a few ldistant ocalities, while others, including where we camp still remain in the almost total natural darkness but for a few tin lamps that attempt to reduce the depth of darkness. A necessary commodity, ICE which requires electricity for it to be made and that should help preserve the tissue samples from dead birds remain fresh is therefore unavailable in the nearest shopping center.

Well, I had to beat this challenge of high temperatures exceeding 30 degrees celcius on the average. The previous day, I had someone take the cool box and ice substitute to have them readied at the next nearest shopping center where I paid a soda vendor about USD 5 to prepare some ice for me and have the ice substitute frozen . I would get the cool box and ice once we had the samples.

We got to the field as early as always but there was no sign of poisoning. My assistants however located a poacher laying out bait in the farthest western end of the rice scheme. We sped to get on our usual job of identifying and counting the living and dead birds. In one and a quarter hours, the poacher was done. Since the poisoned birds were his property, I could not lay a hand on the poisoned at will. I therefore purchased 9 birds for USD 1.25. He had poisoned 64 doves and pigeons, in total.

Brutality in life and in death! The above birds were tied by their necks to make it easy for us to carry them. That is my assistant carrying them. I would have wanted to carry them in the comfortable ringer’s grip, but I bet my two hands would not have managed to carry all of them.

We sped back to camp for a quick evisceration process, since the gut contents were my interest. I took notes on the dead birds and we got down to opening them up.Thanks to my efficient assistants who did the job quickly. Meanwhile, I had hired somebody to get the cool box and ice and he arrived just in time for us to start opening up the first bird. By 1300 hrs, we were finished and my samples ready for transportation.

A sample of the poison concortion showing dull purple furadan granules (the solute that remains after trying to dissolve furadan) and rice in husks in a bottle; dissecting kit and the cool box with the samples.

It took four hours to get to the bus station where I would get a bus to travel back to Nairobi where I would get proper freezing facilities and also the samples would be analysed. The night was cool and therefore the ice survived through the 10 hour journey.

2 days since, the samples are now in the the testing lab. Soon enough, we will have the results.

The frozen samples just before I submitted them to the testing lab.

Will keep updating you. Please keep reading.

Tags: AAK, Bunyala, FMC, furadan, Government Chemist, Kenya, KEPHIS, PCPB, Poacher, poisoning

One response so far

Category: carbofuran | Date: May 05 2009 | By: Martin Odino

I wish to start by specially thanking Brenton whose donations have facilitated the rather technical part of this survey (sample collection) and ensured that I was able to succesfully bring back samples from a place that I can describe as one of the most remote in Kenya-Bunyala. I extend my sincere gratitude to Wanda, Sarah, Lori, Kristen, Kate, Dennis, Julie, Bibi and Keith. You have seen me and Wildlifedirect this far as far as dealing with the menace of furadan is concerned!

Thank you for providing me with a means to hold on to!

This April-May phase of the field survey has been one of the most challenging, hitherto. I however feel we are getting somewhere and with some samples (guts of poisoned birds) I brought from the field queued up for laboratory analysis, we hope the results come out in our favour to confront our friends involved in pesticide regulation, the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB)and the Agrochemicals Assosiation of Kenya (AAK). We surely need a very effective regulation of this pesticide if we have to continue risking its infiltration into Kenya from non-FMC manufacturer sources.

Samples in specimen bottles in the cool box.

In this post, felt that I should share landmark events and observations I made in the just completed field survey in Bunyala.

1. It is the turn of doves to get poisoned: I realized that poisoning is a chain reaction advancing from one species  to another and that all that matters to the poachers is which bird is available. This is dictated by among other factors, rainfall and developmental stage in which the rice is at. While stork mortalities resulting from furadan poisoning were pronounced since the survey began, this time doves dominated the scene. The doves were flocking in many hundreds to forage on the leftover grain in the harvested fields, but sadly many of them met their untimely deaths at the dining place. It was disturbing that when you walked past a resting flock, on many occssions at least one came crashing with a thud on the ground.

Doves after they have had their fill on the grains, but not without losing a few of their own from furadan poisoning.

2. A time to recruit another decoy: I met one of the poachers again whose captive storks I had documented about and photographed during the March-April survey. I then wrote about the decoys’ tribulations in the misery of the captives. This time again I got to see the storks and it was a hurting experience. They were about half their size a month ago, and one looked resigned to hopelessness.

Longer serving decoys. I waited to the stork that has its back to me me to brighten up a little for me to take a photo but all in vain. He did not. he seemed to be sending a message to me that to him life had no meaning!

