Saudi, US wildlife agencies team up

The first ever joint conservation program between the United States and the Saudi Wildlife Authority (SWA) symbolizes the true friendship maintained by the two countries, SWA President Prince Bandar bin Saud said in Riyadh on Wednesday.
The prince was addressing the concluding session of a training program conducted for rangers and directors of protected areas at the SWA headquarters in the capital.
Under the program, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has partnered with the Saudi Wildlife Authority to exchange knowledge of conservation techniques for protected natural areas.
The two-week program on managing protected areas, particularly grazing habitats and fisheries, was arranged by the US Embassy in Riyadh.
On behalf of US Ambassador James B. Smith, the mission’s Counselor for Public Affairs Bridget F. Gersten was also present.
The training was conducted by Rob Campellone, national land protection planning coordinator of FWS, and its deputy project leader Carl E. Lunderstadt.
In his speech, Prince Bandar said the US and the Kingdom work hand-in-hand in the field of biodiversity. The prince said: “Management of protected areas is a grassroots problem that has to be dealt with by experts in the field.” He added the US had sent its experts to help resolve several management problems in protected areas.
The prince said SWA was established in 1986 under the name National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD). Its four main areas are supervision of protected areas, conducting scientific research in wildlife, framing legislation on wildlife and media awareness programs.
He said the SWA has demarcated 75 protected areas throughout the Kingdom and it currently maintains 16, including three marine reserves.
He said the SWA has been conducting a successful breeding program enabling it to breed some endangered species such as the Arabian oryx, sand gazelles and houbara bustards. The United States helped the Kingdom to bring back an Arabian oryx from the Santiago zoological gardens under the breeding program.
Prince Bandar was guest speaker at the US national day celebrations held at Smith's residence in Riyadh in April. The prince distributed certificates of appreciation to the two trainers and other US embassy officials and thanked them individually.
Gersten told Arab News the training program is part of the US global program to strengthen educational, art and cultural cooperation with various countries in the world. She said the program is fully funded by the US State Department. “The trainers who took part in this program will go back with their new experience in Saudi culture and they would be able to tell their colleagues in the US about the greatness of the Saudi culture and environment in the Kingdom.”
Campellone said poaching and grazing are the two big challenges protected areas in the Kingdom face. They could be resolved with the active participation of community members and by tightening the laws and regulations governing the protected areas, he pointed out. During the training program, the two trainers also visited the National Wildlife Center in Taif and the King Khaled Research Center in Thumamah, located on the outskirts of the capital.