Stop Wildlife Poisoning

Category: carbofuran | Date: Oct 11 2009 | By: Martin Odino

Conditions are looking up for any life form with the onset of rains in Bunyala.

The local rice irrigation scheme which is esssentially the area’s industrial zone giving most people a chance to earn a penny is bustling with activity at the moment. And the rains have boosted foliage for livestock which are looking fine and birds at first sight are about abundantly and in their various kinds of course being the migration period.

The irrigation scheme

A healthy goat enjoying thorny foliage

Greenshanks finishing off their sleep in the early morning

A female Greater Painted Snipe stirring in the early morning

For weeks now, light drizzles have been gracing the evenings after the scorching tropical day time sunshine. A few days ago however, the rains came down unexpectedly in the morning hour shortly after 0600hrs forcing my assistants and myself to take cover by a roadside hut with the inhabitant(s) most likely sound asleep inside; a few minutes later, the showers subsided. The skies appeared dreary for a downpour and the sunrise rays even lit the east. We were headed for the furthest part of the study site so we did not mind getting a little wet from the slight drizzle provided we beatt time and poachers who are also early risers. Midway through our journey and the showers broke into a significant downpour, so we took cover at the irrigation board premises. We relaxed and watched through the rain not in any hurry any more. Afterall heavy rains meant no poisoning because of the need to economize on the cost of the poison (by the poachers)and the rains washing off the poison from the baits and the birds bowsing fresh rain water would just not maximizing on kills which meant wasted poison.

We took GPS points and made notes, occasionally chatting with the farmers in the rice scheme and enlightening them on this whole business of Furadan and poisoning. I was amazed at how informed some were. I had sought to find out if they had been supplied with Furadan to use in their cultivation plots having noted that they had already been given seedlings, part of the package that normally comes with Furadan. They said they were not being given Furadan this season because the pesticide was banned. They said they had been told that if the harvest was good who knows, some maybe exported!and what would be better news for the pheasant farmers. However they were told that the rice would not be accepted in the international market if certain chemicals were found in the export product; Furadan is one of these products that potential importers will be looking at and the chemical would be found if it is used in planting and tested at the export-import level. “So as long as we are the ones eating the foul cereal someone thinks it is alright!” Further, they said the government had banned it because it was being misused for poisoning lions.

The ‘New friends’ that we talked to. They are using oxen to ready paddy fields; a giant rake-like impliment is attached to the chain and drawn by the oxen along the water-filled plots to remove any debris in the ploughed, soggy earth prior to planting the rice

We upheld the hope of non-eventful bird poisoning incident as the day wore on. With evey one ticking minute and the prospect of a downpour later on in the day almost guaranteed that we would clock the coveted zero figure for bird mortality for the day!

When we were Just about to finish walking the last transect, a flock of Open-billed Storks stirred ahead. No doubt some poachers were rounding them up so that they fly on to their poison bait set up. With the stabilized sunshine after the morning rain the birds had embarked on intensive foraging. Gorging to satiate their hunger hoping to recover lost time while waiting for the heavily pelting rain to subside earlier on and probably trying to beat the immiently warning showers later on. The poachers knew better and took advantage.

Godwits feeding with heads immersed in water

Ruffs feeding in harmony their backs watched by the Curlew and Wood Sandpipers.

An African Spoonbill busy dabbling for food

Just in time for us to take off and avoid getting soaked by the rain, the poachers left the site with 12 Storks and numerous sandpipers

One of the poachers with his catch (poisoned birds) loaded on his back

As we also made off to camp we passed by a dead stork and a farmer’s cutlass and shoes, a sign that the action had been going on for some time before we arrived.

Usually the poachers will not let you take any of their bird for free no matter where the poisoned victim is collected from. This bird must have been a stray bird which in an attempt to get away from the assaulting poachers collapsed to its death in this lucky farmers plot out of its pursuers sight. Such is the case for many other birds of which not all are recovered. A wasteful, brutal technique poisoning is.

And so the days wear on.

Please keep reading.

