News
Today we celebrate the International Day of Forest. The theme chosen by the United Nations (UN) for this year is “Forests and Innovation” aiming to highlight how we can promote innovation to help the world’s forests, and how innovations in science and technology are supporting sustainable forest management. On this occasion, the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation wishes to focus on the use of drones, a technology which is making leaps and bounds in the conservation world.
Drones have become increasingly popular in conservation worldwide over the past few years. They have applications in wildlife monitoring and management, vegetation survey, invasive plant and animal species management, wetland management, tracking elusive animals, anti-poaching, and the possibilities are broadening. With their ability to fly autonomously or being controlled at a distance, their ability to transport and deliver packages, as well as the camera that they are equipped with, this technology is proving to be an essential tool for wildlife managers.
Drones are being used to attach waterproof data trackers to the backs of whales, conducting koala search and rescue following bushfires in Australia, or to curb illegal traffic of animal horns and poaching. In Hawaii rare plants are searched for in inaccessible cliff habitats. The first surveys using a drone were on the north shore of Kaua‘i in remote areas of the Limahuli Valley where field technicians located laukahi (Plantago princeps var. anomala) and ‘akoko’ (Euphorbia eleanoriae), two species that had never been previously documented on the north shore.
Here at the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, we are exploring the idea of using drones in different aspects of our conservation work. We could use a drone for (pre) vegetation surveys, especially in inaccessible, dangerous or costly places to get to. Drones can be used to explore forests to discover new species or locate rare species. As in Hawaii, drones could be useful to detect species that have remarkable features, such as the large, colourful hibiscus flowers, the out of the ordinary appearance of screwpines (vacoas) and their fruits, dark trunk of the black ebony tree (Diospyros tessellaria) or very pale trunk of the bois de fer (Stadmania oppositifolia) trees, terminal leaves of the bois benjoin (Terminalia bentzoë), and the baobab-like resemblance of the bois mapou (Cyphostemma mappia).
Drones can be used to establish the degree of invasion of an area by some prominent alien plants (e.g. Traveller’s Palm, Ravenala madagascariensis or liane cerf Hiptage benghalensis), especially when infrared features are available. Drones could also track progress in weeding invasive alien plants and reforestation.
Drones could increase the success of eradication campaigns. In New Zealand and French Polynesia, the technology is already being used to eradicate rats from islands, where drones drop rodenticides.
Drones can also be used to survey the extent of spread and movement of oil during a spill. They can provide real-time monitoring of oil spill response efforts. Here in Mauritius, during the Wakashio oil spill in August 2020, drones were used to take daily pictures of the oil spill and the wrecked ship on the coral reef off the coast of Pointe D’Esny. Drones could also be used to assess the extent of pollution of the coastline and damage to the fauna and flora.
With all the endless possibilities, and taking advantage of this year’s theme ‘Forests and Innovation’, we request authorities to remove taxes on drones that will be used in conservation and subsidize the costs. In addition, we propose that drone courses be made more accessible and pilot certification schemes for conservation technicians be promoted.