 With them, was another stork; a decoy recruit in the making.The wings were intertwined at the back so that he does not make off for his freedom. The poor bird could not help being aggressive, lunging for my camera whenever I seemed too close for his liking.

 What I could not understand is how long would the captive stay before it would become handy to lure others? Would it not die before it performs its role?then is this not just torturing the bird for no reason?This is because it appears that the storks will not be about for a while since the flooding of the paddy fields is not about until sometime in June. Earlier on, I was told the lifetime of a captive stork is about 3-4 weeks utmost. I believe this because the captive had been captured just about a month since I knew the operational pair used by the poacher. This means that by the time the floodwaters are here, the new recruit will have perished in torment of trauma and idleness!

3. Evidence: Since this survey began in February, I had never come across a container with furadan bearing the label. This time round, I captured one on photo.

I also got a little deeper into the poachers bag! or is it gear. Yesterday, as I was obtaining samples to bring back to be analysed, I examined the plastic container that had carried the poison-laced baits. I was struck by purple granules in the vessel. When the poacher wanted to empty it, I requested him to pour them in aplastic container so I can take a closer look. He had warned me that the granules, which were actually furadan granules, were still potent. The granules were dull purple, since furadan is insoluble, hence these were the remaining insolubles. I then carefuly folded the polythene bag and had gotten my sample for what had been used to prepare the solution and laced the rice that was then used to kill the birds.

Bird poachers’ killing concortion.

4. Battering for big birds and killing for small birds: In comparison to the most recent survey, I noted that large birds, especially storks were clobbered after ingesting furadan-laced snails. It does appear the major cause of their death is the fatal blows by the poachers when the birds get disoriented.

Smaller birds, doves in this case seemed to succumb to the pesticide. This does not mean that these are not clobbered at all. There were some members who were also dealt fatal blows for attempting to escape, but this is not at all comparable to the case of the storks. The poachers therefore walk about the poisoning field leisurely to pick up the dead doves after sometime since laying out the bait unlike for storks which they batter to incapacitate even if the bird is weak and disoriented.

Walking around the poisoning area to pick up doves.

Kindly keep supporting my efforts and end the gloom of this blog!

I am still on the lookout and will keep you posted.

Tags: AAK, Bunyala, furadan, PCPB, Poacher, poisoning, Wildlifedirect

No responses yet

Category: carbofuran | Date: Apr 30 2009 | By: Martin Odino

Hi readers. While it may be interesting to watch a flock of doves perform their twisty manouvres in the skies, it is disturbing when out of the breath-taking feat, a couple of objects that seem to have been part of the flock, all of a sudden come tumbling to the ground! These were actually furadan-poisoned doves. Four came dropping down succesively within our scope of vision. Then the doves fly down not so far from us, so we rush to see what is happening.

They seem to be foraging but all of a sudden get startled and the flock takes to the air again. If you are like me, carrying a camera and just having witnessed 23 storks put down by poachers using furadan you might not have wished less but capture a number of fantastic photos of these beautiful creatures. So I am left depressed that the doves or pigeons were too quick to depart.

The reality then dawns on me when I see one pigeon on the ground struggling to be on its feet, or is it wings. The pigeon’s collapse and convulsions is what had prompted the rest of the flock to take off afterall!Hit by reality I edge closer to the poor, dying bird. Worse are the horrors when later, my efforts to rescuscitate the bird fail! Here I recount these ill-fated events that happened yesterday.

The flock of pigeons and a pair of doves that had just flown down moments after we witnessed 4 pigeons drop off the skies!

A close up of the same doves. Interesting that the African Mourning Dove pair are comfortable in this flock of speckled pigeons.

The photo that disappointed me. The pigeons and the dove pair had just flown off prematurely!Little did I know that I had actually captured the startling event. Check the remaining disoriented pigeon left on the ground at the bottom left of the photo.

The disoriented intoxicated Speckled Pigeon.

Same pigeon, front view.

We lost him!Here I am preparing to open him up back at camp, justt for curiosity how much of the rice with furadan he had consumed and how it looked like.Later when I am winding up with this phase of this survey, I will get samples of poisoned birds digestive tracts for lab analysis.

We encountered these while bearing the carcass of the pigeon back to camp . Not a mismatch this time. Survivors, I would call them. The bird on the left is a Ruff. Quite showy in appearance compared to the one I was identifying in the post what I am doing in bunyala. The pinkish legs and it actually had a rufous tinge on the nape suggests it is attaining breeding plumage and should be one of the late departures back to Europe for breeding now that spring has set in.

