PELICANS AND SWANS "NESTED" NEAR UKRAINIAN EMBASSY IN MOSCOW

December 6, 2002 more than 60 people gathered in the center of Moscow, in front of the office of Ukrainian embassy in Russia. The environmentalists and the students of Moscow universities have carried out the dramatized action against building of navigational canal the Danube - the Black Sea through the Danube Delta Biosphere reserve, which is situated on the territory of Ukraine. Several students dressed up as birds and have constructed a large nest in front of the embassy and laid symbolic 'eggs' there.

In spite of hard frost and biting wind, the "pelicans" and "swans", driven away from the Danube Biosphere reserve, built their nest right in the center of Moscow, in such a way asking for asylum at the representatives of Ukraine authorities.

The "birds" were compelled to make this action, because in case of construction of navigation canal through the Danube reserve many birds listed in the Red Book as much as other animals will lost their habitat, and the nature area of world importance - UNESCO's biosphere reserve - will be destroyed.

About 20 minutes after the beginning of action, Igor Berezkin, the First Secretary of the embassy of Ukraine came out of the embassy to the participants of the action. The "birds" handed him over 1 thousand signatures gathered in Moscow in support of the Danube Biosphere reserve. It is necessary to say that the officials of such a rank very rare (almost never) come out to the participants of such pickets. The representative of Ukrainian ambassador asked a question, members of what organizations take part in the action. He said also that till now seven of eight variants of the canal building are discussed. Igor Berezkin asked also why the participants of the picket speak in support of the reserve, which is situated on the territory of another country. The answer was that the action has no hidden political motives, and the environmental activists are anxious about observance of the law and conservation of nature heritage, which value is beyond the state boundaries.

The action was organized by Nature Conservation brigade of the Biology Department of Moscow State University (with support of the Movement of Nature Conservation Brigades) and the International Socio-ecological Union (ISEU). The activist from Kiev Ecological and Cultural Center (Ukraine) came in Moscow especially for participation in the action.

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Last several days the public figures, scientists from Russia and other countries sending letters and telegrams with expression of their protest against construction of the canal through the Danube Biosphere reserve to the President of Ukraine, the Parliament, the Government, the Ministry of Transport of Ukraine, the municipal council of Vilkovo town (where the administration of the reserve is situated), other state bodies. Such protests already are received from more that 60 countries.

Additional information on the problem is available on the website of the Campaign of ISEU in support of the Danube Delta Biosphere reserve: URL: http://www.seu.ru/projects/eng/dunay/