PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT


Program development activities involved continued planning for new or
expanded vertebrate damage control research programs under the aus-
pices of both AID and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of
the United Nations. These are briefly discussed here. Detailed
information is given in the appropriate Project Papers or other perti-
nent documents.

FAO Vertebrate Pest Project for East Africa

At the request of FAO and AID, project personnel participated in the
design of a proposed FAO-funded regional project for East Africa.
This project is intended to promote technical cooperation between the
national governments of Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania,
and FAO, the German Technical Assistance Program (GTZ), and AID/DWRC
(Denver Wildlife Research Center) for a period of 3 years.

The development objective is to establish a regional office for the
coordination of national bird damage control programs covering the
range of the two Quelea populations, aethiopica and intermedia. The
aim of the coordinated bird control program is to increase cereal crop
production by developing improved techniques for the control of damage
caused by birds, strengthening of government bird control services,
and by advising investors in cereal production of potential bird
damage problems and how to avoid them.

An office will be temporarily provided by the Desert Locust Control
Organization for Eastern Africa, DLCO(EA), for the purpose of using
this radio network for project communications. Each of the African
countries cooperating in the project is a member of DLCO(EA). During
the course of the project, the most appropriate international body
under which to permanently establish this office will be sought.

Immediate project objectives will be to: (a) increase the quantity
and improve the quality of professional survey and bird damage control
staffs in the plant protection services; (b) clarify the picture of
bird damage control problems in the member countries; (c) collaborate
with the USAID/DWRC project in the Sudan, the GTZ project in Tanzania,
and national FAO-assisted projects in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia in
improving present methods of bird damage control and introducing new
methods where possible; and (d) assist in planning bird damage control
activities through development and implementation of a granivorous
bird reporting service.