Announcements 
MEDMARAVIS Conference 1992 
Next year's conference theme is Management of Island and Coastal 
Ecosystems in the Mediterranean. It will take place on the island of Chios, 
Greece, from 15-20 September 1992. There are eight conference sessions: 
importance of existing coastal parks and reserves; known populations of 
infralittoral ecosystems; management of beach and dune ecosystems; 
managements of coastal wetlands; ecological monitoring of small islands; 
plans and policies for major Mediterranean ecosystems; and projects for 
sustainable development. There will be specialised workshops and 
poster sessions which will deal with ecological research on the 
Mediterranean fauna, especially seabird. For conference registration and 
further details, please contact: Xaver Monbailliu, MEDMARAVIS, BP 2, 
83470 Saint Maximin, France. 
Wetland and waterfowl conservation in south and west Asia, 
Karachi, Pakistan, 14-20 December 1991 
The above conference and symposium, organised by the International 
Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau, the National Council for the 
Conservation of Wildlife (Pakistan) and the Asian Wetland Bureau, will 
have sessions on the following topics: status of Asian wetlands and 
waterfowl; wetlands and waterfowl conservation and management; 
wetland and waterfowl management and research needs; and 
international cooperation and action. If you are interested in attending, 
please write immediately to IWRB, Slimbridge, Gloucester GL2 7BX, UK. 
Reviews 
The conservation of western Lesser Kestrel populations By Jean- 
Pierre Biber. International Council for Bird Preservation Study Report 
No 41: Spiral bound 46pp. 
The Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni is a small, gregarious falcon which was once 
common in many towns and villages in the Mediterranean Basin. During the last 
30 years, its population has crashed in large parts of its Western Palearctic 
breeding range. It has apparently disappeared as a breeding species from six 
countries. This concise report provides an overview of the current status of the 
western Lesser Kestrel populations. 
The author examines the reasons for the decline: thought to be loss of hunting 
habitat and nesting sites. Open grassland and shrub areas are increasingly 
converted to intensive agriculture or built development. Older buildings are 
being demolished or renovated to modern designs that no longer provide nesting 
niches. Furthermore, the large-scale application of pesticides in modem agriculture 
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