Technorati : Bird poisoning, Bunyala, Lion, Poacher, Poison

Tags: bird poisoning, Bunyala, Lion, Poacher, poison

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Category: Uncategorized | Date: Aug 30 2009 | By: paula

We have just recieved reports that there has been a huge die off of birds at the Thika sewage works just north of Nairobi. This sewage works has been a favourite place for birders as it attracts a huge diversity and massive congregations of birds local and migrants

A team from Ornithology dept NMK in the company Oliver Nasirwa went to the Thika
sewage ponds to assess the reported case of dying birds at the site on the 26th
August 2009.

Ronald Mulwa notes:

“From my assessment and talking to the officers on the ground, the die off cases could
be going down. We found one Sacred Ibis really sick and unable to fly, also found one
Red-billed Teal just dying - apart from that the rest were 1 week old (or so) carcasses -
we assume that some carcasses also get swept away into the sewage outlet.

Though we are working on a more detailed update, the following are the
birds we found dead:
Sacred Ibis - 2 + 1 unable to fly
White-faced Whistling Duck -1
Red-billed Teal - 15
Red-knobed Coot - 5
Hadada Ibis - 2
Black-winged Stilt - sickly and unable to fly 1

We thought this may not be termed ‘Mass Die Offs’ as such, since there were still 100s of birds feeding and actively flying around. But the root cause for the deaths need to be established urgently.

We took samples some carcasses that were in reasonable shape and have been taken to
Kabete Vet Labs this morning. The Cape Teal we found dying had a strange swellings ballooning out of both eyes like bubble! photos available!

The officer in charge was quit concerned, supportive and was keen to be involved in this
assessment and to see the results of the Lab analysis.

We welcome suggestions and further discussion.
Best regards
Mulwa Ronald
Research Scientist Head - Ornithology Section, Zoology Department
National Museums of Kenya
P. O Box 40658 00100
Nairobi Kenya
Tel: 254-20-3742131/3742161 extn 243
Fax: +254-20-3741424 Cell Phone: +254 722499

According to Brian Finch and a report from Oliver Nasirwa of Nature Kenya, the three days between the initial discovery on 23^rd August 2009 and Olivers visit three days later, there was incredible variation in what both parties recorded.

Some of the dead birds disappeared including fifteen dead Spur-winged Plovers, Yellow-billed Ducks, Hottentot Teal, several Ruff and more than five Coot, is a mystery. This could be due to scavenging animals are moving in from the surrounding farmlands, maybe even local dogs.

Brian notes “the difference in live presence which is amazing, our figures
in brackets:

Little Grebe 450    (250)
Sacred ibis 170     (6)
Cattle Egret 5     (nil)
Yellow Billed Stork 13  (1)
Yellow-billed Duck 30   (15)
White-faced Whistling Duck 30   (20)
Red-knobbed Coot 50 (75)
Egyptian Goose 60  (40)
Grey Crowned Crane 12  (4)
Black-winged Stilt 100  (60)
Spur-winged Plover 50  (4 live fifteen dead!!!!)
Common Sandpiper 20 (20)
Curlew Sandpiper 30 (5)
Wood Sandpiper 10  (70)
Marsh Sandpiper 6 (1)
Little Stints 70 (90)
Chlidonias terns 30  (1WWBT)

We also recorded 2 White-backed Duck,  8 Hottentot, 2 Glossy Ibis, 10 Hadada, 2 Long-toed Plover, 6 Blacksmith Plover, 15 Three-banded Plover, 50 Ruff, 2 Green Sandpiper.

I think it erroneous to assume that birds that appear perfectly healthy are not infected and succumb later. Also I think that the difference by the two counts testifies that there is a considerable movement through the ponds, but even the birds that move on south or
wherever could have taken in a fatal dose.

If this were a terrorist situation we would be on a RED not ORANGE alert!”

The hotline to report bird die-offs to the Department of Veterinary Science is 0722-726-682.

To join the Nature Kenya bird group email kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com

Tags: bird poisoning, Birds, Brian Finch, nature Kenya, ornithology, Pesticides, plover, poison, sandpiper, Thika

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Category: carbofuran | Date: Aug 11 2009 | By: Martin Odino

An officer in his office at PCPB is discussing with his accomplice from JUANCO of their next useful yet again lucrative agrochemical deal. In parliament, politicians are struggling to have patronage over the solving of the cases by the perpetrators of Kenya’s post-election violence.A continent away, a scientist is working away on a computer at FMC. In all these cases, these giants are aware of the sizzling hot Furadan poisoning issue but is a trivial matter to them, or is it a necessary outcome that does not surpass the giants’ benefits from the continued existence of the pesticide in our midst?

