Ecobreves – CUBA: Birds Benefit Rice Paddies

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HAVANA, Feb 24 2001 (IPS) - Herons, ducks and 'yaguasas,' among other aquatic birds, are aiding – not damaging – the rice paddies where they seek food, concluded Cuban researchers, who promote the protection and conservation of these species. ''These birds are natural agents of biological control because they are an efficient counterweight to pests and, contrary to popular beliefs, they do not eat rice that has gone to seed,'' affirmed Martín Acosta, of the University of Havana's School of Biology.

In Cuba, 97 species of aquatic birds live permanently or seasonally, of which 70 inhabit rice-growing sites and the adjacent wetlands, which cover a total 120,000 hectares on the island.