ABU DHABI // Officials are celebrating the birth of two houbara chicks in Jordan as another indicator of the success of the International Fund for Houbara Conservation program.
The chicks were recently observed in western Jordan by the field teams of the Royal Jordanian Society for Nature Conservation. Earlier this year, the team also spotted a nest of houbara in Wadi Rum. These constitute a good indicator of the successful adaptation of these birds and their potential for re-introduction in areas from which they have disappeared in the past.
About 1,300 houbara that were bred in captivity have been released in different parts of Jordan by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation, an initiative of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, who is also chairman of the IFHC board.
The birds were released into the wild across Jordan in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Some of the birds have been equipped with satellite and radio tracking devices.
Mohammed Al Baidani, director general of IFHC, said the birds produced by the breeding centers in Abu Dhabi, Kazakhstan and Morocco adapt to wildlife and contribute to the re-introduction of vulnerable species, thereby increasing their populations in different parts of the international habitat of houbara.
To date, these efforts have resulted in a survival rate of between 57 to 80 percent during the birds’ first year in the wild.
IFHC’s reproduction centres in the UAE, Morocco and Kazakhstan have resulted in 53,000 houbara annually.
The project is being implemented in the framework of a joint cooperation agreement between the UAE and Jordan for the establishment of viable population of houbara in their natural habitats in the kingdom.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Results
2pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: AF Sahwa, Nathan Crosse, Mohamed Ramadan.
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: AF Thobor, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mezmar, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
4pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup presented by Longines (TB) Dh 200,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Galvanize, Nathan Cross, Doug Watson.
4.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Ajaj, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mohamed Daggash.
