Afghanistan is the eleventh and final Range State to sign the agreement. Afghanistan’s membership fills the last remaining gap in the MoU’s coverage for the highly endangered Central Asian Population which, according to ICF, until recently migrated between Russia and India crossing Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan enroute. Until now all other Range States were already MoU members.

Along their 5600 km migration route the Siberian Cranes shared much of their passage with Eurasian Cranes. Hunting along the flyway is thought to have played a major role in the demise of the Central Asian Population despite individuals being well-protected in the wintering and nesting grounds. The last pair was observed in its Siberian nesting grounds in 2002. But, because local people near the nesting grounds continue to report seeing Siberian Cranes, and with reliable reports from Northern Uzbekistan where in 2003 4 Siberian Cranes were spotted along a lake, hope remains that the population has not become extinct.

With the birds apparently not reaching their wintering grounds in India’s Keoladeo National Park, focus has shifted 2600 km to the north along the Amu Darya River, an area of lowlands forming the border between Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, where large flocks of Eurasian cranes over-winter.

With a small grant from ICF, SEA has been working on the Afghan side of the river making regular observations of the over-wintering cranes. Meetings with local people, including hunters and students, have taken place amongst the region’s 16 villages to facilitate increased awareness about Siberian Cranes, to enlist them in the search and to promote the need to reduce crane hunting. According to ICF Co-founder George Archibald and SEA Director Ghulam Malikyar, there is an additional need to enable local people to make responsible decisions on the management or release of captive cranes and reduce the risk of culling wild cranes and waterfowl for fear that they may transmit avian influenza to domestic birds and humans.

In addition to endorsing the priority projects list, and a new national reporting template, the MoU meeting endorsed a proposal for a BirdLife/CMS International Aquatic Warbler Conservation Officer (AWCO) to support the MoU's coordination. The AWCO would support conservation work across the range, assist Range States in securing funds for urgent conservation activities and provide technical advice to the CMS Secretariat. The first AWCO will be Mr. Viktar Fenchuk of Belarus. Funds are now urgently needed to establish the MoU coordinator's position and maintain its stability for several years. The first AWCO will be Mr. Viktar Fenchuk of Belarus.

In a surprise announcement the United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (defra) pledged 10,000 pounds Sterling for work under the MoU. The money may be used for on-the-ground research and conservation activities, as well as MoU coordination. The grant follows another defra pledge of 15,000 pounds Sterling in 2003 that supported research work to narrow down the Aquatic Warbler’s wintering grounds using stable isotope analysis.

Lyle Glowka said that “the MoU, and its integral action plan, will provide the Afghan government, and NGOs such as ICF and SEA, with an important tool to catalyze work nationally on Siberian Cranes, to integrate their results into the broader flyway work for the Central Asian population and to work together with the other governments, NGOs and experts in countries located along the flyway. CMS is very excited by the possibilities arising from Afghanistan’s membership in the MoU.”

Siberian Crane MoU
International Crane Foundation
Siberian Crane Flyway Coordinator
Siberian Crane GEF Project