between birds and conservationby | 24-08-2014 15:55 |
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Mexico is a megadiversity country, holds 10% of global diversity, a fascinating fact when you consider that only has 1% of the global land area, Mexico has a varied birdlife included with 1070 species where are birds belonging to the family of parrots that are represented by a total of 22 species and is distributed naturally in 26 of the 32 states of Mexico, having a wide distribution including the Nearctic and Neotropical area, however, Mexican parrots are under risk status (IUCN Red List, 2014) and are listed in Appendices I and II of CITES respectively because these birds are the most trafficked in Mexico and the world. Mexican parrots are plague controllers, ecological indicators that result in quantitative and qualitative tools for the study and monitoring of conservation and biodiversity, ecological integrity and ecosystem health, also, the value of biocultural parrots Mexico has been reflected in several indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica as like the most important book of the maya culture, the popul vuh, in this amazing book described a macaw as like the sun god. Therefore this family of birds in their entirety are "flagship species" for being iconographic animals indigenous cultures of Mexico. This intrinsic biocultural heritage between human and nature gives guideline to develop strategies for conservation and sustainable use appropriate traditional local knowledge that the worldview of indigenous peoples as represented in poetry, song, literature, embroidery, paintings framed , jewelry, pottery and the eco turism because it is the most suitable option for the conservation of these wild specimens. Fortunately in Mexico the mexican parrots are in a definitive veda, since 2010 the law prohibits any use of them, and the exception is just for research scientific purposes,
as you know, in my organization I work as a lawyer in defense of the nature, so we work hard to combat wildlife traffic, and one of the most trafficked animals are parrots, currently we have detained and surrendered many dangerous environmental criminals to the authorities as like the police, the fiscal, etc.
This work is very dangerous, but if we do not do young scientists and lawyers, who else would? we need to generate more social awareness in society (including authorities), there is much apathy to combat crimes against biodiversity, however, we trust that our actions in the present, are the basis of the preservation and conservation of the future. please friends don't buy birds or any kind of wild animal, they suffer a lot locked up in cages... although the actions I perform with my group of young lawyers to face the wild life traffic is very important, but, this is not the real solution, the most valuable thing to change a society is in education, so the best we can do is to strengthen formal education, formal and informal learning about the importance of biodiversity, and let it look like the biodiversity as like a simple "object", it is necessary give to all the people the true value of the life, love and respect for nature. ... is up to all of us change the course of history and save the biodiversity. |