The Egyptian Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, said on Sunday that Egypt has started the allocation of some sites in areas such as Jabal al-Zayt and Sharm el-Sheikh to a new type of tourism, which is the migratory bird watching tourism.
“We are proud that Egypt has designated a different site at the top of Mount Galala, in coordination with the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces and the Society for the Protection of Nature, where we have detected 400,000 species of soaring birds,” she added.
Fouad said that Egypt is considered a pathway for a very large number of migratory bird species during two seasons.
The first in April and May, and the second in October and November, starting from Aswan on the Nile River to the South of Sinai.
“We have commitments in international agreements to preserve birds and their migration routes, because they are linked to a balanced ecosystem, and eight years ago we started paying attention to this matter,” she added.
The Environment Minister said that there is a link between the issue of climate change and its effects on birds, as when the Earth’s temperature increases due to emissions, the paths of birds and the type of food they depend on are affected.
As a consequence there is disruption and deterioration in the ecological balance chain.
“Today, we will cooperate with representatives of civil society, the New and Renewable Energy Authority and the Ministry of Electricity, as we will use magnifying glasses to monitor different types of birds,” Fouad added.
She said that the ministry launched a distinguished project in cooperation with the New and Renewable Energy Authority, which won international awards, and includes the temporary closure of wind stations to ensure the proper path of birds and preserve their lives.