The duck to the right is the White-faced Tree Duck, otherwise the White-faced Whistling Duck. In years gone, these would congregate in 20’s or more in numbers. The largest flock I have seen are 6 individuals! These were poisoned in large numbers by poachers using furadan and it is alleged they turned t the Storks after they realized their poaching of the ducks was as fruitful as expected because the ducks had almost become obsolete in the area.This subject had a mate and therefore not at all mismateched to the Ruff.

Today is my sixth day in Bunyala. Yesterday 23 African Open-billed Storks were killed which in my observation marks the demise of a whole flock. In the earlier 4 days,a total of 30 storks had been killed through furadan baiting. Over time, I have noticed that the storks seem to flock rather intimately. When I started this phase of the survey last friday on 24/04/2009, the flock that had been consistent in the poisoning field had 56 individuals. If any, only 3 members of this flock remain and may join other flocks if they too are not already poisoned. Today we were out in the field early about 0600hrs and by 1400hrs when we took a break for lunch we had not spotted any flock of storks! The poachers say that a new flock is easy to poison because they are ignorant of the poisoning. If another flock comes in, we expect another nasty poisoning scenario and that may not be so long from now.

It is high time Pesticide Control Products Board (PCPB) and Agrochemicals Association of Kenya (AAK or CropLife ,Kenya) hurried to see to it that this pesticide is ridded of and JUANCO hastened the buy back for FMC.

Surely Bunyala is running dangerously low of its once very rich bird biodiversity!

Please keep reading and supporting.

Tags: AAK, Bunyala, FMC, furadan, PCPB, Poacher, poisoning

One response so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Apr 20 2009 | By: Martin Odino

Dear readers, I am obligated to thank you all for your support hitherto. Thank you for visiting to read this blog and commenting and advising accordingly. I want to very specially also thank those of you who have donated towards this blog’s cause - to end wildlife poioning. In particular I want to recognize those donors whose email contacts I do not have and have therefore not been able to thank them personally. I am going to be using your donations for laboratory charges for testing of poisoned bird specimen brought back from the field during the April-May survey. I leave for the field this Friday 24/04/2009,and will update you on the latest from Bunyala as well as notify you on the lab testing proceedings.

A lot remains undone, especially with the campaign entering the MONITORING FOR FURADAN phase. We still need to sample agrovet stores for availability of the withdrawn pesticide by FMC. Further, not all sites, for instance are being monitored, but through your continued support I, with Wildlife Direct’s patron support, can put in place a more thorough monitoring system through supportive manpower. Mwea Irrigation Rice Scheme, a long-time bird poisoning site remains not consistently monitored. Yet there the poisoning of birds is even more secretive than Bunyala with the poisoned birds being sold to nearby low cost cafes. It is alleged that wild ducks are collected in sacks to be distributed to these eating spots.

Following our meeting with FMC last week where various concerned ecologists gathered at Wildlife Direct’s board room to meet the FMC’s representatives, it turned out that we need to have more and more of our samples tested to satisfy our local pesticide regulation bodies-Pest Control, Products Board (PCPB)and Agrochemical Association of Kenya (AAK) or Crop Life, Kenya. FMC blatantly claimed that we must make our observations scientific. In essence, they were saying that they need hard evidence of tested samples, not appreciating the fact that the costs of testing these samples are very high. Please read more about the meeting with FMC on the post Our meeting with fmc Baraza Blog.

From the meeting again, it became apparent that testing the samples at the Government Chemist Laboratory I mentioned in the post, Striving for better post-furadan poisoning days-Part 2, would possibly result in the laboratory findings not being accepted, at least by the standards of FMC, PCPB and AAK. This means we have to do our sample analysis at a different lab. The lab of choice is the KEPHIS lab-Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services. But the costs are way higher here, though the methodology and standards of the laboratory are of world class level. Each sample will cost about USD100. So, I am even still short of finances if I must get all my 10 samples from Bunyala tested. So this is the situation.

Please keep supporting me through reading, commenting and donating and…

end this barbaric poisoning frenzy and…

brighten the lives of the birds; both big and Small!

Tags: AAK, Bunyala, FMC, furadan, Government Chemist, KEPHIS, Mwea Rice Irrigation Scheme, PCPB, poisoning, Wildlife Direct

One response so far