and enquiries should be addressed to: Karger Libri AG, P.O. Box, CH-4009 
Basel, Switzerland. 
EGYPT 
Lake Nasser, which was created as a result of the completion of the Nile High 
Dam in 1969, is one of the largest freshwater bodies in Africa. However, large- 
ly due to its inaccessibility, it has remained almost unknown to ornithologists. 
A recent week-long visit, conducted as part of the BirdLife Important Bird 
Area (IBA) programme, managed to survey about 25% of the lake. Over 
55,000 waterbirds were counted including 19,000 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula, 
9,500 Shoveler Anas dypeata, 6,000 Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricoUis and 
1,157 White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus. This is likely to be but a fraction of 
the number the lake actually holds and it is probable that Lake Nasser is 
absorbing birds that used to winter in other Egyptian wetlands that are now 
shrinking. The lake clearly qualifies for listing in the Egyptian Important Bird 
Areas inventory due to be published in the autumn. (Source: World 
Birdwatchl7(2).) 
MEDMARAVIS 
Alghero Convention (1995) on Coastal and Mamie Biodiversity in the Mediterranean 
- In the previous Bulletin we reported that the conference produced the above 
convention. The Alghero Convention (1995) urges all Mediterranean countries 
to give special consideration to island ecosystems, accord full protection sta- 
tus to all marine mammals, establish an enlarged network of terrestrial and 
marine protected areas, and give protective status to every remaining niche of 
biodiversity outside protected areas. 
The Convention has 10 annexes proposing a set of biodiversity criteria and 
also proposes biological criteria for, among others, the Black Sea region and 
the eastern Mediterranean. 
Medmaravis hopes to produce a declaration booklet in several languages 
which will be sent to various authorities and institutions as well as to 
Medmaravis members. Further information from Medmaravis, BP 2 - 83470 
Saint Maxim, France. Fax: (33) 94 59 47 38. (Source: Medmaravis News 17.) 
Medcoast 1995 October 24-27 - The Second International Conference on the 
Mediterranean Coastal Environment is being organised by the Medcoast 
Permanent Secretariat at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, 
Turkey an the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, in Barcelona, Spain. The 
main topics include conservation issues, biodiversity, endangered species, 
habitat protection, specially protected areas, and coastal and marine parks. A 
two-day short course on "Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean" 
will be organised on 22-23 October, prior to tlie conference. For further infor- 
mation write to: Miss M. Ruiz, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Gran 
capita s/n, modul D-1, 08034 Barcelona, Spain. 
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