Continental Outdoor Media’s quest to conserve SA birdlife

Continental Outdoor Media received a coveted Owl Award for its contribution to improving awareness and presence of BirdLife South Africa’s efforts, particularly in its quest to conserve threatened seabirds, some on the brink of extinction.

Barry Sayer, CEO of Continental Outdoor Media, received the award on behalf of the company.

At the awards ceremony, CEO of BirdLife South Africa, Mark Anderson, said: “Seabirds remain the most threatened group of birds in the world, mostly due to the impact of fishing. However, the good news is that our Albatross Task Force has helped drive dramatic changes in seabird-fishery interactions: with a few small devices that keep birds at a safe distance from fishing vessels, we’ve been able to reduce accidental seabird deaths by between 60-90%. Continental Outdoor Media continues to make a significant contribution to how we communicate this good news.”

He added that Continental Outdoor Media’s donated billboards that support the annual Save Our Seabirds Festival broadcasts the conservation message to many people that otherwise would not be made aware of the plight of the world’s seabirds.

“It is only through raising the profile of our efforts that our organisation is entrusted as effective custodians of our country’s birds; we are able to do so only in collaboration with media partners, such as Continental Outdoor Media,” noted Anderson.

BirdLife South Africa is currently using its work to save the African Penguin from extinction as a model for other conservation interventions, both nationally and internationally.

Sayer committed to the continued support of BirdLife South Africa.