Iceland - Fuglavernd – BirdLife Iceland (ISPB)

Founded in: 1963
Members: 1100
Staff: 1
Address: Skúlatún 6, Reykjavík, IS, IS-105
Tel/Fax: +354 562 0477
Email: fuglavernd@fuglavernd.is
Web: www.fuglavernd.is

Mission of the organisation

To work for the protection of Iceland's birds and their habitats.

Key Activities

• Lobbying for the conservation of IBAs in Iceland. Campaigned actively for conservation of the highlands around the mountain of Snæfell, East Iceland, including the Kárahnjúkar area (Vesturöræfi) and Útherad IBA, an area that is going to be affected by the gigantic Kárahnjúkar hydroelectric project
• Campaining for wetland restoration and conservation. Wetlands in the lowlands of Iceland have been severely affected by drainage operations during last century
• Long-term monitoring of the White-tailed Eagle in cooperation with Icelandic Institute of Natural History, seewww.fuglavernd.is/arnarvernd/index.html
• Running the Flói bird reserve run with the cooperation of the Árborg community and with generous support from the Pokasjódur verslunarinnar (The Commerce Fund). Further information can be found atwww.fuglavernd.is/enska/fridland/main.html
• Education and information work using the internet (www.fuglavernd.is), meetings and birdwatching events for members and the public, publication of magazine and information leaflets

Recent Achievements

• Published for first time a membership magazine calledFuglar ("Birds") in 2003, coinciding with the organisation's 40th anniversary
• Campaigned actively with a number of other bird protection and nature conservation societies for the Bern Convention Standing Committee to open a case file because of the detrimental impacts of hydropower development in Iceland on a number of bird species and their habitats. Areas affected include three IBAs: Thjórsarver, Úthérad and Eyjabakkar (area that holds the largest known moulting flock of Pink-footed Geese)
• Winter Garden Bird Survey: The Society has run a garden bird survey since the winter 1994-95 and a Garden Bird Weekend during the last weekend in January since 2004
• Grey Phalarope population census in Iceland for the third time during the summer 2004 in cooperation with Icelandic Institute of Natural History and Institute of Biology, University of Iceland. Work on the Grey Phalarope will also continue during summer 2005