In this conservation venture, I meant to collect baseline information and alert conservation and government stakeholders, also train educate and raise awareness on the Furadan poisoning issue. But all these targets are designed to function as a unit. It is therefore a drawback when the enforcer who is the government and its appointed agency, the PCPB, seem dormant and insensitive on the matter.

The Furadan bird poisoning until now seems to effect a mortality of 30% - 40% of the whole bird population exposed to the poisonings. It means 3 to 4 birds die in every 10 that wander into the poacher’s baiting set up. The threat is even higher for tightly social colonies such as the migrant sandpipers and Abdim’s Storks with up to whole colony deaths or 100% mortality.

When FMC announced and began the buy back of its supplied Furadan stocks from Kenya, Mocap quickly replaced it and is at the moment fairly extensively used. No negative effects of the pungent Mocap nor its underperformance have been revealed hitherto which is what was feared of the pesticide. But it was disturbing to find the pesticide still in Kajiado (Kiserian) months later, yet lion deaths due to poisoning by Furadan are known of this pastoralist region. Then Eldoret a few weeks back shocked us with the explicit display of the poisonous pesticide in some agrovet store shelves and now poachers in Bunyala are declaring it on the rise again. I have still not gotten the confirmation but the claim that, “The supplier is still supplying us with Furadan….” by some store keepers in Eldoret Town is a depressing statement. I am forced to think aloud if the statement means, ‘JUANCO are still supplying Furadan’ and where is it from????!!!!…FMC???’ an abomination!

Fellowshipping with bird poachers and trying to enlighten them, counting bird carcasses and turning in poisoning updates has been the procedure during every month’s survey. More has been the testing of the poisoned birds as evidence of bird poisoning using Furadan. While this evidence was stressed on as crucial if any regulation measure had to be effected for Furadan, the agencies whose delegates vehemently insisted on the lab evidence have since been quiet. Does it mean the evidence is not enough as has always been the defence? I am willing to get more samples if they will chip in towards the testing costs. Or is the matter already decided on that Furadan is here to stay?

Technically, this survey is testing methodologiy to be employed elsewhere and is expected that the model survey can be used anywhere. A near success of the methods seems to have hit a snag!

While bird poisonings in Bunyala had drastically declined last month, this is gradually being reversed and is on a steadily elevated trend calling for a change in strategy; may be fill papers with poisoning images. I hope an environmental lawyer out there hears me out!

Keep reading.

Technorati : Bunyala, FMC, Furadan, JUANCO, Mocap, PCPB, Poacher, Poison

Tags: Bunyala, FMC, furadan, JUANCO, Mocap, PCPB, Poacher, poison

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

A few days ago, I finished administering questionnaires and interviewing people in Bunyala about the issue of bird poisoning. Disturbing findings came up: vitually the entire population knows about Furadan and its toxicity yet majority of the immediate population at the rice scheme feed on poisoned birds; poachers say Furadan is banned but it continues to be available. I sought to know the poachers’ unanimous opinion on vegetable farming in exchange for bird poisoning as we had agreed they discuss (in May) and tell me what they thought but the few I met said birdmeat business seemed good again with the poison’s supply having increased and was not as scanty as it had been 2 months back. I just seem to have lost a would be band of converts who are crucial if poisoning is to be eradicated in Bunyala, thanks to increasing Furadan supply in the area! It means starting all over again which for the sake of lvelihoods, I am left with no other option.

The rice scheme fields are being ploughed in readiness for planting. Birds have started flocking in the fields and will reach peak numbers with the flooding of the paddy fields at planting time. It is even more worrying because the rice planting area has been expanded.

This field used to be left fallow during the previous seasons but is now being converted to be used for rice planting

Birds anticipating food bounty and a tractor ploughing in the distance

Poachers are therefore going to be more spread to poison as many birds as they can and are beefing up their stocks of Furadan for the season. It is disturbing that much as I was trying to focus on the interviews and questionnaires, harsh reminders of on-going bird poisoning kept coming up on the footpaths criss-crossing the villlage recidences. The doves below had dropped to their deaths on the path I was using, having been intoxicated while foraging at the irrigation scheme.

