Tripoli – The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in collaboration with the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), has announced the official extinction of the Slender-billed Curlew, the first widely migratory bird to be officially recorded as extinct.
The Union clarified that the last confirmed sighting of the bird was on February 25, 1995, in the Merja Zerga area of Morocco, confirming its final disappearance from the wild.
In a special statement to the Libyan News Agency, Saleh Bourzigah, Director-General of the Life Organization for the Protection of Wild and Marine Life, confirmed that this bird used to pass through northern Libya during migration seasons, noting that its extinction is an environmental disaster that will have clear repercussions on the ecological balance.
Bourzigah explained that the absence of this species will lead to an imbalance in the food chain due to an increase in the populations of insects and small mollusks, in addition to the loss of an important environmental indicator that reflects the health of natural habitats such as coasts, salt marshes, and swamps.
He also pointed out that the decline in biodiversity weakens the Libyan environment’s ability to cope with climate change.
He stated that migratory birds in Libya face several threats, including illegal hunting, destruction of natural habitats, coastal pollution, weak enforcement of environmental laws, and the effects of climate change.
Bourzigah affirmed that the Life Organization is working to enhance cooperation with international organizations such as BirdLife International and the IUCN, implementing projects for monitoring, awareness, and habitat protection, in addition to participating in World Migratory Bird Day.
At the end of his statement, he called for the consolidation of national and international efforts to protect migratory birds in Libya, stressing that preserving biodiversity is a collective responsibility to ensure environmental balance and sustainability.