Rakia to Enviously Sentinel Misambwa Island birds
In an exceptional move, Rakai District as recognized Sango bay –Misambwa twin Islands edict to protect birds and their breeding places from obliteration by the fishing communities. The objective of the edict is to make the district a tourist’s destination. The District wetland officer Jamil Kiyingi supposed that the bylaws will also regulate other human activities on the island for environment sustainability. Kiyingi said that through the ministry of local government, the district council forwarded the environment regulation to the attorney general for approval. According to the state of environment report for Uganda 2002, both the national environment statute 1995 and the local governments’ acts 1997 provide for the devolution of environmental activities at the district and the lower level government.
In2006, Sango bay and Misambwa Island, which are wetlands covering 6053 hectors, on the shores of Lake Victoria was designated as Ramsar convention site making it 11 Ramsar sites in the country. The Misambwa Island is considered an important bird sanctuary with an outstanding biodiversity supporting among others international vital numbers of four congregations of breeding bird species as well as representing part of Ugandan birds.
The islands are known to have the largest breeding economy for the grey headed Gulls in Africa and 75% of the total global populations of the blue swallow Egyptian Goose, Little egrets, Long tailed cormorants and greater cormorants other unique wild fauna like reptiles, snakes and lizards are also found on these islands hence important tourism destination and part of Uganda tours and safaris.
The central and southern regional wetland officer Fredrick Kiwazi says Misambwa island project that started in 2000 aims at conserving biodiversity and promoting the islands as the birding areas of Uganda.