Finding the actual source of this pesticide in Bunyala has proven difficult because the chain of people involved is long and mysterious. I know one old man who supplies the poachers with the pesticide and it is alleged he gets the poison from the irrigation scheme. An interview with the man did not yield much information as he insisted on telling me more about his blacksmith venture, a genuine art but perfect masquerade for the pesticide underground deals he engages in. Further, my assistant got a 100g pack of Furadan from an official of the board who incidentally got this chemical through convincing or bypassing the person with the key to the store where the pesticide is stored. For some time, the fellow had been unable to secure the pesticide because the store key only has one custodianwho had been away for a while . No doubt the illegal pesticide’s blackmarket deals go on within the confines of the Bunyala rice board premises but it seems nobody heeds the call for the rice board supplies to be retrieved especially when they bear the trademark showing they are Juanco distributed and as far as I know, it is the same juanco involved with the buy back.

Keep reading on the worrying, regulation-ignored Furadan poisoning scene in Kenya

Technorati : Bunyala, Furadan, Juanco, Poacher, Poison

Tags: Bunyala, furadan, JUANCO, Poacher, poison

2 responses so far

Category: carbofuran | Date: Aug 04 2009 | By: Martin Odino

“No you cannot afford this bird.” ranted the ‘poacher’, clearly getting irritated.

“I will pay double the amount it would cost a dead bird,” I made my bidding.

“KSh.5000!”,the poacher stated his quotation, sounding not at all amused.

A newly captured open-billed stork soon to become a decoy. Ksh.5000 bob is its mimimal value!

This was the conversation I had with one poacher while trying to evaluate the cost of aquiring then probably rehabiliate and set free all captive African Open-billed Storks. The birds are kept under restraint in homesteads for use to lure others during poisoning for wild bird meat.

My interviews with virtually all poachers in Bunyala reveal that none really aquired those birds without an already captured individual. The history of how the first captives were caught seems diffuse to most poachers; all say that a decoy is made of a bird that is least intoxicated and survives poisoning but requires a decoy to lure it and get it to feeding on Furadan-laced bait.

I asked the poacher how he had come up with the Ksh5000 (US$65) and the following constituted the justification:

Realized value of sold poisoned birds due to the decoy:

Having captured and used decoy luring technique to capture birds for a while, the poacher said he had the highest daily sales of birds attributed to one decoy stork at Ksh.5000. On the average this translates to 100 birds each sold at a minimum price of Ksh.50. The minimum cost of Ksh. 50 per bird is typical of high season of bird kill. His bird was therefore worth at least Ksh. 5000.

Cost of Furadan

As a ‘professional’ bird poacher, the poacher said he uses about 10 of the 200gm packs of Furadan, each costing Ksh150 (about 2 dollars). This costs Ksh 1500 (20 dollars). Furadan poison and the decoy are an inseparable Open-billed Stork poisoning unit. He insisted that this should actually be added to the Ksh.5000 figure.

Cost of a photo

The poacher then added that I had to take his photo with the bird which according to him I could sell to tourists at a lucrative value. I would have to pay him Ksh. 5000 for this. I kept my camera where he could see it so that he could see it so that he would not claim I had taken a sneak photo of him.

It is so insane! The cumulative cost stands at a staggering US$150 per bird. There are about 20 pairs of African open-billed Stork captives. Their “buy back”would amount to US$6000! This is a whole project!!!!!.

Banning Furadan and enforcing the regulation will mean keeping the poacher and the poison apart. While no trials so far are working as well as Furadan in bird poisoning in Bunyala, the habit of capturing (and poisoning) storks will decline since one unit of the decoy luring poisoning technique will be lacking.

Furadan 5G, the deadly poisonous pesticide.

Please keep reading.

Technorati : Bunyala, Furadan, Poacher, Poison

Tags: Bunyala, furadan, Poacher, poison

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

Dear readers, the summary on the post 4 points on carbofuran poisoning in humans revealed intentional poisoning in humans as the mode by which human mortalities occured. So is the case for lion poisoning and likewise bird poisoning. But EPA spells that even proper use of the pesticide is harmful especially to children, hence the ongoing process to ban it from the USA “in a move to protect people, especially children, from dietary risk.”

