The 2^nd Falcon Day International Forum took place on 3 September in Vladivostok, on the opening day of the Eastern Economic Forum2024. The event welcomed government officials, representatives of the scientific community, and international experts to discussions of the conservation and restoration of birds of prey, digitalization and innovative methods of monitoring wildlife, the creation of rehabilitation centres, and the work of nurseries.

The Forum was managed by the Roscongress Foundation with support from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Kamchatskiy Krai, and the Roszapovedcentre of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation.

Falcon Day saw Qatar join the Declaration of Intent for the Conservation of the Gyrfalcon Population, to which Mongolia, the People’s Republic of China, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Kingdom of Bahrain were already signatories.

“Russia has created unique platforms for international dialogue, free from external pressure and built on the principles of partnership and equality. This initiative is particularly relevant to the environmental agenda that is now so important for all of us. A scientific approach was employed at the 2^nd Falcon Day International Forum to identify concrete steps for the conservation of rare and endangered bird species together with our Arab friends. One of the most important outcomes of the Forum was Qatar’s accession to the Declaration of Intent for the Conservation of the Gyrfalcon Population. Russia is always ready to work with others and exchange experience on issues of importance to the global agenda,” Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the EEF Organizing Committee Anton Kobyakov said.

The highlight of the Falcon Day International Forum was the plenary session “Nature Conservation Diplomacy: Falcons – New Horizons for Diplomacy”. As a sign of friendship and growing international ties, a representative of the Saudi Arabian company Rasis LTD, Almutairi Mashari Badr, presented the Russian delegation with a symbolic gift of white gyrfalcons to contribute to the breeding stock of rare falconiforms in Russia.

“The annual Falcon Day Forum has made Russia the first to elevate the need to preserve rare species of birds of prey to an international level. The support of the expert community and new countries joining the Declaration of Intent for Gyrfalcon Conservation witness to the relevance of our work, which will benefit future generations by preserving for the beauty of the gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, and saker falcon. Such an outcome is worth the effort,” Chairman of the Falcon Day Organizing Committee and Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation Alexander Kozlovsaid.

These sessions were also held:

•          ‘Houbara Bustard: Ensuring Biological Diversity through Restoration of the Species in the Natural Environment’

•          ‘Creation of Rehabilitation Centres: An Effective Method to Return Captured Wildlife to Nature’

•          ‘Digitalization and Modern Technologies to Monitor Falcons and Other Wildlife. Support of Business’

•          ‘Save the Falcons: Russian and International Nurseries Protecting the Preservation of Rare Bird Species’

Another significant business event that took place during the session dedicated to the houbara bustard was an official announcement by Director of the Emirati Eastern Bird Breeding Center for Conservation Ltd Humaid Abdulla Mubarak Obaid Alketbi of an intention to finance a project to establish a Bustard Reintroduction and Conservation Centre in the Republic of Kalmykia next March.

12 birds arrived from the largest breeding centres in Russia (Peregrine Falcon Breeding Centre, Galichya Gora Nature Reserve Voronezh State University Raptor Breeding Centre, Vitasphere Rare Bird Breeding Centre, YTA-Falcon, PEREGRINUS FALCON) to participate in the Forum, and two will be on display in the Falcon House until the end of the EEF with ornithologists on hand to field questions from visitors.

Falcon Day wrapped up with the second International Falcon Auction featuring special guests from the Middle East and was a success, with all 10 lots sold. Proceeds will go to the development of centres for the reintroduction and conservation of falconiform birds, ecological tourism, and environmental research to be carried out by the centres.

The Forum also hosted a bilateral meeting between Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia Sergey Anoprienko and Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change of the State of Qatar Abdulaziz Ahmad Al Mahmud.

Participants

The Falcon Day Forum was attended by officials and experts from Russia, Bahrain, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Participants included Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Russian Federation Ahmed Abdulrahman Al Saati, Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measure in Asia (CICA) Kairat Sarybay, Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change of the State of Qatar Abdulaziz Ahmad Al Mahmud,  Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia Sergey Anoprienko, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan Andrey Kim, Head of the Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Oil and Environment of the Kingdom of Bahrain Karim Salman Abdulkarim Radhi Alwan, Director of the Department for the Development of Ecotourism and Hunting of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan Otabek Babamuradov, Chief Specialist of the Biodiversity Policy Department of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan Alexander Kazakov, Director of the Emirati Eastern Bird Breeding Center for Conservation Ltd Humaid Abdulla Mubarak Obaid Alketbi, Director of the Ubsunur Basin State Natural ReserveFederal State Budgetary Institution Diinmey Balban-Ool, Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, TV presenter, and journalist Marina Kim, Acting Director of the Reserved Crimea Federal State Budgetary Institution Arthur Murzakhanov, Deputy Director for Scientific Work at the Darwin State Natural Biosphere Reserve Miroslav Babushkin, Head of a separate structural unit of the Moscow Zoo – Center for the Reproduction of Rare Species of Animals State Institution Pavel Rozhkov, Director of the Rare Birds Nursery Evgeny Sarychev, andDirector of the Sailyugemsky National Park Federal State Budgetary Institution Denis Malikov.

Falcon House

The Falcon House thematic pavilion was held for the second time at the Far East Street exhibition and welcomed representatives of Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and other Arab countries to the opening ceremony. The pavilion acquaints visitors with birds of prey from the falcon family, the threat of extinction hanging over the gyrfalcon population, existing measures of support, and the history of falconry. The Falcon House pavilion is presented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation and the Government of Kamchatskiy Krai with the support of the Republic of Kalmykia, Roszapovedcentre of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation, SIBUR, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan and the A.I. Shepovskikh Foundation for Environmental Protection, the Irbis Centre for the Study and Conservation of the Snow Leopard, and the Natalia Tornqvist Revival of Nature Charitable Foundation.

For the second time, the Arabian Village pavilion, timed to coincide with the Falcon Day International Forum, was held on Far East Street exhibition and treated visitors to the hospitality and distinctive culture of the Arabian Peninsula.

Falcon Day International Forum Partners

The co-organizer was the Auction House of the Russian Federation. The official partner was Norilsk Nickel and other partners included Binjarra Falcon, Vostoktsement, and the Republic of Kalmykia. The organizing partner wasVostochny Port.