Brazil govt, conservation organizations cooperate to protect Spix's macaws

An agreement was signed Tuesday (Jul. 12) by Brazil's Environment Ministry and international conservation organizations to invest $1.5 million in a project to build a Reintroduction and Breeding Center for Spix's Macaws in the Caatinga. The species, which is only found in captivity, is expected to be returned to its natural habitat as of 2019.

The center will be built in the municipality of Curaçá, Bahia, in a fenced area of 2,380 hectares owned by one of the partnering organizations, the Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) Lubara Breeding Centre, and will enable the project to expand captive management of Spix's macaws and return them to their natural habitat, the Caatinga.

Native to Northeast Brazil, the Caatinga is a biome that spans over 844 square kilometers—11% of Brazil's area. Many of its thousands of native vegetation and animal species are endemic there.

“The absence of Spix's macaws has been impacting the Caatinga for over 15 years. As we know, all species, from the spectacular to the simple ones, are crucial to ensure equilibrium in an ecosystem. The hard work and commitment of so many people from different backgrounds that helped us get where we are now reflects an understanding of our shared responsibility,” Environment Minister Sarney Filho said at the deal signing ceremony.

Breeding

The minister extolled the role of captive management in environmental conservation. “Captive breeding is still looked at with prejudice in spite of the important role it plays in protecting endangered species. The breeding center engaged in these efforts are helping save Spix's macaws. We should learn from Brazil's experiences and replicate them,” Sarney Filho said. He pointed out the list of threatened wildlife species in Brazil continues to grow.

In addition to the AWPP, three other international organizations are joining the project—the Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP), based in Germany, US-based Parrots International (PI), and Singapore's Jurong Bird Park.

Spix's macaws are considered to be extinct in the wild since 2000. They are native to Brazil's Caatinga, and the few existing specimens are kept at private breeding centers. Currently, 120 of them exist in private institutions in Qatar, Germany, and Brazil.

Experts in the Advisory Group for Brazil's National Action Plan for the Conservation of Spix's Macaws (PAN Ararinha-Azul) place strong emphasis on the importance of “managing threats”, i.e., initiatives that include mitigating illegal trading in wild animals and the risks resulting from land use for mining activities.

Translated by Mayra Borges