The lab analysts that gave me the facts in the post, 4 points on carbofuran poisoning in humans did not understand why the people feeding on Furadan-poisoned birds in Bunyala (and Mwea) region were not dying. First and foremost, there has been no medical research on the effects of the poison on the people in the areas. Data on human poisoning let alone precision of actual responsible poison is retreavable from the poorly staffed and equiped health centres in the area. We therefore concluded that most likely the deaths occur but are never reported.

But locals and the 2 doctors who also own pharmacies and whom I got to talk to in Bunyala agree there are a couple of mortality cases that occur in the area are certainly poisoning cases. When asked which poison they thought was responsible, they gave a number but named Furadan first; asked what they thought the most common and probable poison used to kill the humans was, they picked on Furadan. Both doctors admit they have no proper records where they have recorded the poisoning cases. For another reason, locals are lacking in liquid cash, though their livestock assets are modest and apparently they save these for last though this is not well illustrated given the high rate of illiteracy and long-illness deaths. The locals therefore will tend to self-treat or strain their immunities to fight without medicinal back up. In such cases, people will try giving the poisoned fellow milk at best otherwise they pass on without medical intervention. Even in death, post-mortems are never carried out let alone being known. The berieved then cling onto the corpse of their beloved one for fear of superstitious practices being performed on their own in case the body has to be taken to hospital for medical examination in which case the dead would remain to haunt them. And so, if Furadan was the cause of death the evidence goes with the dead to the grave.

At the lab, one analyst tried explaining the phenomenon of ‘no observable’ intoxication in humans in Bunyala. He explained that the poison once ingested by a bird goes to the brain before going elsewhere in the body. I wish I understood that but I had to be contented with the path of poison travel as first to the brain. Of course the alimentary canal is tainted with the poison as well. Consumers of the poisoned birds normally get rid of the head, legs and entrails therefore lower the quantity that will be consumed. Nonetheless, the expert said that in this poison’s killing path, the poison does spread. Further, during cooking, the poison is concentrated citing that they use heat to concentrate Furadan in samples to be analysed in the lab for carbofuran. The lttle Furadan in the bird’s meat is therfore consumed after being concentrated even though it may not attain the lethal amount!

Poisoned pigeon in Bunyala: the bird had been picked by 3 boys having died out of the poacher’s poisoning range. Poison is concentrated in the brain and gut.

In the post, Furadan Everywhere, I tried to explain how the Furadan used in Bunyala gets ‘everywhere’ inclusive of domestic water sources. In EPA’s Tolerance Revocation, “EPA completed action to revoke existing carbofuran tolerances (residue limits in food) due to unacceptable dietary risks, especially to children, from consuming a combination of food and water with carbofuran residues.” I think people in Bunyala are consuming this combination. More is that a majority are youngsters (children) with rice being one of the immediate post-weaning foodstuffs that they have to get used to eating.

Kids giving mummy a helping hand with the rice; will they grow to be strong?will they survive? There might just be Furadan residues in the rice that cou;d cause intoxication.

Rice cultivation is inseparable from Furadan use; it is the media by which Furadan found its way to Bunyala. The supply was so gross that the Furadan supplied at planting time from the time the seedlings are developing in the seedbeds remains to be used in vegetable shambas (gardens), poisoning birds and for other crude uses suh as being put on wounds to keep off flies. Those who have tried the latter say the flies drop dead.And it is also the efficient way to commit suicide or kill another person(s) who you are not in very good terms with! As far as rice production is concerned, the rice grown in the fields is as good as a cash crop only not sold by the farmers: the irrigation board claims its lion’s share for the planting inputs that were provided to the farmers once the rice matures and is harvested. Some however remains with the farmers who make it almost an all-meals constituent. In the morning it is taken with tea, at lunch time it may be taken with legumes, mostly beans and in the evening with poisoned bird stew or skipped to be eaten the next day at the frequency of at least 2 meals a day. But EPA says that Furadan even when used as a nematicide correctly in such a manner as rice production, still its residues will remain in the food. So the Banyalas and Luos in satiating their hunger are lodging an intoxicant in their bodies with those unable to survive passing on quietly.

It is a long string of deaths due to Furadan: animal bait(snails, small fish, grasshoppers, locusts,), birds and humans. Elsewhere our majestic big cats are at its mercy.

