NamPower/NNF Strategic Partnership

How do the BirdLife SA-EWT best practice guidelines for avian monitoring and impact mitigation at proposed wind energy development sites in southern Africa apply to the Namibian situation?

Dr Jessica Kemper (Bird specialist) & Dr Ann Scott (NamPower/NNF Strategic Partnership) Which are the most likely focal areas for future wind farms in ?

Where wind and people meet Where is the wind?

Benguela Upwelling System: – Number of (wind-driven) upwelling cells, where wind is strongest and continental shelf is narrowest

– Lüderitz upwelling cell is largest and most intense

– Others in Namibia: Kunene, northern Namibia, central Namibia cells Image: earth.nullschool.net Lüderitz on a fine summer day: Where are the people along 1570 km of Namibia’s coast? •Five coastal towns •Two existing harbours “gateways between SADC and the rest of the world” (extensions underway or planned) •One potential additional harbour planned •Coastal mining –uranium –diamonds –other? •Potential industrial park(s) at / and Lüderitz Wind farms currently planned in Namibia:

Skeleton Coast ?

Walvis Bay

Lüderitz Virtually the entire coast has National Park status, except coastal towns

• Skeleton Coast NP

• Dorob NP

• Namib-Naukluft NP

• Tsau//Khaeb (Sperrgebiet) NP Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area

• Aims to protect breeding sites and key foraging areas of threatened seabirds • Includes all natural seabird breeding islands Other features of our coast

Arid, with sparse, low, specialised vegetation

Sandy and rocky habitats

Coastal fog Key wetlands and other crucial avifauna hotspots on our coast: • Kunene River mouth • lagoons • Walvis Bay Lagoon (most important wetland in southern Africa for migratory shorebirds) • Sandwich Harbour • Lüderitz Lagoon • Orange River mouth

• Artificial guano platforms (Cape Cross, Mile 4, Bird Island) • Seabird breeding islands (southern Namibia) Key wetlands and other key avifauna sites on our coast – Ramsar sites: • Kunene River mouth • Cape Cross lagoons • Walvis Bay Lagoon • Sandwich Harbour • Lüderitz Lagoon • Orange River mouth

• Artificial guano platforms (Cape Cross, Mile 4, Bird Island) • Seabird breeding islands (southern Namibia) Key wetlands and other key avifauna sites on our coast – Ramsar sites: • Kunene River mouth • Cape Cross lagoons • Walvis Bay Lagoon • Sandwich Harbour • Lüderitz Lagoon • Orange River mouth

• Artificial guano platforms (Cape Cross, Mile 4, Bird Island) • Seabird breeding islands (southern Namibia) Coastal IBAs:

• Kunene River mouth • Cape Cross Lagoon • Mile 4 Saltworks • 30 km beach: Swakopmund – Walvis Bay • Walvis Bay • Sandwich Harbour • Namib-Naukluft Park • Mercury, Ichaboe, Seal, Penguin, Halifax, Possession islands • Sperrgebiet Avifauna associated with Namibia’s coast:

Low species diversity but many species that are:

•threatened (locally and / or globally) •endemic •migratory •breeding Avifauna associated with Namibia’s coast:

Collision-prone groups:

• large species (e.g. flamingos, bustards) • move at night (e.g. flamingos, migratory species) • flocking species (e.g. flamingos, migratory shore birds) • narrow field of forward binocular vision, resulting in “blind spots” (e.g. bustards, vultures) Blind spots when flying forward  Some bird species have a “blind spot” when flying forward, e.g. bustards, vultures, snake-eagles – which renders them prone to collisions with overhead structures

Blue = “blind areas”

Green = binocular field of vision Some prime candidates of concern: Greater Flamingo (VUL) Lesser Flamingo (VUL, GT) Damara Tern (NT, GT; African Oystercatcher (NT, breeding endemic Nam) GT; near-endemic s Afr) Ludwig’s Bustard Kori Bustard (NT, Rüppell’s Korhaan (END, GT; near- GT) (near-endemic endemic s Afr) Namibia) Black-chested Snake Eagle Booted Eagle (END) Martial Eagle (END, GT) Lappet-faced Vulture (VUL, GT) Gray’s Lark (near-endemic Dune Lark (endemic Nam) Nam) Examples of power line collision data on the coast: Trekkopje Bypass (north-west of Arandis)

19 surveys 2009-2015 (10.4 km – total 198 km) . 18 Flamingos . 15 Bustards . 4 Korhaans . 0.2 incidents/km Examples of power line collision data on the coast: Wlotzka Desalination Plant area

2.2 km (incidental data) . 10 Flamingos (groups of 6, 2, 1, 1) . 1 Black-necked Grebe Examples of power line collision data on the coast: (Existing) Walvis Bay – Kuiseb line

5 surveys* – total 17.6 km . 26 Flamingos . 27 Birds of other species . 3.0 incidents/km *Clearing surveys: accumulated findings Examples of power line collision data on the coast: Namib - Obib line

1 survey – total 36 km . 21 Bustards . 0.6 incidents/km Examples of power line collision data on the coast: Oranjemund

Incidental data . 1 Osprey (ringed juvenile) . 3 Flamingo . 1 Cormorant . 1 Great White Pelican Challenges for coastal monitoring 1. Access to restricted (mining) areas Challenges for coastal monitoring

2. Access to remote areas (if proposed WEFs are not near towns) Challenges for coastal monitoring 3. Nocturnal species – identifying flight paths and extent of use

Image modified by: Jean-Paul Roux Challenges for coastal monitoring 4. Scavengers removing “the evidence” Challenges for coastal monitoring 5. Monitoring and understanding cumulative impacts Current activities that help with monitoring coastal avifauna

• Bi-annual wetland counts (MET) • Regular counts at key islands (MFMR/APCP) • SABAP1 / SABAP2 data (more atlasers needed!!) • Ringing programmes to get idea of movements (MET, MFMR, individual ringers) • Satellite logger tracking Proactive research - satellite tracking of flamingos (Jan 2013 >) Results of flamingo tracking data:  No major movements inland yet – insufficient rain  Local movements on coast: . Four Greater Flamingos flew 70 km south from Mile 4 Saltworks to coast and Walvis Bay . Lesser Flamingo flew 100 km north to Cape Cross . Altitudes mainly low (3.6 m) although power line collision data indicate higher altitudes . Many local movements take place during conditions of poor light/at night Other future focal areas that may present different / additional challenges:

• Mountain ranges / escarpment • Offshore • Others??? Therefore, with the…

1. most likely focal areas being coastal, 2. high number of associated threatened and/or collision-prone species and 3. challenges for monitoring coastal areas

…how the SA best practice guidelines apply to the Namibian situation? Happy brain-storming