News and Information 
July 1995 Compiled by Simon Albrecht 
The aim of this section is to inform readers about events in the OSME 
region. It relies on members and others supplying relevant news and 
information. If you have any any information concerning birds, con- 
servation or development isssues in the OSME area please send it to 
News and Information, OSME, do The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, 
SG19 2DL, U.K. 
This section is not intended as a definitive report or write up of the projects 
concerned. Many of the projects are sponsored; such support is appreciated 
hut is not generally acknowledged here. 
SOCOTRA CORMORANT 
The Socotra Cormorant - Phalacorocrax nigrogularis is endemic to Arabia with all 
but one known colony in the Arabian Gulf. There are possibly now only 11 
extant colonies compared with an historical minimum of 28. 
Despite a world population of between 500,000 and 1 million individuals there 
are grave fears for the conservation of the species due to the small number of 
colonies, continuing persecution and the loss of breeding sites due to develop- 
ment. Starting in the winter breeding season of 1994/5, an international effort 
is being made by Gulf states to census those remaining colonies and to moni- 
tor breeding performance. (Source: Network News 3 (1).) 
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 
Survey of western Abu Dhabi islands - Vastly more seabirds than were expected 
were found on the western Abu Dhabi islands in the summer of 1994 by the 
National Avian Research Centre based in Abu Dhabi. Results included: 
Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus (over 40,000 pairs). White-cheeked Tern S. 
repressa (over 21,000 pairs). Lesser Crested Tern S. benghalensis (24,500 pairs) 
and Swift Tern S. bergii (1,256 pairs). In addition new breeding sites for 
Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis were found and a new Sooty Gull 
Larus hemprichii colony was discovered. 
The outstanding islands were Quarneyn, Ushsh, Ghasha, Muhaiyimat and 
Dayina which were all internationally important for their seabird colonies. 
However several islands which had been important for seabirds in the past 
were found to be completely abandoned. Known losses include 15-20,000 
pairs of Socotra Cormorant. 
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