Please keep reading.

Technorati : , Bunyala, EPA, Furadan, Mwea, poison

Tags: Bunyala, EPA, furadan, Mwea, poison

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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

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

Furadan not only poisons the animals it is directly used to poison but also gets into the water, soil and plants.

Bunyala is an amazing, almost perfect plain ’s land. It was checking out this panoramic view that it occcured to me that on the flat surface, just like the water flows to almost submerge the entire Bunyala area, so does whatever that is dissolved in the water.

A flat expanse: Bunyala

The farmers who tend the paddy have been using Furadan for at least 3 decades in the production of the crop. The soil is acidic, black cotton soil, the conditions of which favor slower degradation of carbofuran therefore the pesticide lasts longer in the prevalent conditions in Bunyala.

When the nearby river Nzoia bursts its banks, the flood waters find their way especially by way of the irrigation canals to the rice scheme, pick up whatever is in the paddy fields of the Furadan and flows to the surrounding plains. With reduced momentum, some of the water seeps into the soil. With receding floods, I bet the grass takes up some of the deposited Furadan if it is not degraded.

At flooding, irrigation canals overflow, their spillage getting as far as and beyond the surrounding homesteads

Bunyala residents use bore-hole water. At flooding, the water in the bore hole rises to almost ground level the extra having come from rain water but also from flood water which is the overflow some of which is contaminated with Furadan after having gotten to the rice scheme and out of the irrigation water canals, gushing out and into the boreholes and wells eventually. It is this water that the residents of Bunyala then draw and use for domestic use.

My assistant offering a helping hand to children at a borehole. Such are the wells that get Furadan contamination at flooding.

Then there is the rice that is grown using Furadan. Its safety not up to standard especially to children at least by the merit of EPA.

Unshelld rice on a drying mat and a kid playing on it; after a few days the rice will be separated from the husk by hitting it using sticks and the young man will soon be relying on the grain for his upkeep.

Everything might just be contaminated using furadan in Bumyala: Cattle grazing in contaminated grass; people drinking, cooking and washing using contaminated water and still, people feeding on rice that may just not be safe for human consumption.

Tags: Bunyala, EPA, furadan, poison

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Category: carbofuran | Date: Jul 18 2009 | By: Martin Odino

So far!

Bunyala Rice Irrigation Scheme: In these rice fields, birds are poisoned using Furadan by the thousands each month

Dear readers, early 2000 marked the start of confronting the problem of poisoning using Furadan by conservationists especially ornithologists amongst others ecologists in Kenya. Furadan had been introduced into Kenya in the early 80’s as an agricultural nematicide pesticide and people, farmers and non-farmers alike had discovered its deadly poisonious nature, harnessing the property for destructive non-agicultural related killing of biodiversity.

In the early 2000s, FMC sent some officials to Kenyafor the first time to come discuss the issue with the conservationists that the pesticide had been observed to be killing birds, especially waterbirds in rice irrigation schemes. At the end of the meeting the FMC delegates left with amongst the agreed measures they had to undertake back at their company in the U.S.A to: brand on Furadan’s label, “Not for use in paddy” and to sell the pesticide in packages of 25+ Kg weight. Everyone then sat back and waited in joyful hope.

Time continued wearing past and the faithful Kenyan conservationists that had shared the same discussion table with FMC ran out of patience, realizing they had been taken for a raw deal. Afterall, none of the agreed on steps to be taken by FMC were implimented and nobody from FMC ever justified the one-sided decision to rubbish the decisions. Meanwhile, the pesticide continued to be abused to kill biodiversity which Kenya, a struggling third world country relies on for its revenue.

It is unfortunate that the turn of events associated with Furadan poisoning caught everyone unawares. But I think it is expected when you understand the sniping nature with which the pesticide operates as a poison and I bet it would be the same with many other poisons. Even the regulatory organizations, PCPB and AAK (their names must have changed) sat tight and did not consider that their role to verify the safety of the pesticide product was an absolute failure and the proof of the pesticide’s safety either by the manufacturer or even by the Kenyan regulatory agencies’ a total sham. Instead the pesticide continued hiding behind wiping completely the nematodes (soil worms) as it was any biodiversity unabatedly.

