One of Abu Dhabi’s most charismatic birds, the Osprey or ‘Nisr al-Bahr’, ‘the eagle of the sea’, may be under threat locally, according to the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, EAD. A common sight for members of the boating fraternity in the shallow coastal waters just to the west of Abu Dhabi island, ospreys can be seen perched on buoys and marker posts along the channel leading westwards from the Bateen area towards Futaisi island, or delighting the occupants of passing boats by diving down towards the sea and seizing large fishintheirclaws.They can also occasionally be seen in the bay of the Emirates Palace Hotel or, more rarely, perched on lamp-posts along the main Abu Dhabi Corniche or the ‘Mangrove Corniche’ which runs along the eastern side of Abu Dhabi island.

Uncommon in Britain, where thousands of people go to watch breeding pairs in the wilds of Scotland, the Osprey was once numerous in Abu Dhabi waters.

Now, though, a study carried out by EAD has suggested that the number of breeding pairs may be declining as a result of development and the consequent disturbance to the areas in which they once formerly nested.

In the past, ospreys could be found nesting in remote areas along the coastline and on offshore islands, building large nests, sometimes up to a metre high, on the ground.

A survey carried out west of Abu Dhabi island in the mid-1990s located at least sixty-fiveoccupiednests,mainlyonislands,andwithonly two active nests on the mainland, one on the ADNOC loading jetty at Ruwais. There was a particularly high concentration on Muhayimat, Ghaghah, Yasat al-Ulya and Yasat Sufla,which,betweenthem, accounted for over 35 nests.

An EAD follow-up survey earlier this year, however, showed that although total breeding numbers appear to be relatively stable, with around 61 nest sites identified, these particular islands have lost more than half of their breeding pairs.

EAD undertakes regular surveys of breeding birds like the Osprey, with results serving as an indicator of the health and well-being of the broader ecosystem.

The decline is ascribed by the Agency to “disturbance from development and continuous human presence, particularly during the nesting season. “ This is believed likely to have forced the ospreys to abandon the sites. The presence of domestic cats and other introduced predators has also had an effect on some islands.

One positive result from the survey, however, was the findingthatoveraquarteroftheactivenestswereon artificialbreedingplatforms,givinghopethatactiveconservation measures can help to stem the decline. The survey also visited areas not covered in the original survey, such as the headland of Gerain Al Aish, west of Mirfa, recording some new breeding sites. However, one of the main local strongholds for the species, the islands of Futaisi and Al Aryam (formerly known as Bu Khushaishah), and the shallow lagoon between them, where birds nest on rocky outcrops, was not visited during the EAD survey.

Abu Dhabi’s ospreys are of importance well beyond the Emirate itself, accounting for over 90 per cent of the UAE population, well over twenty per cent of the estimated non-breeding population of the species in the Middle East, and more than half of the breeding population in the Arabian Gulf. The osprey has been singled out as being a Priority Species for protection in the Emirates.

With extensive tourist-related and other development planned on many of the islands to the west of Abu Dhabi, there is now concern about growing pressure on Abu Dhabi’s breeding osprey population. Even if population numbers are currently relatively stable, the progressive disappearance of suitable sites for breeding means that young birds will be unable to establish themselves and will either move away, or will not be able to identify places to breed.

Commenting on the results of the survey, Majid Al Mansouri, the EAD Secretary General, noted: “We call for cooperation in the protection of the Emirate’s islands from any form of disturbance, particularly west of Abu Dhabi, as most of the breeding ospreys were recorded on islands. Sites such as the Muhayyamat island complex, Gerain Al Aish, Al Bazm al-Gharbi, Umm Amim, Bu Tinah, Faza’iyya, and Umm Hatab are particularly important for breeding ospreys in Abu Dhabi. Maintaining healthy breeding numbers of Ospreys will also support Abu Dhabi’s ventures into nature-based tourism.”

Fortunately, a number of known osprey breeding sites are on islands within the Marawah Marine Protected Area, which is managed by EAD, with others on islands either protected by their owners, such as Qarnein and Futaisi, or by oil companies, while developers such as TDIC are working closely with EAD to ensure that adverse impact on osprey breeding numbers is minimised during planned development.

As with so much else, EAD believes, a pro-active campaign of environmental conservation and management is required if the population of Abu Dhabi’s ospreys is to be maintained at a sustainable level.