With just birds as the reference point for Furadan’s foul play and lacking in progressive mortality documentation, there was no much to face the local regulators and persuade them that the pesticides needed their urgent attention. Soon however, whispers of extended foul play of the pesticide in killing other biodiversity in the background grew louder . Two surveys were then undertaken to find out the distribution and general use of the pesticide. Amongst the findings of the surveys were wide distribution of the pesticide extending to non-crop agricultural areas or pastoralist areas and commercial crop farming areas especially rice growing areas. Also, intents for which Furadan was being used in most of these areas was revealed to be downrightly inclined more to abuse as a poison than proper pesticidal use. Furadan had become rogue and even EPA points it out clearly that it is unsafe even when properly used hence its ban in the U.S.

The surveys listed amongst the poisoned biodiversity include birds with especially shocking mortalities in vultures and water birds, also seedeaters, lions, hyenas, wildebeests, warthogs, crocodiles, fish, domestic dogs, domestic cats and unconfirmed human mortality cases. The list is longer and disturbing and drove Wildlife Direct Chaired by Dr. Richard Leakey in May 2008 to organize a stakeholder’s meeting to share and discuss the matter of poisoning using Furadan: The Kenya Wildlife Service, World Wildlife Fund, Endangered Wildlife Trust, National Museums of Kenya, Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals, EAWLS, BirdLife International, Wetlands International, Peregrine Fund, National Environmental Management Authority, JUANCO, PCPB all attended. Numerous presentations were made on cases of various biodiversity poisoning giving testimony to the heineous destruction attributed to the poison and showing how urgent an issue Furadan poisoning had become. While ALL saw the endangering conservation problem associated with Furadan poisoning, Juanco and PCPB saw otherwise with some of the officials from these two organizations declaring some of the studies whose results had been presented non-scientific; data insufficient hence inadequate evidence against Furadan.

While the 2 defenders of the pesticide made their stand clear that ‘Furadan is not a problem’, Dr. Richard Leakey nonetheless led our campaign at Wildlife Direct to end wildlife poisoning by calling for a ban on carbofurans (Furadan and its likes) just days after the meeting. The call was directed at various relevant government ministries: Ministry of Wildlife and Natural Resources, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. With Dr. Richard Leakey’s and Wildlife direct’s motive bold, sincere and with natinal interest at heart, unfortunately nobody seemed to heed us. Further at Wildlife Direct, this blog was set up to tell the world on the dangerous, latent, wildlife poisoning issues, focusing particularly on Wildlife poisoning. Other Wildlife Direct blogs also continue to document on the issue as it affects them: Baraza Blog, lionguardians and kilimanjaro lion conservation plroject blog (currently inactive)amongst others.

Fighting almost aloof in Furadan poisoning terrorism, the CBS documentaryin March 2009 rejuvenated our vigour. The reality of mad lion poisoning was vividly highlighted; Over 60 lions killed from the pesticide’s poisoning. It goes just beyond this with various other organisms studied to be under great threat for instance during the meeting in May 2008 lorries of poisoned birds were shown to have been poisoned by Furadan; Vulture population in Kenya has nose-dived with some species such as the Egyptian Vulture possibly extirpated in the region. Instanteneous vulture mortalities in Kenya were reported in 2005 reaching up to over 200 strong which is about the largest congregatory figure of mixed species of vultures. This means a total loss of whole colonies in some poisoning instances; Numerous waterbirds and currently in Bunyala, Kenya montly bird mortalities are projected up to 3000 mixed bird species in one site whose area is hardly 400 ha.

We went further on at wildlifedirect to pursue on getting long term data at one present day Furadan poisoning site in the name of ‘evidence’ for our local regulatory agents, PCPB and AAK because the pesticide continues to be easily aquired for use from agrovet shops despite its evidenced gross abuse. This goes on even after the buy back program by FMC and recently the pesticide has been found broadly displayed in a number of agrovets in one of the capital towns in the country, Eldoret; check Furadan availability on our blog. So after some fundraising, we have been gathering data and documenting the observations on this blog on Bird Poisoning in Bunyala since February this year (2009). Even with this, no expertise has heeded these revelations and no regulatory persona have gotten on the ground to witness this. What it means is that we have hit a regulation stalemate of the pesticide. The regulatory agencies remain put and indifferent despite our monthly updates on Furadan poisoning to them.

With the prevalent stalemate however certain recent developments have occured. For instance various conservationists met with FMC officials in June 2009;Wildlife Direct’s top person met with the Minister for Wildlife on the issue; also we have had some other politicians’ support in fighting against the pesticide in parliament and a parliamentary discussion on the ban of the substance. The problem is that our motive is clear: ban Furadan for human and biodiversity’s safety in Kenya, while the various people and institutions we are meeting are taking too long to take on a sound decision and impliment it.

Please keep reading for more updates and revelations and support us in our campaign to end wildlife poisoning. You realize the case of Furadan availability in Eldoret was from a coleague who is doing his other research. It may not always be the case and it is not possible for me to be everywhere. However, just through a scout located on the site we can be able to integrate the information and make a follow up. The case stresses the need for me to get scouts at areas I refer to as ‘hot spots’ which are essentially intensive poisoning areas. I have done surveys in 3 major rice growing schemes and in two of these I have nobody on the ground. For a start, a scout just needs a phone with a camera option to be able to send me a short text message and to take a photo of the incidence.Such phone locally would cost 90 dollars, so 3 pieces for a start. Further, I have noted Furadan supply is on the increase again but traded on secretly. We therefore need to be clear on Furadan availability, another task that scouts would easily help me accomplish, because most likely there is another supplier or suppliers taking root and the killer will just keep wreaking havoc with its continued supply. While the regulatory agencies are indifferent, I strongly believe with continued gathering of whooping evidence of the cases of poisoning with a diverted approach now to media publicity we still have a greater chance of getting the poison banned.

keep reading.

Tags: Bunyala, EPA, FMC, furadan, Kenya, poison, Richard Leakey, Wildlife Direct

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Category: carbofuran | Date: Jul 16 2009 | By: Martin Odino

Captive Open-billed Storks are amongst the creatures that endure the most pain in the business of bird poisoning using Furadan. I have already written much about these birds kept in captivity and used to draw others to eat Furadan-fouled molluscs in many posts. But I just must write about them yet again because the poachers continue to keep the captives in their backyards which clearly hints, the storks still have reason for being kept in captivity.

An old photo showing how decoys are transported; in sacks (the 2 small sacks hang ing on the passenger poacher’s shoulder). A bird used to taking in volumes of free air must find it hard to breathe in the stuffy, dirty sack. They only have choice to endure.

I had thought the decoys would in time lack purpose especially with the seeming panacea that was the Furadan buy back program. Sadly this has not been the case hitherto and the captors hold on to them dearly for luring purposes. This in itself is a sure sign that Furadan poisoning is still on much as it may be kept from the investigator’s eye, in this case myself. I had even thought of ‘buying back’ the Storks from their captors, get them into some form of rehabilitation since when taken to wetlands, the birds seem to forget their restraint and forage normally on the snails in the wetlands. However, the birds would need someone to watch out on them since they have no flight feathers and some are injured and therefore cannot escape if attacked by predators like dogs.

My assistant told me a decoy is the last thing a poacher will let go of and even with incessant bad luck of failure to poison birds which is sometimes the case, the poachers will not eat them but continue keeping them in captivity till they fetch them a kill some day. I randomly keep asking the poachers to sell me their decoys but they all turn down my request as though they unanimously vowed not to sell me the birds. Those who want to be ‘polite ‘ quote a gross figure such as 80 dollars a bird but in real sense they just want to turn me away.

The preciousness of the decoy Stork is in leading the other free storks to get down and forage on the poison bait even though they might just stand aloof and indifferent absorbed in their tribulations. This seems to be the difference between the small birds and the big storks and works against the storks. The small bird decoys would be restless and rouse suspicion in their colleagues thereby cause their free coleagues take off rather than settle for the bait.In the end, the decoy is the crucial link between the birds and the poachers.

Aloof and indifferent decoys.

The decoys in Bunyala betray the presence of Furadan. With both Juanco imprinted in pink in the background of the labels otherwise dark lettered Furadan 5G packs and the unmarked in the background of the labels, FMC manufactured and contraband forms of Furadan continue to undermine the efforts to end bird and predator poisoning.

Sweet life without captivity and poisoning

Nature begs for the much needed tranquility!

Tags: Bunyala, FMC, furadan, Poacher, poison

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